Jeff Bartko Articles
Introducing Jeff Bartko
We would like to take a moment and Thank, Jeff Bartko and his wife, Victoria Hauser for the opportunity to use their information for our website. It is our goal to share his experience with this breed to help educate many that are interested in having a better understanding in some key areas. We believe he aligns to our visions of what these horses were meant to be. As one of the biggest importers, ever in the United States, this is a huge part of the history of this breed that needs to be recognized. This information has been the industry’s first choice for information for decades.
A bit of history on Jeff. Jeff began his career in horses at a rather late age in about 1986 when he was hired to perform as a mounted, armored knight, competing in full-contact jousting exhibitions. Prior to that he was a computer technician and TV-repairman (remember the days when TV's were repaired rather than thrown away). However, he had some acting experience, and was skilled in stage-combat. So ran off to join the circus (figuratively speaking of course).
He eventually became director of one of the company's two traveling jousting troupes. He really enjoyed the work, and learned a lot about the horse, and the connection a person can have to that animal. He worked with the horses every day (except Monday), and performed on the weekend for live audiences. The performances were done primarily using draft horses specially trained for the necessary skills. So, his love for the draft horse was born.
Upon retiring from the jousting business, Jeff knew he wanted to continue having these big horses around him, and decided the Shire Horse was to be that breed. He acquired his first Shire horse shortly thereafter, and seemingly never stopped bringing them home. Black Forest Shires was created. He and his late wife, Christine (2010), would travel overseas to the largest Shire shows in the world, and learned much about the breed from its origins in England. From that point, it didn't take long for them to discover the Gypsy Horse, and expand to Black Forest Shires & Gypsy Horses.
They (Jeff & Christine) have been involved with the breed since it first came over to the US. They brought over their first Gypsy Horses in 1999 and began promoting the breed. By 2001, the interest in the breed was strong, but they could not bring horses in from the UK due to the foot and mouth epidemic. It wasn't until February of 2002 that they began importing the breed in numbers to satisfy the demand for them in North America. The last gypsy horses they brought over came in 2008. Through this six year period they imported over 1500 horses into North America.
Their philosophy regarding the Gypsy Horse breed contributed much to their success. They knew the breed would take hold and grow in popularity, and that they were creating a foundation for the breed. They were disappointed at how some Americans were using the breed for various marketing schemes, and that some European breeders saw America as a place to sell inferior horses for big money. Jeff and Chris believed that the foundation of the breed in America should be based on truthful information, respect for the Gypsy people, and importing the highest quality horses available.
As Jeff believed, the breed would continue to grow in popularity! These horses firmly established the Gypsy Horse as a recognized breed throughout the continent.
Although they no longer import horses, the legacy of their work continues on. The horses they imported and their progeny can be seen from coast-to-coast in shows, fairs, and exhibitions, still today over 20 years later. Their contributions and experience has shaped The Gypsy Horse Industry in North America, and it will never be forgotten.
Part of an article published
in a Southern California newspaper.
There’s an old saying, which goes, “Gypsy Gold does not clink and glitter, it gleams in the sun, and neighs in the dark.” This proverb believed to be from the Claddaugh Gypsies of Galway refers to the magical relationship between gypsies and their most treasured possessions, their horses.
Articles
These informational articles include helpful information on a variety of subjects. Please click on the subjects below to learn more.
Table of Contents:
What is a Gypsy Horse?
Introducing the Gypsy Horse
This article was reproduced using content from Black Forrest Shires and Gypsy Horses' website. This information is being provided to you courtesy of Black Forrest Shires and Gypsy Horses and is reused with Jeff Bartko's permission. Pictures and articles copyrighted by Black Forrest Shires and Gypsy Horses.
The Gypsy Horse is a hearty little draft type horse which was developed and is still used by the Gypsies of England and Ireland.
They typically stand between 13 and 15.2 hands, and have an unusually quiet and gentle disposition. Their exceptional stamina allows them to go all day at a steady trot while pulling a loaded living waggon with the whole Gypsy family. They are sturdily built with solid bone and have a good deal of feathering and hair.
The Gypsy horse comes in all colors, with the most common being the "pinto" patterns, piebald and skewbald.
Although they have been bred for a particular type for generations, they are originally descended from several draft horse breeds, primarily the Shire and Clydesdale along with Dales, Fell, Kinseyand other native British pony breeds.
If you are looking for a horse that is known for soundness & sanity, that will be a faithful companion to your family, and is incredibly versatile, the traditional Gypsy Horse may just be the perfect horse for you.
Their compact size and sturdy build makes them incredibly strong animals, capable of carrying and pulling a great deal more weight than a light horse of similar height. They have proved to excel at every discipline imaginable in the equine world, from competitive driving to dressage and western sports
The traditions of the Gypsies and the magical persona of these family oriented horses make them the perfect “horse for all seasons”.
