Tell me about your Gypsy Vanners / Chunky Cobs!

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equestriansports

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Morning all!
I'm starting to look at purchasing a small (13-13.3hh) chunky cob/vanner. I know I want something with feather and mane - lot's of it! I want to know what your little ones can do, what have you done with them, personalities etc. Thank you! :)
 
I love gypsy cobs. Had my late mare 20 years and she was a super star, she was super at all sorts, though I am a happy hacker so no real interest in doing other things, but Seren was an amazing and honest jumper and was super at cross country (she excelled at this when on loan). She was 14.2 and started my passion for gypsy cobs, I always loved and still do love welsh section D's also.

My gorgeous Seren
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I bought another gypsy cob after losing Seren, she is slightly bigger and heavier set and is 5 &1/2 and currently with a trainer as she lost her nerve with cars, i then followed losing my nerve with her on the roads. I do not plan to do anything other than hacking with her really but i imagine she would excel at all sorts as she is bright and willing, and given her ability to leap right up in the air like tigger at a standstill i expect she could jump very well haha!
I may get a sharer at some point and wont mind them doing other things with her.

Current gypsy girl Nell
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So, all in all i think they are very versatile, and they look so pretty with all their fluff :)

Good luck in finding yourself a nice gypsy cob, i do love them as you can tell, I was after a piebald but ended up with Nell :)
 
I have one! Bought him at rising 2 and he's now 3 1/2 ( late foal) He is fantastic, such a character and a real gent. Has been excellent to hack out so far and we will see how the schooling goes this summer. Will be taking it easy for another year. He is currently about 15.1 with a bit of growing up left do do before he goes out lol

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My friend has a cracking 13.3 cob who she rehomed from the rspca at 3, is an absolute sweetheart, bold as brass, seriously talented with exceptional movement and a huge attitude, hes great! Jumps 3ft for fun and can too :)
 
I bought myself a traditional last spring, something to have some good safe fun on when the time comes. She is rising 2 and lovely. I find her very trainable, learns things very quickly, but i always say they have slower reactions. Shes less spooky than anything else ive had, chilled out and is more a 'stand and contemplate it' than a 'flight' animal :)

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Have mine!!! haha... My little home-bred unfortunately won't make height for me. He's 3 in April and standing at 13.2hh....

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I love hairies.... have tried TB's and non-feathered varieties, but I always go back to my cobs. This is my riding pony....

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... and my husband's Clydie X Welsh D....

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Mine is a useful all rounder, likes to jump 5 foot ditches to escape his field. He's a TB in a cob body according to someone who used to ride him, very sensitive, spooky, or a 'proper' cob as a dressage judge told me.

The feather is lovely, but can be a total trauma in mud. I'm just getting rid of mudfever scabs after weeks of oiling his feathers.
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Same horse doing an inhand class in my sig.
 
When I finally decide about getting another this is exactly what I will be looking for.
Love a good sturdy cob and most I have known have been so laid back and easy to handle.
 
I've had my gypsy cob 6 years. I bought him aged 6 from the field as his owner had become scared of handling him. So far (touch wood) he has never injured himself and is very easy to do, lives in or out, rides barefoot, never gets mud fever or other minor health problems, eats whatever he is given, total contrast to my old TB! His only involvement with the vet has been his dust allergy, which is fine if he lives out, and I do have to put sunscreen on his nose in summer. The main thing I struggle with is his weight, he is a VERY good doer and came to me seriously obese.

He can be bargy and opinionated (especially around food) and when he arrived was quite food agressive but it was all a front he'd learnt to get more food, he always backs down and quickly learnt to be polite. He doesn't have any problem squeezing down small gaps (especially when food is involved) or loading onto anything, he also doesn't care about things getting trapped or wrapped around his legs and never panics about that sort of thing. Doesn't really seem like a prey animal, if a dog tries to chase us he turns on it and chases it off. He loves a fuss and a scratch, and adores having his legs shampoo'ed. In some ways he's more like a big dog than a horse!

Out hacking he is completely bombproof about solid objects (bins, flapping plastic etc.), the only things that spook him are people (e.g. joggers running towards him) and noisy things. When spooked he generally freezes rather than trying to spin or run, and he prefers to walk very slowly past scary things rather than rush past, often people don't realise he is scared. He is a total safe plod if allowed to be, if forced he can go really nicely and knows all his lateral moves etc but will sometimes throw a tantrum first (stamps his feet and bucks, but not badly enough to unseat me, just a test that I really mean it! I suspect a previous owner would back down at this point and allow him to go back to plod). He can jump, but is unconvinced about jumping show jumps (after all they fall down if you ram them so what is the point!). He had 6 months off whilst I had my daughter and afterwards I just slapped his tack on and took him for a (slow) hack, no problems.

Everyone always falls in love with him, and he is especially popular with "non-horsey" people, particularly farmers. It was always funny to hack out with my YO on her very expensive and gorgeous dressage horse and have everyone stop us to say how much they loved my horse.
 
I fell in love with a traditional gypsy cob, aged 4 And Eventually bought him

He is brilliant, funny and has a huge personality. He's chilled on hacks and listens well when schooling. He was so well behaved when on his first hunt too. His world and being is led by his belly lol

That's not to say he can't have his naughty moments - more cheeky than nasty but has hit his teen years so tries his luck a little and has the odd tantrum

Honestly though, I wouldn't change him for the world but I hate hate hate his feathers, especially in winter :(
 
Laura I have one like yours.When I ride out with my husband His cob Merlin gets all the admiration. My bay does not get a look in.

Cobs are great ,intelligent and friendly. They weigh you up and push boundaries.But once they know you are in charge they are great. They will try and see what they can get away with.I love them. Our cob is a good doer. He is very hairey.I spend more time on him than I do on my polo pony. I mean with caring for mane tail and feathers.
 
