What Can I Expect When I Breed To A Homozygous Gypsy Stallion?
Gypsy X Feathered Draft
Clydesdales and Shires are known for their great size, spirit, and their animated movement. They also possess the desirable flashy coloring, full feather, and docile disposition. All of these qualities make them priceless in the big show hitches popular today. Crossing a homozygous Gypsy stallion with a Clydesdale or Shire would produce the extremely rare and valuable Drum Horse. These breathtaking horses have the size and stature of their feathered draft parent combined with the color and feathering of the Gypsy Horse. Their color, feather, and sensible disposition were qualities prized by the Queen of England when she chose these horses to carry her ceremonial drums. Today, these amazing horses are already making their presence known in the US in dressage, jumping, and driving.
Gypsy X Non-feathered Drafts
Percherons and Belgians are known for their strength, large size, and calm manner. When you cross a homozygous Gypsy stallion with a non-feathered draft breed such as these, you would produce a draft horse with pinto coloring. The Gypsy / draft cross would be slightly smaller and more refined, with a thicker mane and tail, and some light feathering. And of course you would get the prized Gypsy Horse coloring. This cross would accentuate all the wonderful draft horse qualities and capture it in a slightly smaller package. Perfect for driving, parade, or pleasure.
Gypsy X Friesian
The Friesian breed is prized for its elegant stature, floating movement, and abundance of hair. When crossed with a homozygous Gypsy stallion you could expect an amazing, forward moving colored athlete. This cross would preserve all the size and self-carriage of the Friesian and wrap it in a flashy colored coat. A Friesian / Gypsy cross would have TONS of mane and tail and would also have an abundance of feather. This cross would have boundless potential, and could excel in dressage, driving, and English pleasure to name a few.
Gypsy X Warmblood
The Warmblood horses are outstanding in the jumping and dressage arena. They possess the calm nature, heavy bone, and size of their draft ancestors. They are strong and athletic, capable of the rigors of heavy jumping and competition. When crossed with a homozygous Gypsy stallion you would produce a colored sporthorse. You would be maintaining all the bone and substance and then topping it off with the eye-appealing color and flash of the Gypsy. A foal of this cross would be a show-stopping athlete.
Gypsy X Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbreds are noted for their heart and stamina, their clean, fine bone, as well as their lofty, floating gait and jumping ability. When you cross a Thoroughbred with a homozygous Gypsy stallion you will produce a colored sporthorse. The Gypsy Horse influence contributes heavier bone and thicker muscling to the lighter frame of the Thoroughbred. In addition, the Gypsy influence helps provide a calmer, more tractable disposition in a breed known to be high-strung and nervous. Foals of this cross can be expected to excel in dressage, jumping, eventing, and driving.
Gypsy X Arabian or Morgan
The Arabians and Morgans have long been popular for their fire and spirit, animated gait, and endurance. Combine this refinement and personality with the homozygous Gypsy and you would have an amazing colored athlete. The resulting foal would be a more substantial horse having more bone and muscling, but would carry itself with the proud air of its light horse parent. It would have superior stamina combined with a more tractable disposition. Plus, it would have the flashy Gypsy coloring, an abundance of mane and tail, and some light feathering. This cross would make an awesome, up-headed carriage horse that could excel in combined driving.
Gypsy X Stock Horse Breeds
Stock Horse breeds, such Quarter Horses, are valued for their intelligence, strength, agility, speed, and versatility. A Quarter Horse crossed with a homozygous Gypsy stallion would create a stocky, colored light draft horse. This animal would be smaller in stature than the larger draft breeds, but would retain much of the draft qualities such as heavier bone and muscle. This cross would be intelligent and tractable, with better stamina and a pleasant disposition. Foals of this cross would be perfect for smaller driving teams. They would be flashy enough for use in parades or a carriage business, yet solid and dependable enough for use on the farm.
Used with the permission of Big Sky Gypsy & Drum Horses