All About Feather
Comprehensive article which shows the reader the difference in feather between genders and different ages of Gypsy Horses.
This article was reproduced using content from Black Forrest Shires and Gypsy Horses' website. This information is being provided to you courtesy of Black Forrest Shires and Gypsy Horses and is reused with Jeff Bartko's permission. Pictures and articles copyrighted by Black Forrest Shires and Gypsy Horses.
Feather
Many people seem to be very confused about what is considered "feathered", and what is considered "well feathered". We've seen many ads for these horses on the web that describe the horse as "heavily feathered", or that it has "tons of feather" and other similar claims. Yet, when we look at the horse, we can only sigh. Yes, it may be a good deal of feather compared to a light horse, or a Belgian draft, or even a Friesian, but that is NOT acceptable feathering for a gypsy horse. Below are some examples and comments on what is, and what is not, good feathering for a gypsy horse.
For this discussion on feather, we will leave out all of the other things that make a horse into a good horse, and focus on the feathering, a very important part of the gypsy horse breed. For the horses used as examples, we will assume that they all are equal in conformation and training, for the purposes of this article. This way we can "get to the heart" of this weighty issue in our chosen breed of horse. We realize that very few people have gotten to spend the time that we have with the true gypsy people who created this breed, so we wanted to share a bit of what we have learned over the years in relation to this matter.
In basic terms, "feathered" means that a horse has ground-length hair completely around the hoof. If the hair in the front of the hoof doesn't naturally grow longer than about an inch or two, then you DO NOT have a feathered horse. These points are very important, as just being technically "feathered" doesn't make your gypsy horse acceptable by gypsy standards. If a horse has a light amount of hair all the way around the hoof, but it's not THICK and FULL, then, by gypsy standards, this is not a high quality gypsy horse (of course this excludes horses that have been shaved, or "bog burned").
Feather on a Friesian horse.
To Shire, Clydesdale, or Gypsy Horse breeders, this is NOT a "feathered" horse.
To gypsies, the people who created our beloved breed of horse, there is no such thing as too much feather. A moderately feathered stallion is never acceptable, as a stallion has to have as much feather as possible. If a gypsy breeder is breeding a stallion that doesn't have an incredible amount of feather, he is a poor breeder, who may not have the money for good stock. "Each hair is a sovereign" is a term used by many of the old traditional breeders. This would translate to "each hair is a dollar" to us Americans. This is basically the "bible" of gypsy horse breeding, as the cheap horses don't have too much hair, and the expensive ones are the well bred, quality horses, that also have tons of feather. These horses can trade among gypsies for serious money.
If you have two conformationally identical fillies, and one has twice as much hair as the other one - that "heavier" filly could be worth at least double what the other one is. Double isn't actually an accurate description of the worth though, as most of the well-known gypsy breeders won't buy a light legged and feathered filly, no matter what her breeding and history, and no matter how cheap she is. Most of these top breeders would spend several month's income for the "heaviest" nice filly though! These top breeders wouldn't take a light-legged, lightly feathered filly of unknown heritage if you gave her to them, hence that filly is "worthless". I cannot count how many times I have heard the term "worthless", and "rubbish" when the big gypsy breeders are out buying stock for themselves. These "worthless" horses are what most of the breeders call "trade horses". These are the horses that are frequently sold at auctions and sent to unknown futures. These are usually lightly boned, lightly feathered horses of non-descript breeding. Unfortunately, most of the European horse people very wrongly assume that ALL gypsy bred horses are these "trade horses".
Back to the basics of feather... Feather is a recessive, and it is accumulative. If you breed a feathered horse to any non-feathered horse, you DO NOT get a feathered horse. If a gypsy horse doesn't have too much feather on it, the reason for this is likely that it has a non-feathered horse in its pedigree - not too far back! If the horse has barely any feather on the front of the hoof, but a decent bit off the back of the fetlock, this horse has light-horse bred into it, most likely as one of its parents! There are actually many of these horses that have been imported into the USA that are direct, first generation crosses, but have been sold as "pure gypsy horses". This is not a good situation, to say the least! I will state again, if a "gypsy horse" doesn't have full feathering around the front of its hoof, that reaches the ground, it is recent-generation cross-bred horse (and very likely a first generation cross)! DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY on these horses. You can get a horse like this in the USA for MUCH cheaper, by simply crossing a smaller Shire or Clydesdale with a paint horse. Don't fall victim to this scam!
If you want a truly feathered gypsy horse, you may have to import, or buy offspring from good imported stock. Many people make the terribly wrong assumption that if a horse is pinto colored, and from England, that it's a gypsy horse. Don't make this mistake! This is just like saying that any horse with a pinto color here in the USA is a paint horse. This couldn't be further from the truth, especially when you take into account those miniature horses and Shetlands that are snazzy pinto marked! Don't fall into this common gypsy horse trap!