This is my cob, Dolly . She's rising 4. She's cheeky and clever but is friendly and very laid back..definatley not a plod though. Just brought her back into work now and hacking out. Downsides are her sweet itch in summer and her scabby feathers - she's more high maintenance than my thoroughbred.

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Mine is about 14.1hh ish and HW. Hes pretty smart and moves very well for his type:

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He has a beautiful pony type head:

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And has a lovely nature. He worries about things and this shows as rude, bargy behaviour so I have to be careful to read him properly and now just jump in with the riot act! But he has a lovely forgiving nature.

Hes rising 5yr old and this is him jumpng for the first time. His rider is a nice quiet competent rider but he hasnt done much jumping before and Frankie, despite not having a clue himself, really looked after him:

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Hes really matured over the winter and is starting to grow into himself. He didnt make the height I expected or wanted, but he is an absolute tank of a pony now! Hes also very tough, and has only ever seen a vet for jabs and teeth etc *frantically touches wood* He also adores me and if I ask him properly will do anything for me.


He isnt fazed by much either. He will hack out in heavy traffic, walk up to combine harvesters, stomp over flapping plastic, and used to be kept in a field the other side of a dual carriage way to the yard, and used to cross with cars and lorries going by at 70mph without a care in the world.

I fully expect him to go on to hunt/jump/show/dressage etc with his rider and hack out quietly and safely with a fat middle aged disabled rider, aka me :lol: I love the very bones of him!
 
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I've got a gypsy cob, he came "on winter loan" from a trekking centre....... and somehow ended up staying :)

Bear in mind that these types of cobs MAY or may not have had a background with the "travelling community"; more so than a lot of horses out there. If you can get a traddie cob that's been well handled and backed, and then brought on nicely, they are a godsend and will usually have a lovely calm temperament and yet retain their intrinsic character.

If however, you get one that's not always been so cherished, it can be a different story. OK so I know this is true with ALL horses, i.e. early years is important - but with my boy I have a lot of reasons to suspect that he wasn't always well treated and this impacts on his behaviour in the here and now. For e.g. - if we see a man out walking, with a walking-stick, the poor lad really does hate having to go past and you can see that in the past he's been given a good trouncing by a man with a stick. Ditto people in hi-viz jackets, they obviously have negative associations for him, perhaps in being chased and driven into a market pen and/or container.

Mine can be quirky, he certainly knows how to use his own strength against you if allowed to (so can NEVER be allowed to); he can be a total novice ride one day, and most definitely not the next! He certainly knows how to suss out his rider and will play on any fears or weaknesses and take advantage whenever he thinks he can get away with it. But on a good day, when he's in a really lovely mood, he's a super ride and is forward going and responsive. He really is a conundrum........ but I love him to bits - and respect his intelligence.
 
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merlin12 said:
I spend more time on him than I do on my polo pony. I mean with caring for mane tail and feathers.
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I must be extremely lazy (maybe I just don't mind riding a horse that looks a mess!) but I spend hardly any time on mine. About once a month (often less) I wash his feathers, leave him for them to dry somewhere clean and then put pig oil and sulphur on them. That is the sum total of my feathers care. I brush his mane about once a fortnight with conditioning spray and an Ostlers brush, in between just use my fingers for any tangles. I do have to sometimes plait it in summer when it is very hot as he gets sweaty under it. The tail is more of a problem, though I use that as a gauge for his diet (if his tail is full of ***** he has had too much grass). Again I use pig oil on it, but I do have to brush it at least once a week.

I did do a bit of in-hand showing with him when I was pregnant, and never again! Getting him clean enough for showing was a 3-day job.
 
In all my cob owning days (am on no. 4 :)) I've never managed to own a little hairy - see if you can get any footage of the Hoys small traditional class, its my favourite class.
 
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This is my lovely mare. She is a gypsy cob crossed with something, but we have no idea what! She has feet like dinner plates and huge ears. She is my second cob and the most talented horse I have ever owned. I adore her and will never sell her. I have to keep her clipped all year round as she does get incredibly hairy, especially around her feet. The look on peoples faces when I tell them she competes at BE novice is priceless. Nobody believes me until they see her jump!
 
MiJodsR2BlinkinTite said:
I've got a gypsy cob, he came "on winter loan" from a trekking centre....... and somehow ended up staying :)

Bear in mind that these types of cobs MAY or may not have had a background with the "travelling community"; more so than a lot of horses out there. If you can get a traddie cob that's been well handled and backed, and then brought on nicely, they are a godsend and will usually have a lovely calm temperament and yet retain their intrinsic character.

If however, you get one that's not always been so cherished, it can be a different story. OK so I know this is true with ALL horses, i.e. early years is important - but with my boy I have a lot of reasons to suspect that he wasn't always well treated and this impacts on his behaviour in the here and now. For e.g. - if we see a man out walking, with a walking-stick, the poor lad really does hate having to go past and you can see that in the past he's been given a good trouncing by a man with a stick. Ditto people in hi-viz jackets, they obviously have negative associations for him, perhaps in being chased and driven into a market pen and/or container.

Mine can be quirky, he certainly knows how to use his own strength against you if allowed to (so can NEVER be allowed to); he can be a total novice ride one day, and most definitely not the next! He certainly knows how to suss out his rider and will play on any fears or weaknesses and take advantage whenever he thinks he can get away with it. But on a good day, when he's in a really lovely mood, he's a super ride and is forward going and responsive. He really is a conundrum........ but I love him to bits - and respect his intelligence.
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She's got my cob, couldn't describe him better myself, on the viewing, this 3 yr old baby literally trembled at the sight of his tack, now rising 5 yr old, he is confident around people, but gets chased off by the other horses, he really knows his place
 
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