Gypsy Vanner Horse

Filmmakers Jackie and Mark Barrett present a lovingly filmed introduction to a relatively new breed of horse—the Gypsy Vanner, developed by Gypsies in the British Isles in the 1900s and later gaining popularity in the United States. Temperamentally calm and sweet-natured, and related to draft stock such as Clydesdales, the compact, short-bodied, broad-chested creatures have flowing manes, long forelocks, and tails that touch the ground, as well as even more pronounced feathered hocks than their Clydesdale relatives. Gypsy Vanners, most of them piebald or clear gray, are still rare and can cost as much as $50,000 apiece, but to see them running in a field, with manes and tails flowing, is to fall in love. In addition to interviews with enthusiastic breeders and owners in the U.K. and the U.S., as well as appealing scenes featuring the horses (in one, a group of children carefully wash a placid Gypsy Vanner; in another a foal is born), the documentary also presents a sketch of Britain's “Traveling People.” Gypsy historian and folklorist Peter Ingram relates tales of his itinerant lifestyle in a “living wagon,” and the camera follows a Gypsy family in a caravan en route to the venerable Appleby Horse Fair, a cultural tradition dating back several centuries. DVD extras include an edited version showing only the horses, with background music. Charming and engaging, this is highly recommended. Aud: P. (F. Gardner)