Back to basics... Mares are feathered too in this breed! Many people will try to tell you that a mare doesn't have to have much feathering to be a gypsy horse. Don't buy this! Of course, there are "degrees of feathering" which we will show examples of below. Unless the mare has feather all the way around the hoof to the ground, she is just another "worthless" horse. Below I will show you what a true gypsy breeder would consider acceptable, and what that breeder would not. Not all mares can be "the heaviest mare" around, but there are limits as to what amount is acceptable to proper breeders. There is never a reason to breed a gypsy horse mare that has what a gypsy horse breeder would consider to be an unacceptable amount of feather. Doing this won't give you a nicely feathered horse, it will only give you a horse with slightly more feather than the mare, no matter how heavy (in feather) the stallion is. We don't need to do this here in the states. The gypsies have already gone through the trouble of breeding this type of horse into a perfect little feathered horse, so we don't have to reinvent the wheel. This doesn't address the issue of tainting the breed with inferior, cross bred horses, but of course, that is an issue to be considered as well.
Bigger horses. Many of the larger (over 16 hands) gypsy type horses (and drum horses) have a good amount of Shire or Clydesdale blood in them. These don't get as heavily feathered as the traditional gypsy horses, but should have AT LEAST as much feather as a Shire or Clydesdale. This means full hair growing around the FRONT of the hoof all the way around. Any less means that you don't have a feathered horse. If you have a 14 or 15 hand horse with that lesser amount of feather, you have a "trade horse", one that most true gypsy *breeders* wouldn't take a second look at (but the *dealers* would love to sell that to an American, guaranteed!).
Rule to live by in gypsy horses:
Hair isn't everything, but, you can't have everything unless you have the HAIR!
Examples - Stallions and Colts
Flowchart
Top class: A young colt like the five month old in the figure 7 becomes a yearling like figure 9, which becomes a two year old like figure 8, which becomes a stallion like figure 3.
Middle class: A colt like the yearling in figure 10 becomes a stallion like the three year old in figure 4. These are the types that the poorer, but still proud gypsy breeders will breed. Not bad, but not the best.
Not even in the same class: In contrast: A two year old like figure 6 will turn into a stallion like figure 5. Don't let unscrupulous sellers try to tell you that they will eventually get tons of feather like the horses you see in the calendar pictures. If they don't start out with feather, they will never have it.
Mares: The heaviest mare won't have as much feather as the heaviest stallion, but a good mare will have more feather than an average stallion. The heaviest (this means feather) horses around will be stallions, but the top mares anywhere will be close in feather amount. Those mares are few and far between, but that shouldn't be an excuse to take an unacceptably feathered mare and try to breed something good with her. It just won't work, which has been proven over generations by our gypsy breeders. We don't need to reinvent the wheel with these horses, all the hard work has been done for us by the gypsies. Put your money into buying what they consider to be a good horse, and you will never be disappointed, either personally or financially. Mares are every bit as important as stallions (some say more important) in breeding, so don't make the common mistake of getting a decent stallion and trying to fix inferior mares with him. That trick never works.
Examples - Mares and Yearlings
"Bog Burn", AKA "Burned Feather"
No discussion on feather is complete without mentioning the problem of "Bog Burn" in feathered horses. This is a problem caused by a feathered horse being kept on wet land for extended periods of time. It's a bigger problem in the winter months, because ice can play a part in it, although ice is not required to bog burn a horse. Since the winter of England and Ireland consists mostly of mud and more mud, this is something that you see often in gypsy horses. Gypsies keep their horses outdoors, on fields, almost exclusively. They try hard to get "good land" in the winter time so as not to "ruin" their horses, but that is not always easy to do, unfortunately. Sometimes they are forced to use land that they know will "ruin" the feather on their horses in order to keep the horses well fed. "Ruin" isn't really the proper term, as when the hair is pulled out it grows back of course, but if you have a great mare or stallion in perfect condition feather-wise, it is a huge disappointment to have all that perfect feather pulled out, and have to wait months before it looks the same again.
It isn't too tough to tell the difference between a bog-burned horse and a horse that is just poorly feathered, but it does take some experience at looking at different types of feathered feet.
Photos below: The first picture is a 9 year old mare of great breeding, but that was kept on bad land through the winter and spring earlier this year. The picture on the left was taken in July, after about a month of the hair growing back. The picture on the right was taken 10 weeks later. The hair isn't completely back, but it's almost there! This mare will have hair in front that drags the ground, like a good mare should have! To the untrained eye, the picture on the left could look like a mare with not-good feather. The short in the front and long in the back is a classic symptom of bog burn, but that is also a trait of not-so-great feathered horses. It takes a bit of practice looking to notice the subtle differences between a burned, well feathered horse, and a half-legged horse that doesn't naturally have much feather. Many unscrupulous dealers will tell interested buyers that a horse is just burned when it's actually a non-feathered horse, so be careful, and know that you can trust the person doing the telling.
