Kuchi: Breyer Rare Breeds, the Gypsy Vanner

The Real KuchiBreyer has announced two new models for 2009.  The first we will look at is Kuchi, a Gypsy Vanner, and the first of that breed to be born in America.

Kuchi, bred by Dennis and Cindy Thompson who are famous for having popularized the Gypsy Vanner in America, is celebrating her tenth birthday this year.  Her mother was Bat, and her father is The Gypsy King, who is also a Breyer model.

Kuchi is undeniably important to the Gypsy Vanner breed in America.  She has had eleven foals, and is a Grand Champion Halter Mare.  Kuchi is owned by Bill and Wendy Ricci, who have three Gypsy Vanner farms, and have developed several great lines of Vanner of their own.

The Gypsy Vanner is a newly recognized breed, and many horse breeding enthusiasts still believe that it should not be considered a breed at all.  Vanners were developed by the Romany people (colloquially known as "gypsies") to pull their caravans.  It is frequently described as being like a "small shire," and is essentially a more compact draft horse.  

Although many draft breeds have been bred for gigantism, true medieval and rural draft horses tended to be small but powerful, so as to conserve on feed.  Vanners remain true to that original mandate, and are an unusually healthy breed, well able to fend for themselves on any forage which happened to be at hand.  

They are also a very friendly breed, sometimes serving as a babysitter for the children who also drove their carts and were responsible for the horses' care.  The Gypsy Vanner was also often ridden by children, as a sort of "learner's horse," and any horse which displayed a bad temperament was immediately culled by the family.  This had the effect of creating a very docile breed, a gentle horse that was as much a member of the family as a pet or draft animal.

The origin of the Gypsy Vanner as a breed is as shrouded in mystery as everything else about the Romany and Irish Travellers.  Distrustful of outsiders, frequently the target of violence, and discriminated against in every country in which they settled, the Romany people are famously secretive.  We do know that they took horse breeding very seriously, and valued their horses highly.  The breeding records and lines were often kept as family secrets, and carefully protected even from other Romany families.

Although the breed standard is still in flux, many characteristics define the Gypsy Vanner.  The body is the rounded, "cob" type, ideally with what has been described as an "apple butt."  The mane and tail should be long and flowing, and the feathering on the lower legs should be profuse, similar to that of the Clydesdale.  There is no color standard, although Tobiano coloring  is generally preferred, either piebald (black and white) or skewbald (any other color and white).

Even though Gypsy Vanners are gaining popularity, their numbers are still limited in America, and their price is commensurately higher than that of many other breeds.  An average Gypsy Vanner currently sells for between $15,000 and $30,000 depending on age, gender, and breeding potential.