Below are the most frequently asked questions we get. If you have additional questions, please feel free to Contact Us! (These are actual questions we have received!)
Q & A’s about the Farm
Do you let the public visit? Yes, we welcome visitors, but please schedule an appointment with us first. We do not accept visitors on Sunday. Most guests visit for about an hour. Because of Equine Liability laws, we are unable to allow our guests to ride these horses. If you would like to ride one, you must take a lesson and sign a release form. To learn more about lessons please visit our Lesson Page.
What Breeds do you have on the farm? We specialize in Gypsy Vanners as well as the Drum Horse. However, we also have a Friesian filly who we hope to use as our foundation mare for FHANA bred Friesians, down the road.
I have never ridden and do not own a horse, can I still take lessons? Of course! We cater to the individual that has never ridden before! Students of all ages are welcome! If you would like the advantages of owning a horse, but not the financial responsibility or risk, we also offer full and partial leases! All prices are inclusive of Board, Lessons and Training! See our Lease pages for more information! Interested in owning? See our Sales page.
I can’t commit to lessons once a week. Can I take them as I have time? We know how busy life is sometimes. We do accept part time students in addition to our full time students.
Do you Train or Board horses? Yes, all breeds and ponies, are accepted. Please visit our Service’s Page for details.
Q & A’s about the Breeds, Gypsy Vanner and Drum Horses
Are there US registries for these horses? Yes! There are three. We register our horses with two. The Gypsy Vanner Horse Society (GVHS) and most of our foundation horses are also registered with the Gypsy Cob and Drum Horse Association (GCDHA). All three associations have a different set of registration guidelines and Breed Standards. However all of our “Gypsy Horses” are registered with both registries. It is essentially the same breed of horse.
The Drum Horse, however is not a “Big Gypsy Cob” (and they are not called “The Gypsy Drum”), rather a cross breed that is being developed into a type, to create a Breed. We register our Drum Horses with the American Drum Horse Association (ADHA).
Isn’t the Gypsy Horse, just a “Heinz 57”? Quite the contrary!! This breed is and has been established in the UK and surrounding areas, for decades. The only way to get a Gypsy Horse is to breed a Gypsy Horse to a Gypsy Horse. They may be a “new breed” to us, but across the pond, they are well established by select breeders.
“The Gypsy Horse is called a Trade Horse overseas, why “? There are a large number of “Gypsy Horses” in the UK and surrounding areas that are heavily bred without thought for the trade market and may be sold to unwilling buyers for only a few thousand dollars. HOWEVER, these are not the same quality horse as listed on our site. There are a very limited number of breeders overseas who actually “breed” well bred Gypsy Horses. These breeders keep their stock well guarded and actually sell only to “qualified” buyers most of the time. These horses will bring tens of thousands of dollars, hence their high prices here in the states.
What is the difference in “Irish” and “English” bred horses? In our opinion, not much! We have horses bred from both countries, and really see no difference. There are varying degrees of quality, but that can be found in both countries, not to mention, every breed out there.
What are the average Gypsy and Drum Horse prices? It depends a lot on what you are looking for. Gypsy Horse (weanlings) start at $15,000.00 and go up depending on quality, age and training. Drum Horses start at $10,000.00. Most price breaks are given when the horse is purchased inutero, before it is weaned or as an Embryo Transfer. If you are looking for an older horse, especially a mare bred or of breeding age, look to spend more. Any lower, you should do some more research on that particular horse! See our Services Page for more details. See our Sales Page for current horses for sale. If you do not see something that interests you, we may have a horse that is available but not publicly advertised. We may also be able to refer you to a breeder that does.
Is the Gypsy Horse more maintenance? If you want to keep the Gypsy Horse’s heavy leg feather and long manes and tails looking their best, yes there is a high level of maintenance. Care should be taken when turning the horse out in wet weather. The feather should be lubricated with baby oil or MTG, which contains sulphur and can help with preventing scratches or better yet, kept conditioned with a commercial hair product. Manes and tails may need braided up to keep them from dragging the ground or the horse from chewing on them as they eat. If you choose this route, extra care has to be taken for fly protection. For more details on caring for these horses, please contact us.
What can a Gypsy Horse do? In short, just about everything. A lot of these horses are used for pleasure, Jumping, Western and of course Driving! A few have even tried their hand at team-penning and cutting!
I have a non-feathered breed. Can I breed to a Gypsy Horse for feathered offspring? No. Your resulting offspring, may have more hair in that area, but not heavy enough to be considered feathered.
Q & A’s about our Stallions
What breeds do you accept for your stallions? Mostly we only breed Drum Horses, Gypsy Cobs and Gypsy Vanners. If you are looking to breed Drum Horses, we can cross with Gypsy Horses, Clydesdales and Shires. On occasion we will offer to crossbreed, however the breed must be of Sport Horse type. We also require a cross-breeding agreement to be signed and it does become part of the breeding contract. For more information on breeding visit our Sales Page. Visit our Stallions Page, it is updated regularly! **The stallions Slainte and Chew Mill Guinness and Tonka are not standing to the public, however Cobalt still is available. Foals from Slainte and Chew Mill Guinness will be available yearly. Please check our Gypsy and Drum Horses for Sale or email us!
Do you offer Press Releases for your Stallions? Yes! If you would like more information, please email or call us, we’ll send you a free stallion packet.
Are your stallions Homozygous? No. Color should not come into play when determining the value of ANY horse. Colors tend to be a fad. Our stallions do produce a high percentage of colored foals however. Cobalt is homozygous for the color Black.
Why do you not offer your stallions to Cross breed? For several reasons! First, this breed is very new in this country. A lot of “wannabe” breeders are crossing these horses to other breeds, and getting offspring that look similar to the Gypsy Horse and then try to pass them off as the real deal. As a dedicated breeder of these horses, it is our job to ensure that this does not happen. We have to protect our client’s investment. Second, our stallions are graded partially on what offspring they produce. You just can’t compare a cross to the real thing!
How do you determine your stallion’s Stud fee? Our stallion’s stud fees are approximately 10% of what the “average” foal’s worth will be.
How does Shipped Semen Work? Do you offer Frozen Semen? See our Breeding Info Page for more information on Shipped Semen and our Facility’s polices. At this time we do not offer Frozen Semen, however we plan to do so in the next season or two.
Why Old Mill Farm? We have comibined…30+ years of experience in the Equine Industry. We don’t mean we have “just” owned horses. We have actually owned, shown, bred, trained, taught lessons, etc… We are not new to horses in general and have been involved in these particular breeds since 2001.
Our horses chosen for breeding, are researched prior to purchasing, we don’t just purchase any horse that is “breed-able”, we get the best available. Our breeding stock horses are not available for purchase for any amount of money…they stay with us for life! We don’t mass import, nor do we use Embryo Transfer to mass produce, our foals are unique.
