The Romany Way - SDFarm Gypsy Horses

Gypsy Cobs
Photo by Janie Down
Photo by Wylleen May
Photo by John Hockensmith
Like his forefathers, Stevie Down continues to breed
Gypsy Cobs the Romany Way. Born of purpose fueled by
necessity, the Gypsy Cob should above all be a working
animal with a kind dependable temperament.
At SD Farms in the UK, Stevie Down is ensuring the
qualities that made this horse invaluable to the Gypsy
communities through many centuries will remain true.
The Romany Way
by Wylleen May
Stevie Down is part
of a vanishing breed.
He is a true Romany
Gypsy who is proud
of his heritage and
continues to follow
in the traditional
footsteps of his
forefathers.
Those traditional
footsteps include
the kind of Gypsy
Horse he breeds.
What is a Gypsy Cob?
Photo by John Hockensmith
It is fascinating to listen to Stevie Down talk
about his horses. There is undisguised pride
and real passion in his voice as he explains,
“My Grandfather and my Dad were both
breeders. I learned everything I know from
my Dad. There could not have been a better
teacher.“
How well he learned the lessons taught by
his father is evidenced by the impressive herd
Stevie now owns. His horses number over
1,000. They are a sight to behold. Quality
is the buzz word for Stevie and all of his
breeding acumen is directed toward that goal.
An SD bred horse has a nice short back, a
sweet head, good bone, nice flat joints
and lots of feather. Stevie is all about
conformation. “As a young boy my Dad
would send me and my brother Alfie to town
with a dray and a load of logs. We would sell
the logs and pick up scrap. Then it was back
to the wagon. Sometimes it was 20 miles each
way. It was just us: 2 boys and a stallion. That
is why a proper Gypsy Cob had to be bred to
do a day’s work.”
While neither Stevie nor his children are
hauling a load of logs today, Stevie still
believes in breeding the traditional Gypsy
Cob. He is concerned that improper breeding
will result in a horse which is no longer bred
to do a day’s work and lacks the temperament
that allowed Stevie’s Dad to entrust his
children to the good offices of a stallion.
Stevie has a unique perspective on the
art of breeding. He does not subscribe
to the popular philosophy that it is
the stallion alone that determines
the quality of any offspring. “It is
impossible for a stallion to fix a
problem mare. Both sides of the
breeding equation have to be top notch
if you want to breed the best foals
possible.” If you walk in any of Stevie’s
pastures it is easy to see that he has put
into practice what he preaches. The
mares of SD Farm are as traditional in
their make and shape as their male
counterparts.
I asked Stevie what he has planned
for the future of SD Farm. “My partner
and I would like to see the quality of
this horse preserved for the future. In
my opinion too many people are losing
sight of what this horse was bred to be.
Here at SD Farm we will always breed a
nice heavy traditional Gypsy Cob.
It is the horse my ancestors bred before
me, and it is the horse I am teaching
my own children and grandchildren to
breed.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Wylleen May is Stevie
Down’s partner in SD Farms. Wylleen is a
television executive who currently oversees
several productions including AMERICAN IDOL
and SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE.
Visit www.sdfarmgypsyhorses.com for more.
Page 14 • HORSES and PEOPLE • Phone: 07 5467 9796 • [email protected]
The Gypsy Cob is a much older breed than
most people realize. While most Europeans
were familiar with the breed, it was not
held in high regard due to the prejudice
against the Gypsy community. In the late
90’s the equine community in America
discovered the breed. As the horse grew
in popularity in America, The Gypsy Cob
finally began to receive the recognition
it deserved. Now horse lovers worldwide
really understand what an amazing
creature the Gypsy Horse breeders have
created.
It is a breed born of purpose fueled by
necessity. It was not some romantic idyllic
lifestyle that drove the Romany Gypsy
community to create this horse…it was
simply a matter of survival.
The Traveller family needed a kind, willing
and dependable horse to pull their wagon
essentially their home on wheels. The
wagon was not necessarily a fancy bowtop,
as they were the culmination of a lifetime
of hard work, but rather a simple utilitarian
wagon that provided shelter for the family
as they travelled from place to place. This
hardy dependable horse was never idle.
When the family was camped, the stallion
was put to work to help the family earn
their living. Most frequently hauling logs
or scrap, the stallion worked all day. At
night, if he was lucky, he would be put out
to pasture with the broodmares, if not he
was put on his tether and left to graze.
His tether was an ingenious invention; the
chain was hooked to an ibolt that rotated
so he could graze in a complete circle. The
next night the chain was moved and he
had a whole new circle to graze.
Never aggressive toward the babies, the
stallion is frequently seen in the company
of youngsters. It is not uncommon for more
than one stallion and his mares to share a
pasture with another stallion and his mares.
Function dictated form. The proper
shoulder set was critical since the horse
would frequently have to pull the wagon
or dray 20 – 40 miles per day. The neck
should tie in well at the shoulder and the
withers. A properly bred Gypsy should
have a short back and good bone with
nice flat joints. A Gypsy Mare may have a
slightly longer back to accommodate the
foal during pregnancy. The chest is broad
with well sprung ribs. A properly bred
Gypsy Horse should never have a coarse
head but instead should have a “sweet
head” in proportion to the body. A Gypsy
Cob should have an “apple butt” with a tail
set that is not to low.
There are a lot of misconceptions regarding
this horse, but the most troubling is the
idea that most Gypsy Horse’s lineage is
unknown. A true Gypsy breeder always
knows the back breeding on his horses.
All the information regarding which
stallion was bred to each mare as well as
the resulting offspring has always been
documented. It is not only an oral tradition
but a written one as well. While it is true
that Romany boys did not attend school
since they had to work to help support the
family, the girls did attend school until they
were ten years old, so it fell to the women
in the family to keep the book which
details all the information on the herd.
Typically Gypsy Cobs are between 14h and
15h. This horse comes in all colors but the
black and white “pinto” pattern commonly
referred to as piebald is most common.
The Gypsy Cob is an amazing animal.
Well suited for many disciplines you will
find Gypsy Horses out on the trail, in the
show ring and hitched to a cart. If you are
looking for the perfect equine companion
you need look no further.
The icing on the cake is the feather. It
should be silky and extend from the knee
and the hocks completely covering the
hoof. Curly feather is a fault. The mane,
forelock and tail should be abundant. The
mane may extend below the shoulder.
Last but not least is temperament. A
properly bred Gypsy Cob is easy going.
The stallions are kept with mares and foals.
In America there are four registries; The
Gypsy Vanner Horse Society, The Gypsy
Horse Registry of America, Gypsy Cob and
Drum Horse Association and The Gypsy
Horse Association. In Australia there is the
Gypsy Vanner and Cob Society (contact
details are on our directory page 34)
www.horsesandpeople.com.au • HORSES and PEOPLE • Page 15