The Gypsy Vanner Horse is a
beautiful and rare new breed of horse envisioned by the European
Gypsies. These horses have been selectively bred over the past 50 years
to create a kind of small Shire that was colorful enough to match their
caravans.These horses, bred by the Gypsies, are easily recognizable by their long, flowing manes and tails, and the profusion of feathers on their legs. These make them look as if they fly when they run.
The Gypsy Vanner Horse is a new breed to the United States. The registry was created in 1996 by Dennis and Cindy Thompson, and the first two Gypsy Vanners, two fillies named Bat and Dolly, arrived in November of that year, to be followed shortly by 14 others.
The mission
of the Gypsy Vanner Horse Society is “to bring honor, recognition and a better understanding
to one of the world's most colorful and least understood societies and
the horses they so dearly love.”