Tinker, Irish or Gypsy Kob, Gypsy Harness, Irish Worker, Local Pinto - all this is the name of the same breed of very beautiful and interesting horse, which in just twenty years of its official existence has gained immense popularity all over the world.
Breed origin
As you can guess from the above names of the breed, it is a hybrid of Irish and Gypsy horses.
Roma, famous horse connoisseurs, first entered the territory of modern Britain more than six centuries ago. Apparently, the process of the birth of a new breed, which absorbed the blood of local racers and introduced genes of gypsy horses, began from those very times.
Did you know? Word "tinker" Translated from English means "trickster", "tinker." Calderara have traditionally been engaged in this craft for many centuries. - The most widespread Roma ethnic group of Romanian origin flooded Europe, in particular, England, beginning in the second half of the nineteenth century. Nomads tried to find work in foreign lands, while preserving the language and traditions of their people. Thus, the word "tinker" in the minds of the British over time became associated with the word "Gypsy". This explains the origin of the name of the corresponding breed of horse. However, the Roma themselves call these horses not "Tinker", but "Kob" (in English, the word "cob" apply to any stocky horses of one and a half meters tall).
About gypsy horses should be said separately. With all their love for horses, eternal nomads and wanderers could never provide their four-legged friends with proper care, good nutrition, or, especially, high-quality veterinary care.Even such a habitual thing for a domesticated horse as a horseshoe in conditions of a camp could be an inaccessible luxury. In this case, the horses had to drag the kibits full of people and belongings all day long, feeding in the literal sense of the pasture.
Also read about the best breeds of goats, sheep, cows and pigs.And if any problem arose with the horse, the cunning Romale immediately got rid of him in the usual way - they sold more expensive than the first comer, not forgetting to paint the unprecedented merits of the living goods.
However, such harsh conditions ultimately served a good service for the formation of a future breed: Gypsy horses are remarkable for their stamina, unpretentiousness, excellent health and excellent immunity (otherwise you will not survive).
From the point of view of genetic qualities, the constant mixture of gypsy horses with local breeds that can be encountered on a long and erratic way is also very useful. 
Health and good genetics can not look ugly, that is why, although the gypsy horses are far from super-expensive race trotters, they look more than attractive.
Given the lifestyle of the Roma and the absence of any hint of any conscious breeding work, and especially its documentary fixation, there is no clear information about the origin of the hybrid and which breeds participated in its creation.
It is for certain only known that in the tinker the blood of such British horses as felp, shire, highland, cledesdal, welsh cob and even pony dales is flowing. It is precisely because of the mentioned confusion of crossing that the Irish Cob could not receive the status of an official breed for a long time.
So, despite the fact that after the Second World War, the breed almost completely took shape and even acquired a certain orderliness (they began to purposefully and systematically breed horses), it was able to receive legal status only in 1996, in which two significant events occurred at once:
the official ancestor of the breed was registered - the stallion Cushti Bok (by the way, the breed itself was given the name "Gypsy sled horse", all other names are secondary and unofficial), and also created an organization that registers the breed - The Irish Cob Society, ICS. 
Today, the Irish Cob Association is practically not engaged in selection, its main function is the paperwork for the export of young breeds to the United States and European countries.
Currently, there are several tribal books of tinkers, only in the United States of America there are as many as three. It is in this country that Gypsy sledges are most loved, Americans especially like their docile nature and bright color, as well as their grace, amazing for a workhorse.
Characteristics and description of the breed
Tinker horses appeared as workers, but they are very beautiful.
Height and weight
Strict requirements for growth do not put forward the breed standard; in general, like all cocks, tinkers are medium, fluctuations are allowed within 1.35-1.6 m. Such a wide run up in growth even allows three groups to be distinguished within the breed (this classification is accepted in Americans): horses with a height of 1.43 to 1.55 are considered classic, below this limit are characterized by the prefix "mini", and more than that - the prefix "grand."
Important! "Gipsy" - in English means “Gypsy”, so if you hear from an American talking about horses, the phrase “mini-jeep”, it means that we are talking about a gypsy sledding height below 1.35 m at the withers.An even larger run relates to the weight of an adult horse. It can range from 0.24 to 0.7 tons.
