Gypsy Cob and Drum Horse Association - Drum Horse Breed Standard

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Inspired by some of the recent working Drum Horses of the British Cavalry, the Gypsy Cob and Drum Horse Association believes the development of the Drum Horse, as a breed, to be a worthy aspiration, in and of itself. And, with such a symbiotic relationship existing between the Gypsy Cob and the Drum Horse, the Drum Horse will become not only a wonderful breed, unto itself, but also a wonderful companion breed to the smaller Gypsy Cob. It was this inspiration and symbiosis that lead to the dual stud books of the Gypsy Cob and Drum Horse Association...Combining the best of Gypsy Heritage and British Tradition!

Breed Standard

PURPOSE OF THE BREED:

The purpose of the Drum Horse is to develop the quintessential heavy riding horse utilizing the bloodlines of the Gypsy Cob, Shire, Clydesdale and Friesian. The ideal Drum Horse would display the calm disposition, heavy bone and profuse feathering of, and inspired by, some recent working Drum Horses in use by HRM the Queen of England's cavalry, along with the agility, movement and athleticism to excel in a variety of ridden and driven disciplines.

(NOTE: Many times people ask the GCDHA if they can register a horse that is a non-feathered spotted draft. The answer to that question is no; the horse must be a blend of one or more of the above mentioned heavily feathered draft breeds because feather is a recessive gene, and a mark of the Drum Horse breed in America. The only way to preserve the heavy feathering of the Drum Horse is to breed feathered horses to other feathered horses. Breeding a smooth legged horse to a feathered horse will result in a smooth legged or lightly feathered horse, which would not meet the Drum Horse registration requirements.)

DRUM HORSE STANDARD OF CONFORMATION

Size
Minimum 16hh and upwards. For regular registration status, the smaller of the 2 parents must be at least 15hh. (Horses under 16hh or with one parent less than 15hh will be registered in the Breeding Stock Section. The only exception being geldings who reach 16hh but have 1 parent less than 15hh. Those geldings are eligible for regular registration.)

General Appearance
The overall appearance of a Drum Horse should give the impression of intelligence, kindness, strength and agility. The Drum Horse is considered a heavy riding horse and should display the athleticism to allow for a pleasant day of hunting, hacking or other ridden discipline. The ideal Drum Horse should also excel at driving. They should be a large well-muscled horse of either medium weight or heavy weight, with good quality bone, a sturdy body, kind expression and abundant hair.

Disposition
The Drum Horse should be, above all else, a kind and willing partner. It should display an intelligent character and docile temperament with a calm and sensible attitude.

Hair
Mane and tail should be long and thick. Abundant feather should start at the knees and hocks, preferably with some hair running down the front of the leg as well as the back. Feather should be soft and silky but may be straight or curling, and should cover the hoof. Docking of tails is not permissible*. Trimming of any mane, tail, or feather is frowned upon, unless required in a discipline in which the horse in question competes. A small bridle path is allowed, as is the trimming of facial and belly hair if so desired.

Color
Drum Horses may be any color, solid, pinto or Appaloosa spot.

Movement
When in motion, the ideal Drum Horse should move with action, power, grace, and agility. Head carriage and collection should appear natural, not overly exaggerated or forced. Movement should be free, straight and square with ample impulsion. Knee action should be somewhat snappy but a long, free moving shoulder should allow the ability to reach forward in a classic extension. The horse should move up under itself with a smooth, powerful stride, should be light on the forehand and exhibit 3 good gaits. The Drum Horse's movement should be suitable for a variety of ridden and driven disciplines.

Head
The head should be in proportion to the body, neither too large nor too small, with broad forehead, generous jaw, square muzzle and even bite. The ears should be cleanly shaped and well set on. The eyes should be large and set well apart with an intelligent, kind expression. Eyes can be any color, and blue eyes shall not be penalized. Both convex and straight profiles are acceptable. Stallions and geldings should have a masculine appearance to the head, and mares a feminine appearance.

