From about 1850, travelling people in the British Isles began to use this horse to pull their caravans called vardos.

[16] Feathering, long hair on the legs, is considered a "characteristic and decorative feature of the Irish Cob", but is not a requirement for registration.

[12] The neck is strong, muscular, and of medium length "with a throat latch slightly deeper than lighter breeds".

[14][13] The length of line of the belly should be twice that of the topline of the back and the horse should not appear "wasp waisted".

[19] The Dutch breed standard for vanner and cob types requires a strong, well-muscled build with abundant feathering, similar to that of other associations.

[16] Strong hindquarters define the breed as a small draught horse, "designed for strength and power, but with class, presence and style.

As a result, when the hind legs of a horse set up squarely are viewed from the rear, their cannon bones appear parallel.

Some have higher knee action than others, it's[sic] way of going can vary from short and economical to longer, reaching strides.

"[13] The Gypsy horse should be a "strong, kind, (very) intelligent partner that works willingly and harmoniously with its handler.

They are also described as mannerly and manageable, eager to please, confident, courageous, alert, and loyal with a genuine sociable outlook.

[1]: 62  Romanichal Travellers had arrived in the British Isles by 1500 AD,[25]: 20  but they did not begin to live in vardoes until the middle of the 1800s.

[25]: 29  The peak usage of the horse-drawn Gypsy caravan occurred in the latter part of the 19th century and the first two decades of the 20th.

The advent of the gasoline powered engine and the loss of horses to World War I worked together to bring the horse-drawn era to a close.

Training begins at a very early age with the young horse tied "with a short rope from the head to the trace-ring on the collar of the shaft-horse", and led along on the off side.

[26]: 23 The Gypsy Horse breed as it is today is thought to have begun to take shape shortly after the Second World War.

[1]: 63 [27] When the British Roma had first begun to live in vardoes around 1850, they used mules and cast off horses of any suitable breed to pull them.

[1]: 63 In the formative years of the Gypsy Horse, the Romanichal bred not only for specific colour, profuse feather, and greater bone, but also for increased action and smaller size.

To increase action at the trot, they first tried Hackney Pony breeding, but this blood reduced both feather and bone.

The Roma therefore turned to the Section D Welsh Cob to add a more animated trot to the breed without loss of other desired traits.

John Shaw, a carriage painter from Milnrow, Rochdale, Lancaster, was quoted in 1993 as saying, "Very big, hairy coloureds are now in vogue.

[1]: 64 The breed most used by the Romani breeders to set not only the size but also the type of the future Gypsy Horse was the Dales Pony, described as "thick, strong, .

[1]: 63  The Dales, a draught pony, preserved the bone, feather, and pulling capabilities derived from the Shire and Clydesdale breeds but in a smaller and therefore more economical package.

The Dales and, to a lesser extent, the Fell Pony interbred with the Shire and Clydesdale provided the basis of today's Gypsy Horse.

The Irish cob can be traced to the 18th century but also was long considered a type, not a breed, and varied somewhat in characteristics, though generally was bred for light draught and farm work but was also capable of being ridden.

[33][34] Before the formation of the American society in 1996, the word "vanner" appears in two printed sources in association with these horses.

The Gypsy Horse Registry of America includes size classifications in its stud book.

[44] The GVHS also has inspections for registered horses and provides awards for year end points from approved shows.

Since information regarding the past histories, including parentage, of many of the Gypsy Horses imported to North America was lost, many owners seek to reclaim the genetic roots of their animals, and services have sprung up to satisfy this desire.

[51][52][53][54] Beginning in 2014, GVHS began restricting registration to horses sired by GVHS-registered stallions and out of mares whose DNA markers are available and confirm parentage.

[52] The Netherlands stud book only allows full registration to offspring of horses previously registered with the NSvT; horses identified as Irish Cob, Gypsy Cob, Gypsy Vanner, Coloured Horse, Traveller Pony, Black and White, or Traditional Cob may be evaluated as potential breeding stock and, if suitable, recorded in a secondary register, with their offspring eligible for full registration.