In Closing...
If you are new to feathered breeds, don't show your "newbie-ness" by calling what is on horse's legs "feathers". Horses have "feather", Birds have "feathers" (with the "S" on the end). All of this is moot when talking to the gypsies, as they just call it "hair"!
Conformation in the Gypsy Horse
Beginners' article on evaluating conformation in the breed. Quality and Conformation considerations.
This article was reproduced using content from Black Forrest Shires and Gypsy Horses' website. This information is being provided to you courtesy of Black Forrest Shires and Gypsy Horses and is reused with Jeff Bartko's permission. Pictures and articles copyrighted by Black Forrest Shires and Gypsy Horses. Original article by Christine Bartko.
Here is some helpful information to help you evaluate the horses you're looking at, or planning to show. We've tried to concentrate on areas where the Gypsy Horse differs from other horses in conformation.
Gypsy horses, - a breed, a type, or just some horses that the gypsies have?
When we first started importing the Gypsy Horse to North America, we quickly realized there was much to learn about the buying process. The European Gypsy is the world's oldest and most savvy horse dealer, and we weren't going to beat him at the game. However, we knew that by learning as much as we can about the breed, we could work on a level playing field.
We already had a solid background in our experience with the Shire horse, and even some familiarity with the differences our two languages presented. Now it was time to learn what the Gypsy man values in the breed, and what sets one individual (horse) apart from another. Along the way, we also learned many "tricks of the trade", and pitfalls to beware of.
In the day, many people asked us to tell them about the registry that the gypsies had for these horses. The answer is easy... None. The Gypsy people do not want or need a registry. Even if one was available, it wouldn't have been used. Why??? Well, there are many reasons, and we could write a whole article on that subject alone. Perhaps the most important point to understand is that much of the wealth of a Gypsy family is in the horses they own & breed. The last thing these breeders would want is any organization monitoring their buying, breeding, and selling operations. It's even more of a concern when you realize that in the UK, horse registries are established and regulated by that country's authorities.
Many true Gypsies, Romany folk, or travellers, as they are known, don't read nor write, therefore, written records of breeding and ownership were rarely kept. Instead, records are kept much like the Native Americans kept their history records - by word of mouth and stories told. As for the thought that only a registry with papers makes a breed, consider this... British and Irish Gypsy horses have been bred for generation after generation by a small, unique group of people on a few small and unique group of islands just west of Europe. Geography alone goes a long way toward ensuring breed type in this situation.
We can tell you that, in spite of the lack of papers, the gypsy cold-blooded horses ("traditional") are a definite type, that breeds true. They have been bred the same way for generation after generation - some lines over 100 years, which is longer than most breed registries have been around. A type that has been bred for generations and that breeds true is the fundamental definition of a breed, papers or not. As any good old-timer will tell you, papers don't make a horse. Just because no one decided to start writing down horse names hundreds of years ago, DOES NOT mean that these horses are any less of a breed than any other. Any one who is realistic will understand that in breeds that have papers, unless there is parentage verification ( a relatively new process) on each horse, that the purity of a line is only as good as the honesty of it's breeder.
We came to realize now that we needed to stop thinking like an American, and think more like the Gypsy man. Without the aid of a registry, and knowing that "word-of-mouth" record keeping is subject to error, It was crucial that we understand every aspect of the breed. This is especially important to recognize any "creative selling" tactics that may be directed at us. At the end of the day, our own assessment of the horse was the only thing we could truly depend on. As a rule, we gave little consideration to the purported lineage of a horse. Either it was or was not a good horse, and this fact would not change when we're told who her parents were believed to be. In fact, we purchased many horses from Gypsy men only to learn who the parents were after the fact.
Note: This paragraph is not meant to imply that all UK Gypsy horse dealers are crooked. In truth, the men we've dealt with have overall been fair & honest. However, even the most diligent of these breeders may find it difficult to recall and pass along correct information, and can and do make mistakes.
What do I look for in a quality Gypsy Horse
Throughout this website we refer to the Gypsy Horse as a draft, or draft-type horse. You may come across people who strongly disagree with this description, however their position is usually politically or marketing based, rather than being based on the actual conformation of the breed. The Gypsy horse's heritage includes the Shire and Clydesdale - Traits of which the breed exhibits well. The Gypsy horse was bred and used as a work animal. Without the qualities and conformation of their draft horse influence, they'd never be able to perform the job(s) for which they were bred. Draft horses are used to pull our heaviest loads. Not just because they are bigger, but because their conformation is 'tuned' to that specific job.