Neck
The neck should be substantial and well muscled with a defined arch. It should be clean through the throat, not too short, and tie in well at the shoulder and withers. Stallions may exhibit a masculine crest in proper relationship to the size and thickness of neck.

Chest
The chest should be broad with ample muscle. The muscle along the bottom of the chest should appear in an inverted "V" shape as it ties into the forearm.

Shoulders
The shoulders should be deep, powerful and of a correct slope to allow for ample, free movement.

Withers
Withers should be average in height, not too high, with a generous layer of muscle.

Back
The back should be short and supple, well muscled and tie in strongly at the loin.

Barrel
The barrel should be deep with well sprung ribs and a solid covering of muscle. The flank should be as deep as the girth. The loin should be strong and tie into the croup with a smooth, well muscled appearance.

Hindquarters
Smooth and rounded across a long croup, with a medium to high tail set, long hip with wide pelvis and well muscled thighs and buttocks.

Feet & Legs
The legs should be set squarely under the body, straight, with clean joints and plenty of dense, flat bone. Forearms and thighs should be well muscled. Hindlegs should display clean and well defined hocks that are broad, deep, flat and wide when viewed from the side. The Drum Horse may or may not exhibit the influence of the draft horse hockset. Pasterns should be long enough to allow a proper slope of about 45 degrees from the hoof head to the fetlock joint. Feet must be sound and substantial with a generous, open heel.

CLASSIFICATIONS:

Drum Horse - A Book*- Pedigree must contain a minimum of 7/8 Gypsy Cob, Shire, Clydesdale and/or Friesian breeding, with a minimum 1/8 Gypsy Cob breeding. The horse must be a minimum of 16hh and meet all of the physical requirements of the breed as put forth in the Breed Standard. The smaller of the 2 parents must not be less than 15hh. Effective Jan. 1, 2005, no full blooded Gypsy Cobs, Shires, Clydesdales, or Friesians may be registered as Drum Horses.

*If horse submitted for registration is a foal born on or after 1/1/2006, the foal's pedigree MUST contain a minimum of 1/8 Gypsy Cob to be approved for regular registration.

Note: For registration in the A Stud Book, horses must be vet certified to stand a minimum of 16hh on, or before, June 1 of the year they turn 5 years old. Horses under the age of 5 years, who apply for registration without a height certificate, will only be issued a temporary certificate. Temporary certificates will expire on June 1st of the year the horse turns 5 years old. Any horse that will be bred before their 5th birthday should submit a Height Certification and new photos, before breeding, for purposes of registering the foal in the proper category. To receive the permanent registration certificate, a height certificate and new photos must be submitted by June 1 of the year the horse turns 5 years old.

Drum Horse - B Book - Horses who otherwise meet the criteria for A Stud Book registration but do not reach a minimum mature height of 16hh, have one parent less than 15hh, are slightly lighter in feather or bone or have 2 registered Drum Horse parents but still fall below the minimum 1/8 Gypsy Cob breeding requirement, will be registered as Breeding Stock Drum Horses.

Identification Certificate - Horses of Shire, Clydesdale and Friesian breeding, being used in a Drum Horse breeding program, will be issued an Identification Certificate.

Part-Bred - Horses with one parent registered as a Drum Horse and the other parent from any non-feathered breed.

REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS:

Any horse seeking Drum Horse registration with the GCDHA must either be:

*The offspring of two registered Drum Horses, maintaining a minimum of 1/8 Gypsy Cob breeding.

*The offspring of one registered Drum Horse and one horse with an Identification Certificate, maintaining a minimum of 1/8 Gypsy Cob breeding.

*The offspring of one registered Gypsy Cob and any one of the following; Drum Horse, horses of Shire, Clydesdale or Friesian breeding. Note: Horses of Shire, Clydesdale or Friesian breeding must apply for an Identification Certificate.

Note: Horses registered as Drum Horses may not be full Gypsy Cobs and may not be dual registered as a Gypsy Cob, either purebred or part-bred. Such dual registration will be cause to cancel any Drum Horse registration.