The beautiful hair, the gentle faces and all that character. What's not to love? But what is it really like to own one?
A few weeks ago, I asked a fairly simple question on Facebook:
"For those who own or have owned a Gypsy Cob, what is something you wish someone had told you before you got your first one?"
I expected grooming to come up. Maybe feeding. Perhaps a few comments about temperament.
What followed was a mixture of very practical advice, a few warnings, plenty of humour and an extraordinary number of people essentially saying the same thing:
You probably won't stop at one!
One owner simply wrote, "You can't stop at just one!" Another described it as a snowball effect, where one becomes three, then five and perhaps eventually ten.
That was one of the lighter answers. Others raised things that anyone considering their first Gypsy Cob really should know.
Of course, every horse is an individual, and these are personal experiences rather than a scientific survey. But when the same subjects come up again and again, they are worth listening to.
They have a habit of getting under your skin
Perhaps the nicest surprise was how many people talked about the relationship they have with their horses.
Owners described them as kind, gentle, affectionate, intelligent, funny, loyal and incredibly people-orientated.
One owner from France said she had been pleasantly surprised by their temperament, their gentleness and how easily they learn.
Others talked about their sense of humour, their character and how much attention they want from their people.
Despite everything else that follows in this article, there was very little regret in the comments. Quite the opposite.
Even many of the people listing the work, expense and frustration ended their comments with some version of "but I wouldn't change them for the world."
The idea that they are low maintenance disappeared fairly quickly
This was probably one of the clearest messages in the entire discussion.
All that mane, tail and feather that attracts so many people to the traditional Gypsy Cob doesn't look after itself.
Owners talked about washing, drying, detangling, keeping feather clean through winter mud and the time involved in maintaining heavily feathered horses.
One described the amount of hair simply as "sooo much hair."
Another compared caring for the hair on her small cob to looking after the hair of seven girls at once. Each leg was another head of hair, and then there was still the mane and tail to deal with!
And, of course, there was the familiar horse owner's experience of spending hours getting one clean, only for it to roll almost immediately afterwards.
For some owners, that grooming is part of the enjoyment. One described it as therapeutic and relaxing. Another saw it as more quality time spent with her horse.
But if you are somebody who would rather spend your time riding than washing, brushing and plaiting, a heavily feathered traditional cob may come as something of a shock.
What's underneath all that feather matters even more
The more serious subject that came up repeatedly was leg and skin health.
Owners mentioned feather mites, skin irritation, mud fever and CPL, or chronic progressive lymphedema.
One respondent put it very simply:
That may be one of the most useful comments in the entire discussion.
CPL is a progressive condition affecting the lower limbs of certain heavy horse breeds, including Gypsy Cobs. Feather mites and other skin problems are also important considerations when caring for heavily feathered horses.
It is worth remembering that CPL, mites and other skin conditions are not all the same thing. They require proper identification and appropriate veterinary advice.
Heavy feather can make it harder to notice changes underneath, particularly if the legs are rarely examined closely.
That doesn't mean every Gypsy Cob will develop these problems. Many owners enjoy years with horses that have healthy legs and beautiful feather.
But prospective owners should know these conditions exist, learn what healthy skin and legs should look and feel like, and seek veterinary advice if they notice swelling, irritation, thickening of the skin or other unusual changes.
In other words, don't just admire the beautiful feather from six feet away. Make sure you know what is happening underneath it too.
Being a good doer isn't always as easy as it sounds
Several owners mentioned how easily their cobs maintain weight.
One commented that they can be very good doers and that owners need to be careful with rich grass.
Another made the interesting point that keeping a good doer can sometimes be just as difficult as keeping a poor doer.
That is worth remembering.
It is easy to assume that a horse that holds its weight well will be inexpensive and straightforward to feed. But managing a horse that puts on weight easily can take considerable thought, especially when you have plenty of good grazing available.
Excess weight can increase the risk of health problems, including laminitis, and some horses may need carefully managed grazing and feeding plans.
Every horse has its own nutritional requirements, so the important thing is to manage the individual in front of you rather than simply feeding according to breed or appearance.
Sometimes feeding more isn't caring more. Quite the opposite.
Quiet does not automatically mean novice-proof
This was another very interesting theme.
Gypsy Cobs have a reputation for being steady, sensible horses, and many absolutely are.
But several owners strongly objected to the assumption that breed alone makes a horse suitable for a novice.
One respondent wrote that they are not always as easygoing and novice-proof as people are led to believe.