A quality gypsy horse should have the same basic conformation points as any draft type horse. He/She should have a nice, short back, with a well sloped shoulder angled to compliment the angle of the well rounded croup. A short back is achieved by a sloped shoulder and a nice croup, so you will see these things together. Steep, straight shoulders and rumps are very common faults in these horses and should be avoided. These faults will usually make the horse seem to have a very long back, which is fairly common in heavy type horses. Remember, a short back is a strong back.
The head should be in proportion to the size of the animal, with a kind, gentle eye. A roman nose is acceptable, as long as the head isn't too big for the rest of the horse. A small, tidy pony type head (sweet head) is fine as well, as long as it isn't too small for the horse's body. The neck should sit well up on the horse's well sloped shoulder, and be of appropriate length for the body.
The legs should be clean and flat in bone and joints, with plenty of bone to support that massive body. There should be no question that this is a DRAFT horse. Hind legs need to have some angle to them, with very straight hind legs being a very common fault in these horses. (you will often find the straight "post legs" in a horse with a very steep croup). The pastern should be at the same angle as the shoulder, and be long enough to give the horse proper flexion and spring when moving. Short pasterns are not only unsightly, but become unsound long before a pastern of proper length. Short pasterns are also very prevalent in gypsy horses of marginal quality, and are indeed the number one fault that causes us to reject a horse that has been presented to us. I would say that about one quarter of gypsy type horses in the USA today have pasterns which are too short for the horse. These have been sold to unsuspecting buyers that don't know what terrible lameness issues that can arise from this fault. Long pasterns aren't common in this breed. As a matter of fact, we can't think of ever seeing a pastern in a gypsy horse that was conformationally too long.
Hind legs should have a bit of "set" to them, as any horse bred for pulling should. This is perhaps the most significant difference between the legs of the draft horse and those of a light (saddle) horse. Many people involved with the breed do not understand what "set" is, and it's importance to the overall conformation of the horse. This includes show judges and veterinarians. If a judge or vet is not accustomed to seeing draft horses, they may incorrectly interpret the horse's "set" as a fault. We cannot over-stress the importance of understanding what "set" is, and why it's necessary.
Example of "Set"
Set is best described as an outward angling of both hind legs. It is not to be confused with cow hocked, as the whole leg is set at the outward angle, with the leg itself being perfectly straight at every junction. As you can see in this picture of a weanling colt, his cannon bones are perfectly parallel, but you can see the sides of his cannon bones from behind. If you took the leg off of the horse, it would be perfectly straight hip to toe, as in any well conformed horse. The angulation is in how the hip fits into the socket, not in any one part of the leg. The horse in the picture has moderate set (sometimes Shires and Clydesdales these days want this so exaggerated that you can see the whole side of the leg from the hind). We don't like it too exaggerated in a gypsy horse, but it should be apparent nonetheless. It is considered a fault in a pulling horse to have hind legs perfectly square on the body, as this gives no leverage for pulling. This colt has the set that I would call near perfect for his type of horse.
Hair
Although hair does not make the horse, in order to be a traditional gypsy cob, you have to have at least as much hair as in a modern day Clydesdale or Shire horse... In order to be a good one, you have to have LOTS more hair than that! The hair should cover the front of the hoof. If it doesn't, you may have a lovely horse, but it is not a traditional gypsy cob. On a traditional gypsy cob, the more hair (feather) the better. There is no such thing as too much. Hair is, of course, not everything, but without the hair on a traditional gypsy horse, you cannot have everything. If you have two nice, and identical mares, and one has twice as much feather as the other, that "heavier" mare is worth at least twice (much likely more like 4-5 times) what the other mare is worth! If she's a poorly conformed horse with lots of feather, she still isn't worth much. The two ingredients to make a *TOP* gypsy horse are wonderful conformation AND tons of hair. For more complete description of feather, see the article called "The Truth About Feather"
You'll notice I did not mention color, markings, or eye color in the above points. This is because the most important thing in ANY horse is the conformation, and pretty color and markings are just icing on the cake. Eye color and markings ARE NOT factors which make a gypsy horse good or not. A good breeder will look first at quality of the horse, and then put the skin, eyes, and color back on him or her. We must say that we have seen FAR too many horses billed as "the best" simply based on the fact that they have pretty markings and lots of mane & tail. Strip the hide of these horses and you have just plain junk. PLEASE be sure to look under the color and feather! Conformation first, always!
Weight of a gypsy horse.
We thought we would touch on this, because one of the most common problems we see with new owners of these horses is that they aren't used to the draft horse body type. They often think that a horse is too fat, when, in fact, the horse might be nearly starved. These horses should have a nice, big draft horse barrel. If you can feel ribs, your horse is not in top condition. A gypsy horse in good, show condition will have what we call an "Apple Butt". He should have a nice, rounded behind, with the bone down from the roundness of the behind. If the bone is the highest point on the horse's back or behind, he's way too thin. This is different from the thoroughbred body type, or most light horses. Remember, this is a DRAFT horse.
