Dreams Come True at Gypsy Gold

By E.M. Bell for ReVision Rendered, April 11, 2010.

I can still feel the clear morning breeze brushing my face; standing motionless, watching those magical horses gallop in unison across the paddock, their hooves beating the earth with solid thudding, long manes and feather flying. Even with little prior knowledge of horses and breeding, I appreciated learning the sheer magical beauty of the Gypsy Vanner Horse. Visit Gypsy Gold Vanner Horse Farm online at www.gypsygold.com, or visit the farm and discover why, “Gypsy gold does not chink and glitter, it gleams in the sun, and neighs in the dark.”

Early April 3, 2010, I arrived to take a scheduled tour of the farm. I drove down the winding drive and through the entrance to the barn and parked in the end spot. When I opened the door to my SUV I received the warmest of greetings by four very friendly dogs; two of which were Irish Wolfhounds standing as tall as my chest. Shortly thereafter, I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Dennis Thompson, owner of Gypsy Gold Vanner Horse Farm in Ocala, Florida. I soon understood that the Thompson’s are avid animal lovers. Dennis and Cindy Thompson have spent their lives in devotion to serving animals. Keeping and caring for all manner of beasts such as giraffe, camels, and many other exotic creatures eventually totaling over four hundred.

Mr. Thompson has worked many years in the animal industry and is an innovative thinker. His tour teaches you what they do there at Gypsy Gold; solve problems. And in listening to him tell the tale of the Gypsy Vanner Horse; you know he has tackled many obstacles through the years. He is always rethinking the marketing aspects of product availability for the public and says that, “If you remove the pain, you can streamline sales.” Having developed many leads, halters, leashes, and other animal training and racing equipment for Hamilton Products, he is also the initiator of “color blocking” in retail outlets for leads and halters. Since inception of this sales strategy, market sales of leads and halters have increased 40%. Quite the sales accomplishment; and I concur, because I have been drawn to and have purchased leashes for my dog on impulse because of the visual appeal and accessibility in retail stores.

After a hard day of caring for their animals, the Thompson’s down time is spent in the pursuit of knowledge to better care for the varied types of animals they owned. As their love for different types of animals grew, they became enchanted with Shire horses. They visited Europe in search of understanding about the Shire breed and began to weigh the pros and cons of owning the largest horse in the world. Originating from Northern Wales, the English Shire horse stands about seventeen hands high and can unintentionally crush a man in a stall just by leaning against them; an intimidating drawback to owning such large animals, to be sure.

One morning, while visiting Oswestry farms in Shropshire, England, they both agreed the Shire horse was a bit too much to handle and started back to the hotel. Admiring the farms and pastures as they drove, they spotted a beautiful, colorful little horse trotting across the paddock toward the fence as they slowed the car. Not recognizing the breed, they imagined this was a cross breed that just happened to be extremely beautiful. They stopped and spoke with the farmer who indicated that he did not own the horse, that he was merely keeping it for a friend. When they inquired further, he told them that his friend was a gypsy, and that he had many horses that looked just like this one. The Thompson’s thought they could not possibly look just like this horse, but the farmer quickly replied, “I assure you they do!” And the magic of this breed was born in the Thompson’s hearts.

I learned that there are many misconceptions about Gypsy Culture across Europe. The term “gypsy” is derived from the word Egypt, though the people themselves are descendants of India. The “Rom” or Romany Gypsies are the originators of the caravans of Great Britain. The “Rom” have a love for colorful things; mystical things. And so, they concerned themselves with the creation of a mystical and colorful caravan horse; or more correctly put, “Vanner Horses.”

The Caravan Sites Act of 1968 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and resulted in the provision of 400 caravan sites in the UK. These caravan sites are much like the Native American Indian reservations here in the United States. Mainstream society does not go in, and thus, the Gypsy Culture is maintained.