Another described them as:
Others described very clever horses that quickly worked out what their owners did and didn't know.
There were comments about stubbornness too, although reading through all of them, I wonder how often what gets called stubbornness is actually intelligence, confidence, lack of training, individual temperament or simply a horse learning what it can get away with.
One owner's description made me laugh:
That doesn't make them bad horses.
It simply means that buying the right individual matters more than buying a breed label.
A quiet, well-trained Gypsy Cob may be a wonderful horse for a less experienced rider. A young, powerful or inadequately trained one may be completely different.
And just because a horse is quiet on the ground doesn't automatically mean it will be equally suitable under saddle.
And yes, they know exactly how strong they are!
The fencing comments deserve their own section.
Apparently Gypsy Cobs have been conducting quality-control testing on gates across several countries!
Owners reported bent panels, damaged gates, broken fencing and horses using anything available as a scratching post.
One owner said her youngster would show her within two seconds if there was a weakness in her fencing.
Another advised investing in good panels and gates, although somebody else pointed out that even the best gates can eventually end up bent from a good cob backside rubbing against them.
And somebody else rather accurately described keeping one as being like housing a hippopotamus.
The interesting part was that several people said the destruction wasn't aggressive behaviour at all. The horse simply didn't appear to appreciate how large and powerful it was.
A little cob backside rubbing against a gate is rather less little from the gate's point of view!
You may also discover the joys of saddle fitting
A smaller but noticeable group mentioned saddle fitting.
Some owners had struggled to find saddles that suited their particularly wide or broad horses, especially Western saddles.
One owner described spending a considerable amount of money trying to find a suitable saddle for her horse.
That certainly doesn't mean Gypsy Cobs cannot be fitted comfortably.
It does suggest that buying a saddle simply because it fitted your previous horse, or because it is advertised as suitable for a particular breed, isn't always a good plan.
Individual conformation matters. A qualified saddle fitter can help assess what works for the horse in front of you.
Before you buy your first Gypsy Cob, ask...
A beautiful mane, plenty of feather and a kind face can make it very easy to fall in love. But before making a decision, it is worth asking a few practical questions too.
- What is this particular horse like to handle, ride and work with?
- What experience and training does the horse actually have?
- Has the horse had any recurring problems with mites, skin or its lower legs?
- Can I see and examine underneath the feather?
- How easily does the horse gain weight, and how is its feeding and grazing currently managed?
- What is the horse like for the farrier, vet, clipping, washing and general handling?
- Has the horse been ridden by people of different experience levels, or mainly by an experienced rider?
- What sort of saddle has worked for the horse?
- How is the horse with loading, travelling, other horses and being left alone?
- Most importantly, does this particular horse suit me, rather than simply being the breed I have decided I want?
A good seller should not mind sensible questions. In fact, the answers can tell you far more than a beautiful photograph ever will.
And remember that an independent veterinary examination before purchase is an important part of making an informed buying decision.
So, would these owners choose a Gypsy Cob again?
Judging by many of the responses, they certainly would.
That was perhaps the most interesting part of the whole discussion.
People warned about mud, mites, CPL, weight, grooming, damaged gates, stubborn moments and enough hair to keep somebody employed full-time.
Then they told me how kind they are, how funny they are, how intelligent they are and how deeply they connect with their owners.
And, repeatedly, how one apparently isn't enough.
Perhaps the most useful advice for somebody considering their first Gypsy Cob isn't simply "buy one" or "don't buy one."
It is this:
Know what you are buying.
Look beyond the beautiful hair and colour. Ask about temperament and training. Look underneath the feather. Learn about leg and skin care. Be realistic about grooming. Watch weight carefully.
Don't assume quiet automatically means suitable for a novice, and choose the individual horse that fits your experience and what you actually want to do.
That also brings us back to something that came through strongly in our previous discussion about whether you can trust a horse seller.
A good seller should be helping you work out whether a horse is right for you, not simply trying to convince you to buy it.
Because the aim should never simply be to sell a Gypsy Cob.
It should be to put the right horse with the right person, in the right home.
And if you do eventually bring one home?
Well, according to quite a few of the people who answered my question, you may want to leave room for a second.
And possibly a third!
A big thank you to everyone who shared their experiences!
Whether your comments were funny, practical, positive or a little more serious, they all helped give a much more realistic picture of what owning a Gypsy Cob can be like. I really appreciate everyone who took the time to contribute.
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