Examples of Conformation
Perfect ??? If not, she's darned close!
On this 4 year old mare, note the beautiful neck and shoulder, tying into the short back which ties into the nicely rounded croup. Then drop your eye to the hind leg, where you can see that the back of the cannon bone is at exactly the same distance out from the body as the peak of the rump, by the tail. The belly is twice as long as the back, and that ties in nicely to the good, straight, flat front legs, which have pasterns which match the angle of the shoulder perfectly. A beautiful head and neck finishes off this filly. Add to that her great hair, color and markings, to make the overall package just nearly perfect! Notice how the hair on her front legs starts up at the knee, IN FRONT. A "heavy" one will have this.
And the other end of the spectrum...
Yep, this is one that we looked at. Actually, we have looked at hundreds like this. Sure this filly, a coming yearling, would look better with a worming, some food, and a good grooming, but the basic conformation is apparent regardless.
Specifically, compare the shoulder and rump on this filly to the angles of those of the mare above. See the steep shoulder and rump on the filly, which makes her back very long. Her straight shoulder makes it nearly impossible for this poor filly to get her head up in the air. Look how awkward she is at holding it up even that high! Check out the lack of angle on her hind leg, and the incredibly short pasterns.
Here is a convenient diagram outlining various points of conformation to be considered when evaluating the Gypsy Horse. This diagram is available to download and print by clicking on the below image.
Drum Horses
Drum Horse information
This article was reproduced using content from Black Forrest Shires and Gypsy Horses' website. This information is being provided to you courtesy of Black Forrest Shires and Gypsy Horses and is reused with Jeff Bartko's permission. Pictures and articles copyrighted by Black Forrest Shires and Gypsy Horses.
What is a Drum horse anyway?
If you're lucky enough to have a copy of the book, "All The Queen's Horses", you'll notice that The Drum Horse breed is defined simply as "A colored Shire Horse". More specifically, a colored Shire Horse trained for a specific and highly respected job.
These horses are used by the British regimental Cavalry for parades and events, to carry a drummer and 2 solid silver kettle drums. They are generally over 16.2 hands, although anything with the breed characteristics that is over 16 hands is generally considered a Drum horse. Drum Horses are strong enough to carry the weight of a full grown man along with the two, 90 pound kettle drums, and all accompanying gear (which can weigh upwards of 450 lbs total)! A drum horse must have an exceptional disposition, as they are used in events that would test the character of even the most reliable and steady horse. Drum horses are controlled only by the feet of the drummer during parades and events, so they have to be incredibly well mannered and very even tempered. Can you imagine most horses parading calmly through the streets of one of the largest cities in the world, with thousands of people and general chaos all around, and doing it all with someone on their back beating two deafening kettle drums?
Drum horses are one of the most-seen, and familiar horses in British Pageantry. No royal procession is complete without at least one drum horse leading the way.
Drum horses are extremely rare, with very few being raised anywhere in the world. At one time, colored Shire Horses were common, and could even be registered in the studbook of The Shire Horse Society (UK). The downfall of the colored Shire Horse came when it was decided that the piebald & skewbald colors would no longer be accepted in the registry. It didn't take long for these horses to fall out of favor amongst Britain's breeders. Many of these horses found their way into Gypsy's hands, which made perfect horses to pull the much heavier wagons of the time. These horses provided many of the qualities we see in the modern Gypsy Cob.
Here is a rare photo, circa 1909, showing the Great-Grandfather of one of our UK Gypsy breeders holding a horse of his at the time. This is a great illustration of the old colored Shire Horses beginning to show up within Gypsy circles. Note the size of the horse compared to the man, as well as the larger, roman nose of the horse - so common in the Shire and Clydesdale. This is the kind of horse you'd have used to pull the heavy Reading wagons of the time
It is very rare nowadays to run across Drum Horses from the original Colored Shire lines, so the breeding practices used today are aimed towards re-creating that original colored Shire Horse. We still have the ingredients to create the breed, so simply need to re-combine them. We use the Gypsy Horse for the color, and the Shire/Clydesdale for everything else. As we progress through our breeding practices, we breed back to the Shire/Clydesdale to bring back the draft horse 'type' and size, while maintaining the color we originally took back from the Gypsy.
We have had the honor of owning and standing the father of the Drum horse in North America. Galway Warrior was previously owned by the Queen of England, where he was trained as a Drum Horse and used in their breeding program.
Galway Warrior has since passed away, but his legacy continues on. He have frozen semen stored from him, and will be making that available to breeders. If interested, please give us a call. The ONLY way to create true traditional drum horses is to: a) breed two large gypsy and/or drum horses together, or b) breed a gypsy horse to a Clydesdale or a Shire. Clydesdales, Shires, and Gypsy horses are basically the same type of cold-blooded horse, with close heritage and obvious similarities in body types. Shires and Clydesdales crossed with gypsy horses will breed true to type, and the outcome will be consistently predictable.
