# Interesting cross



## KigerQueen (Jun 16, 2013)

So i lurk craigslist and "window shop" the horse ads on occasion. I stumbled across this one and was impressed by how well put together the horse is considering its breeding. Its apparently a TBX Gypsy cross. What are your guys thoughts on this gelding?

2008 Gypsy Vanner Sporthorse Gelding


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

He's sickle hocked and standing under himself behind.

He's cute.

VERY similar in build to my Percheron/paint gelding who is a year younger. Mine just has a bigger head. :lol:
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

he is cute, hind end looks weak. camped under. neck ties in low like a draft .
but he is cute


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

A Long back ties into a long weak coupling to a peak of croup set toop far back. The croup itself is steep and weak but sets the hind leg up to be camped under and the leg itself to be sickle hocked which it is. The is steep but ties into what appears to be an adequately high point of shoulder. The neck is well formed and ties in correctly to the withers and the chest. 

the hind leg is really poor on this horse. 

Quite honestly this horse looks like a paint/quarterhorse cross with the exception of that drafty rear end (and not what draft horse breeders want either.. but sometimes get). 

You can find much better horses out there for little money if you put color aside. Sorrels and bays.. not flashy perhaps.. but you don't work the color. You work the horse.


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

Agree, he looks nice but if you actually pick him apart he's nothing special, at all, and rather poor in some places. Definitely cute though.

I think we can continue to stay away from "Gypsy Vanner Sporthorses" though XD


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## Remali (Jul 22, 2008)

I like him!!! Yes, a bit long in the back, but I wouldn't let that stop me from considering him. I'd actually want to see pictures of him stood up correctly, I am not sure if his hind legs are truly like that, or if that may be the way he is standing. All in all, I think he is gorgeous!


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

Remali said:


> I like him!!! Yes, a bit long in the back, but I wouldn't let that stop me from considering him. I'd actually want to see pictures of him stood up correctly, I am not sure if his hind legs are truly like that, or if that may be the way he is standing. All in all, I think he is gorgeous!


For $6,300? Sounds like he's a flashy trail horse with mediocre conformation and basic training.

I think his conformation wouldn't let him do too much more than that, but hey. If you want a trail horse it sounds like he has a nice mind and he is cute, seem qualified enough for that. Nothing wrong with a trail horse... for $6,300? :?


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

He's flashy and cute, but I"m not a fan of most draft crosses because you get all the faults noted when you cross on a light breed. Draft neck on a not so stellar TB hind quarter, tree trunk legs that look like he's going to be rough gaited, except his back is long enough he might absorb the rough........An old friend of mine called horses like this, "Colly Wobbled Together".


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## SummerShy (Aug 3, 2014)

I don't think he looks all that bad. Pretty cute even.


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

Yogiwick said:


> For $6,300? Sounds like he's a flashy trail horse with mediocre conformation and basic training.
> 
> I think his conformation wouldn't let him do too much more than that, but hey. If you want a trail horse it sounds like he has a nice mind and he is cute, seem qualified enough for that. Nothing wrong with a trail horse... for $6,300? :?


Wish I could say I'm surprised at the price. Around here for something "unusual" like this guy, that's about normal.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## rookie (May 14, 2012)

I think if you did not know he has gypsy in him you would not know it. If you did not know he has gypsy in him, they would be asking a fraction of the cost. Its just because gypsy is very on trend right now.


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

Never buy a trendy thing when the trend is hottest. Like I said.. a plain sorrel or bay with little or no white and you might find a million dollar horse for a hundred bucks under all the plain color.


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## KigerQueen (Jun 16, 2013)

Lol he is better put together than quite a few horses in the phoenix craigslist. I was just taken aback by the cross and the fact it didn't look like some mutant. Very odd thing to cross in my book. I will say though i have seen some nice gypsy arab crosses.


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

There are some things that make sense.. like crossing a Throughbred and a Quarterhorse to get more speed on the QH track or a better shoulder so more scope over fences (and the foal is still part of the registry). Crossing a Throughbred with a warmblood can add refinement. Arabian crosses on Thoroughbreds can be OK (tho most are not that great.. probably because the parent horses were not that great). 

When crossing outside the breed of the horse you own there should be a plan as to what you are trying to get. It is usually most successful when you cross to a similar type animal. If you cross two dissimilar types what you end up with often is not a horse that is a blend but a horse that has parts from one breed and parts from the other breed that do not fit well together on the same horse. 

You see this often (not always) with Thoroughbred draft crosses. The horse that results often has the better bone (which is desirable) but a long coupling, steep croup and sickle hocks of the draft horse.. and the shoulder and withers of the Thoroughbred (and even perhaps the attitude and hotness) with a neck that may look like it came from either one! Worse is the cross that produces Thoroughbred legs and a draft horse body.

For every TB-Draft cross that comes out a blend, 20 are born that have conformation issues that mean they will NEVER attain the level of ability of either parent. Gypsy/TB cross (like this one) is a prime example of the mix working a bit like oil and water. This horse has a draft hind quarter and coupling, a blend in the neck, a steep shoulder from the draft side and withers from the TB and short stiff pasterns from the Gypsy. Thankfully the horse has Gypsy bone. the length of neck is TB and the head is a blend. The short gaskin, poor stifle placement and steep croup resulting in over all poor hind leg conformation is something that often crops up in Draft horses (there was a thought that a horse with sickle hocks could pull better when in fact, all these poor sickle hocked draft horses end up with are curbs and bone spavins). 

I will never understand crossing a Gypsy Vanner with anything at all. It is its own unique breed. If you want one, save your pennies and get one. Better yet, wait 5 years and there will be a glut of them on the market and then they can be had pretty inexpensively.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

As others said, he's cute but nothing special. As for the price, I suppose it really depends on the quality of training.

My older guy, I wouldn't even consider parting with him for less than $5K, not only because of my personal attachment. His training is very accomplished and he is very close to being a finished ranch horse....with the drafty temperament that makes him a safe ride for just about anyone. Sure, he's not built great, but he is decent.


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

That horse SMRobs is a better horse than the Gypsy cross in that photo. quite a lot better actually!


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

Also, without knowing details, less money for a better quality finished ranch horse.


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## OliviaMyee (Jul 31, 2012)

Yogiwick said:


> For $6,300? Sounds like he's a flashy trail horse with mediocre conformation and basic training.
> 
> I think his conformation wouldn't let him do too much more than that, but hey. If you want a trail horse it sounds like he has a nice mind and he is cute, seem qualified enough for that. Nothing wrong with a trail horse... for $6,300? :?



Horses where I live, sell for that much some times with conformation faults. There are people out there they dont look at conformation or even think about it, they just buy on temperament and expect it to perform for the discipline they want. I used to think who would buy that horse for so much money, but some times there is some one that actually does.


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