GYPSY HORSE BREED STANDARD
TYPE AND CONFORMATION:
Gypsy Horses in North America on average range from 13 to 15 hands. No height limits have been established. They are to exhibit characteristics of their Draft Horse Origin. Gypsy Horses are the product of their original environment and of crossing hardy smaller equine with draft horses during the last 50 yrs. The Clydesdale and Shire providing the heavy influence for bone and body mass.
Their colors are varied with white, gray, bay, brown, dun, roans, black, chestnut, palomino, and appy spotted. Piebalds and skewbalds are reference to broken colors.
Well-balanced driving and riding type with good depth of body; good substance and good heart room; standing on legs adequate to covering a lot of ground.
They are renowned for their Gentle, Tractable, Sensible and Willing Dispositions.
Temperament:
Mannerly and manageable, kind, responsive, possessing good sense and basic intelligence.
Type:
Sturdy; Body Compact and Deep throughout, with well sprung rib cage and broad chest. Slender body/torso is a fault (i.e. slab-sided).
Body:
The body of the Gypsy Horse should be well rounded and give the impression of a powerful horse. The ribs should not be visible, nor should they be able to be felt. Being able to feel the last 1 or 2 ribs on juveniles is considered acceptible.
Bone:
Heavy Bone
Head and Neck:
Head well shaped and balanced in proportion to the rest of the body, with head well-set onto neck of good length and definition, meeting the shoulder smoothly. Neck rainbow shaped. Crest should be well developed for the stallions. Neck not set too low.
Shoulders:
Laid-back with good slope. Without pronounced withers as in eg. Standardbreds/Saddlebreds/Thoroughbreds.
Back:
Strong short and muscular. In some instances, mares may have a longer back than a male.
Hindquarters:
Well rounded with good length from the point of the hip through the haunch; should balance the shoulders. Strong and Muscular. Slab croup undesireable. Hind limbs slightly off-set. Not cow hocked.
Forelegs:
Should be as straight as possible down to fetlock, with heavy, flat bone and knees. Pasterns should be long and of an angle similar to the shoulder.
Hind Legs:
Hocks should be not too far back and in line with the hind-quarters. Puffy, sickle, or capped hocks should be avoided. Hind legs should be 'set' at an angle to provide leverage, which is not to be confused with "cow hocks". Lateral side of both hocks should be slightly visible when standing directly behind animal. Hoofs should 'point' slightly outward. Pasterns should be long and sloped. Short, upright pasterns are considered a fault. Short, upright pasterns are associated with the development of ringbone and sidebone in draft breeds, including the gypsy.
Action:
Straight and true in front with powerful rear impulsion and with free movement in the shoulders. Gypsy Horses should move underneath themselves and should be sure-footed, and covering a lot of ground effortlessly in trot and canter.
Feet:
Hard, strong, with wide heels. Shown in natural foot or shod.
Hair:
Mane and tail to be profuse. Hair `FEATHER’ on the legs to be from the knees and hock joints down and covering the front of the hoof. Feather that is straight and silky is most desireable. Lack of feather or minimal feather is a fault depending on the age of the horse. Stallions should have thicker, longer feather than geldings or mares.