Note: In order for a horse to be a traditional drum horse, it must have feather. Breeding a non-feathered horse to a feathered one will not produce a drum horse. If you breed a gypsy horse stallion to a draft mare without feather, you will get a spotted draft. If you breed a gypsy or drum stallion to light breed mare, you will get a warmblood/sport horse. It takes several generations for feather to return once it has been bred out. There is a current trend in the US for some dealers to call spotted draft horses "Drum Horses" to try to cash in on the market. Don't be fooled.
In 2003, the Breyer® company selected two horses from us to be immortalized as special event models, and featured as special guests at BreyerFest® that summer. Our Shire mare, Gracie, was the celebration horse, and Warrior made his appearance as well. Breyer made a special model of Warrior in fine, gloss porcelain. A very limited number (appx 750) were made, and they sold out quickly.
Breeding the Gypsy Horse
Helpful tips for Breeding the Gypsy Horse
This article was reproduced using content from Black Forrest Shires and Gypsy Horses' website. This information is being provided to you courtesy of Black Forrest Shires and Gypsy Horses and is reused with Jeff Bartko's permission. Pictures and articles copyrighted by Black Forrest Shires and Gypsy Horses.
The Gypsy Horse is like any other breed for the most part when it comes to breeding and foaling. There are however some differences that are important to be aware of if you are going to have a successful breeding season. Feel free to share this article with your vet or reproduction professional. They will definitely find it helpful.
First, a little on our background.
I received my education in equine reproduction from Colorado State University ten years ago. Since that time, we've been standing and shipping semen from draft horse stallions, owned and not-owned. We have been involved in many leading-edge breeding technologies in the draft horse over these years. Our skills include the collecting, processing, and shipping of equine semen, as well as mare management, insemination, and ultrasonography. The information contained in this article is based on our experience over this time breeding both the Gypsy Horse, and their close cousin, The Shire Horse.
The gypsy horse is very similar to the draft horse in many ways where reproduction is concerned - However, there are differences between the draft breeds and lighter breeds that must be taken into account when breeding these horses.
Some of these differences of concern are:
Mares
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follicle size prior to ovulation
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breeding dates
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higher incidence of twinning
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higher incidence of "PAF's" (persistent anovulatory follicles)
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weak cl's in late season pregnancy
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higher incidence of yeast infections
Stallions
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low libido
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lower sperm concentrations
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testicular size
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not understanding the shipping process
Mares
Follicular size: most light breed horses will ovulate when the dominant follicle is around 40-45 mm. Draft breeds ovulate at a larger size. We typically see ovulation around 55-60 mm in the draft horse, as well as the Gypsy Horse. Timing of ovulation is critical to proper insemination of the mare. Many vets have a difficult time predicting ovulation in draft breeds, and the problem seems to be getting worse - primarily due to over-dependence on the ultrasound. Ten years ago, many vets were just getting into ultrasound and were learning how to use it. These vets had been trained to determine ovulation through palpation of the ovary and follicle, and many were highly skilled and accurate in doing so. It seems that art has been lost as vets become more dependent on the ultrasound. If you can find a vet who is skilled in this palpation, you're likely to increase your chances of a successful breeding. If you are breeding your mare through the use of Artificial Insemination, it is necessary to scan your mare through ovulation so you know that she did in fact have a normal ovulation within the time window for breeding.
Breeding dates: All mares are at their most fertile point around the summer solstice. This is even more apparent in the Gypsy Horse. In most horse breeds, January and February foalings have been highly desired. Man has used various techniques including hormone therapy, and changes to the length of daylight in order to achieve these early pregnancies. Through this type of breeding practice, man has created horses that tend to breed better earlier in the season than their ancestors did. In the case of the gypsy horse, no such attention has been given to foaling dates. Mares are bred in the pasture, and foal in the pasture. These dates are set by nature, and we are challenged to change it. In any group of gypsy mares pastured with a stallion, you will find that the large majority of them foal in May and June - which equates to June & July breedings. Even when mares are cycling much earlier in the season, and getting bred by the stallion, it is seen that the June & July breedings are the ones that settle.
Here on our farm, looking at the records for 4 years of breeding 20+ mares each season, (both pasture breeding and assisted) we can draw the following conclusions:
85-90% of mares conceived in June/July breedings. Those mares who conceive (and subsequently foal) earlier in the season, do so consistently season-after-season. Conclusion: Don't blame the stallion if your mare doesn't conceive early in the season, even if your vet says the timing was perfect. The odds are against her in these cases. Lights and hormone treatment may help, but we have not had much luck here (more work should be done in this area however).
