The Traditional Cob

Country of Origin: Ireland

The country of origin of the Traditional Cob breed is Ireland. The reason Ireland is the country of origin of the Traditional Cob breed is because the breed foundation Traditional Cobs were bred in Ireland by Irish farmers and Irish Travellers. All Traditional Cobs, no matter what they are called - Irish Cob, Traditional Irish Cob, Gypsy Cob, Traditional Gypsy Cob, Gypsy Vanner or Tinker - are therefore Traditional Cobs from Ireland or the descendants of Traditional Cobs from Ireland. Some of Ireland's most renowned breed foundation Traditional Cob stallions are Sonny Mays, The Lion King, The Road Sweeper, The Coal Horse, The Sham, The Lob, Old Henry and The Checkity Horse.

Because the Traditional Cob originated in Ireland the Traditional Cob was given the name Irish Cob in Ireland, and in 1998 the Irish Cob was officially recognised in Ireland as a native Irish breed. When the first (mother) Irish Cob studbook was officially founded in Ireland in 1998 The Irish Cob Breed Standard (the original breed standard for the Traditional Cob set down in Ireland) was also officially recognised in Ireland.

Although Traditional Cobs can now be any colour, the Traditional Cobs originally bred in Ireland by Irish Travellers were predominantly piebald (black with white body markings).

Irish Cob

The Traditional Cob is a distinctive breed of cob that originated in Ireland. Because the Traditional Cob originated in Ireland the Traditional Cob was given the name Irish Cob in Ireland, and in 1998 the Irish Cob was officially recognised in Ireland as a native Irish breed.

The Irish Cob is a versatile ride and drive under 170 cm Traditional Cob. It is this versatile ride-and-drive Traditional Cob, with its handsome straight head, that in the 1990s made the Traditional Cob so popular as a leisure horse, not just in Ireland and the UK, but also in countries such as Germany, Holland, France, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Czech Republic, Spain, Italy and also in the USA and Australia, etc.

In addition to being ridden and shown worldwide in its full 'traditional splendor' of abundant leg feathering and long thick flowing mane and tail, clipped out and hogged the Irish Cob remains a common sight on the hunting fields of Ireland and the UK as well as in cob showing classes both in Ireland and England.

Gypsy Cob

Although the first (breed foundation) Traditional Cobs were bred in Ireland by Irish farmers and Irish Travellers, it is because there was no register or recorded name in Ireland for the Traditional Cob until the first Irish Cob studbook was officially founded in Ireland in 1998 that Traditional Cobs exported from the UK to the USA before 1998 were be given the name Gypsy Cob and Gypsy Vanner. However, by the time the Traditional Cob was officially recognized in Ireland in 1998 with the name Irish Cob the name Gypsy Cob and Gypsy Vanner had already been established.

In 2005 the Gypsy Cob was also named the Traditional Gypsy Cob in the UK. There are two types of Traditional Gypsy Cob. One type is an Irish Traditional Cob (which is the Irish Cob) and the other type is an English Traditional Cob (which is the Irish Cob with some Welsh Cob characteristics). Although the Traditional Gypsy Cob is also called the Gypsy Cob, the Gypsy Cob that evolved in England from the Irish Cob can be quite different from the Irish Cob.

Mini Cob

The Mini Cob evolved in England from the Traditional Cob. Although the Mini Cob is under 13 hands (138 cm) discerning Miniature Cob breeders aim to breed Mini Cobs under 12.2 hands (124 cm).

Mini Irish Cob

A Mini Cob that looks like an Irish Cob can also be called a Mini Irish Cob.

Mini Gypsy Cob

A Mini Cob that looks like a Gypsy Cob can also be called a Mini Gypsy Cob.

Stepping Cob

The Stepping Cob evolved in England from the Traditional Cob. The Stepping Cob has a natural elevated knee and hock action.

Because the first Traditional Cobs were bred in Ireland by Irish farmers and Irish Travellers, and because The Traditional Cob Registry (TCR) is in Ireland, TCR can say from Ireland that the roots of the Traditional Cob are deeply rooted in Ireland. However, because TCR knows and respects the fact that Traditional Cobs were bred in Ireland and the UK by Irish Travellers and Romany Gypsies before the breed was first exported from Ireland and the UK in the 1990s, TCR registers Traditional Cobs under the Irish-given and UK-given names Traditional Cob, Irish Cob, Traditional Irish Cob, Gypsy Cob, and Traditional Gypsy Cob.