Mr. Thompson recounts that while cows are eaten here as a common food source, in India they are considered sacred. Having that knowledge helps us to understand that in many places in Europe, two out of ten Gypsy horses become part of a breed; eight out of ten, are food. The goal of the Thompson’s is to honor the breed with cultural sensitivity to the Gypsies that kept them a secret for so many years. Mr. Thompson became great friends with a Gypsy named Fred Walker; or more appropriately, “King of the Colored Horses.” They collaborated on the continuation of the Gypsy Vanner Horse and in carefully maintaining the breed standard and the social significance of the Gypsy Culture. Mr. Thompson maintains that in order to do this properly you must first, establish the look, provide DNA verification, maintain the status and pride of the heritage, and establish the breed in parallel values to the Gypsy culture.

With big plans in mind, Fred Walker and Dennis Thompson made the dream of bringing the beautiful Vanner Horse to North America, a reality. Fred would say to Dennis, “I don’t drink and I don’t smoke, I spend my money on you!” Tragically, in November 2008, Fred died in a caravan fire. And so, Dennis Thompson carries on the tradition in maintaining the Gypsy Vanner Horse breed standards, for love of the breed, the culture, and for the memory of his good friend.

Mule Moms

For over one hundred years the Grand Canyon has been using mules for transport and no one has been hurt. The reason for this is amazing fact is that they are extremely intelligent and self preserving. When you cross a donkey, having 62 chromosomes, and a horse with sixty-four, you get a mule with 63 chromosomes. There are many advantages to this hybrid; they are less affected by parasites, have better feet, and they eat much less. The drawback is that you must continue this crossbreeding because mules are sterile and cannot produce offspring, despite the fact that they are phenomenal mothers. Mules have even been known to “steal” babies for their own. This is a truly sad plight for an animal that makes such a wonderful mom.

The ingenious breeding process used at Gypsy Gold Vanner Horse farm, has been named by Mr. Thompson, “Mule Moms.” Carefully selected, fertilized eggs are taken from the Gypsy Vanner mares, and implanted in mules that then raise the babies as if they were their own. This is a fantastic solution for the continuation of and demand for the Gypsy Vanner breed, and a wonderful result for the mule hybrids to be mothers for these beautiful horses. Visit Facebook and you will find the “Mule Moms Kids Klub,” become a fan and you can track the kid’s progress and keep abreast of all the fun events all over the world! Mr. Thompson has been proactive with the Mule Moms focus so that the children who participate realize their dreams too.

The Lawry Park Zoo in Tampa will have a sponsorship for Mule Moms in just five more weeks, so you can get a close-up of the Mule Moms experience for the Gypsy Vanner Horses. Dennis Thompson takes great pride in the care and comfort of his animals and is in the process of designing a new saddle and breast collar for the ‘mule moms.’ They will market the products for Mule Moms with the slogan, “My dream came true at Lawry Park Zoo!” Over 30 million people worldwide will be able to experience the Mule Mom’s program through the Zoo’s participation.

Mr. Thompson strongly believes that, “names make a promise.” He states, “Whoever is the custodian of that name has an obligation to uphold all of the implications associated with it.” The Gypsy Vanner Horse is not just a name because of the care and devotion to honoring the heritage of the Vanner breed, but also due to the rich historical significance of the Gypsies who cherished them.

In closing, Mr. Thompson explains that in a “top-down democracy” like Europe, traditions are maintained and preserved. In America, we have a bottom-up democracy which leaves more room for creative influence, but also more room for dramatic change. He states, “When considering the continuance of a breed standard, it is very important to maintain top-down ideals to ensure the breed standards are held to the highest degree.” The Gypsy Vanner Horse Society has a new system for the protection of animals that is based on exacting commitments to integrity, similar to the ethical implications of the American Kennel Club and is so very important for the continuation of breed standards. For example, the Thoroughbred horse is a breed well over 400 years old, and yet they still look the same. That is the effect of a top-down standard. Mr. Thompson proposes three distinct sizes for the Vanner Horse; the Cart (mini) Vanner at 12-14 hands, the Classic Vanner standing at 14-15 hands, and the Grand Vanner standing 15.1 hands and above.

All of the wonderful developments in animal related products and marketing, the education provided for children through programs like Mule Moms Kids Klub, and the dedication to honoring history at Gypsy Gold Vanner Horse Farm, are achieved by owner Dennis Thompson. These elements come together beautifully and create a unique experience and the dream come true that is Gypsy Gold.