Twinning: Just like thoroughbreds and the other draft breeds, the Gypsy horse is much more prone to multiple ovulation than light breeds. We have heard stories from Gypsy breeders of twins being born occasionally. We also hear of mares who come up empty in the spring. How many of those aborted twins over the fall & winter? We cannot know as most gypsy breeders do not check for twins. We typically observe twins in 4-5 mares a season, which equates to appx 8% of mares checked in a given season. You will want to check your mares shortly after breeding (around 16 days post-ovulation), and be sure to check closely for twins. Let your vet know that this breed is particularly prone to twinning, and he/she will use extra care to search for them. If twins are found, you vet will be your best source of information to address the issue. If you wait too long to get this check done, you run the risk of being unable to address twins, and may even lose the ability to breed back the mare - resulting in no foal for the spring.
Persistent Anovulatory Follicles: Also called Hemorrhagic Follicles, seem to be more common in the draft breeds than in light horses. We primarily see them in the late season. Read more about them at http://www.equine-reproduction.com/articles/AHF.shtml. This is another good reason to ultrasound your mares through ovulation and ensure they did in-fact ovulate.
Weak CL's. We see this in draft breeds which conceive late in the season. Consider putting your mare on Regumate if she doesn't seem to conceive during late season. Check her progesterone level periodically to determine if it's safe to take her off the medicine.
Yeast infections: These seem to be popular in draft horses - especially those which have had AI procedures performed multiple times. The Yeast Infection medicines designed for (human) women can be effective here - but it takes a lot more. You get interesting comments when buying this stuff by the case. It never hurts to get a cytology done when you do a uterine culture. Yeasts are easy to see, and not too difficult to treat.
Stallions
Low Libido: Well, what can I say... We love our stallions because they are gentle and easy-going. This carries over to breeding activity as well. You just need to work with this. It may take longer to get a collection from your stallion. He may also never take to a phantom, and can very well have strong opinions on which mares to breed. A few years ago a stallion was imported and subsequently gelded when he would not breed the mares required as part of his quarantine. This tragedy could have been avoided if those involved understood the breed better. Patience in the breeding barn will pay off here. Learn your stallion's likes and dislikes.
Sperm Concentration: The draft horse (and gypsy horse) will typically have a lower sperm concentration than light breeds. Concentrations of between 130 and 200 million sperm per ml are pretty typical here, with total sperm numbers of 8-14 billion per ejaculate. This is more than enough sperm to get your mare in foal. However, lower concentrations can be more difficult to process for shipping and freezing. No problem for live cover. If shipping, be sure your collection facility can properly process semen of lower concentrations. In cases where extra work is required processing semen, it may not have the longevity we're used to seeing in stallions not needing these extra steps.
Testicular size: This is linked with testosterone production, sperm production and libido. Draft horses (and gypsy horses) have a smaller testicle size in relation to their body size than do light breeds. This size will increase during the warmer months - thereby making your stallion more fertile during the breeding season. This topic came up recently here at the farm, so some measurements were in order. We measured the gypsy stallions here, and recorded an average TSW (total scrotal width) of 8.2 cm during early January. Conclusion: If someone says your stallion's testicles are too small, a measurement is in order to be compared with others. We can help you in this area. I'll even teach you how to use the measuring tool.
Shipping: Many breeders do not understand the math involved when processing semen for shipment. When shipping chilled semen, we use a figure of 500 million pms (progressively motile sperm) for insemination. We will assume that 50% of the sperm will die during transport, so package each dose with 1 billion pms. Sometimes we will ship 1.5 billion per dose if it is available. I get phone calls every season from mare owners complaining about poor motility of the semen they received. In most cases, they don't understand the math. If I ship you 1.5 billion pms at an initial motility of 75%, then you can receive that shipment with a motility as low as 25% and still inseminate with the required 500 million pms. When a mare owner doesn't understand the math, they give the stallion a bad reputation which is not deserved. What's important to realize here is that you inseminate with sperm, not motility. A mare owner should receive a collection report with semen ordered that includes these figures so they can do the math themselves.
Additional info for vets: The Gypsy Horse is a relatively new breed to the Americas, and we are still learning about their differences and similarities to other breeds. The researchers at Colorado State University's Equine Reproduction Laboratory (ERL) have been quite helpful in this area. Technical questions regarding reproduction in the Gypsy Horse can be directed to Dr. Jason Bruemmer, at CSU's ERL.
We hope you find this information helpful, and we are happy to help you with your breeding questions. In all cases however, your first source of information and treatment should come from your veterinarian. This information is not intended to replace information supplied by your vet, but to supplement it.
Bowtop Waggons (Vardos)
Pictures of Bowtop Wagons, otherwise known as "Vardos"
This article was reproduced using content from Black Forrest Shires and Gypsy Horses' website. This information is being provided to you courtesy of Black Forrest Shires and Gypsy Horses and is reused with Jeff Bartko's permission. Pictures and articles copyrighted by Black Forrest Shires and Gypsy Horses.