Exterior
The body of the Irish cob is massive, strong and wide, with well-visible muscles and a short straight back, gracefully turning into a tall croup.
On a powerful graceful curved neck, a well proportioned, slightly coarse head with long ears is well set. A distinctive feature is the humpback profile and a small beard under the lower jaw. Withers low.
Gypsy sledding can also be recognized by unusually lush and long bangs, the same epithets refer to the mane and tail. Moreover, even the tinker legs are covered with thick nap.
Did you know? Thick hair on the lower part of the horse's legs was called "friezes" due to the breed of horses of the same name, bred in Holland, which is distinguished by this particular feature of the exterior. Such hairs play not only aesthetic, but also quite functional role. - during bad weather they protect the feet of the animal from the cold.
The legs are strong and powerful, the hooves are massive (the above mentioned neglect of the Gypsies to the need for shoeing their horses affects). The breed standard permits an X-shaped set of hind legs, which is considered to be a marriage for other horses, but is considered the norm for draft breeds.Suit
Tinkers are distinguished mainly by the piebald color (white spots are scattered on the main dark background).
Did you know? This suit has well-defined historical roots. The fact is that pinto horses were very low valued in Europe due to the similarity of their coloring with cows. To possess such a horse was so undervalued that even the always in need of cavalry military forces did not take the "service" of horses with a similar color. As a result, the piebald horse began to be perceived as inferior, and it could be purchased for just a penny, which the gypsies who were deprived of prejudice could not but use. They say that the horses of this color liked the Roma not only low price, but also practical, because the spotted animal can be easily distinguished among others by the location of the spots, and, consequently, there is less risk that it will be stolen. However, it is unlikely that these considerations were taken into account by the Roma, because the custom forbids Roma to steal from each other.However, pinto is a common concept. Today, among the Tinkers, there are three main varieties of it: Overro, Tobiano, and Tovero.
Overo (this suit is sometimes called calico) - asymmetrical white areas are scattered throughout the body, however, as a rule, they do not cross the conditional line drawn on the horse's back from withers to tail. At least one (sometimes all four) legs are completely dark, and there is also no "variability" on the tail. 
Coloring tobiano usually implies white legs (at least the lower part) and dark sides (one or both), in addition, the dark spots of the correct oval or round shape cover the front part of the body from neck to chest with a symmetric shield. 
Both colors are present in the tail, the head is mostly dark, but there may be white markings, for example, a "star" on the forehead, a "bald spot" or a light area on the nose).
Tovero - a suit that combines the two types mentioned above. As a rule, it occurs when crossing horses of different stripes, when none of the parental signs receive the predominant influence in the color of the offspring. 
In gypsy harness, the skin itself is not only multicolored, but also the skin itself: it is gray under dark spots and pale pink under light spots.
Piebald - the main, but not the only color of gypsy sledding. These horses are also black with white spots, forelock (small contrasting spots of oval shape all over the body, including legs) and chaly (frequent white hairs all over the body of any other color). 
Character and temper
The main feature of the character of the Irish Kobov - truly Olympic calm and absolute friendliness. Temperamental riders such horses can even seem sleepy and lethargic.
However, this feature is the hallmark of the breed and one of the reasons for its growing popularity, which we will mention.
Distinctive features
The complex and intricate history of the breed has identified the main features of the gypsy sled. The main thing that characterizes these horses is the endurance and unpretentiousness developed as a result of centuries of natural selection.
Running at such horses is very smooth, confident and soft, in addition, they jump pretty well, easily and fearlessly overcoming various obstacles.
At the same time, cobs are stayers, not sprinters, the horses quickly get tired of fast gallop, because in such conditions their ancestors have historically been little used. 
However, excellent health and docile nature makes it possible to successfully train such horses and train them to make long and quick jumps, but, on the other hand, there is hardly a lot of sense in this, because the breed was not created for this purpose at all.
But to look at the gypsy sledding, walking graceful, honed and wide trot - a pleasure!
Breed use
By their very definition, Tinkers are universal horses. Their main use, of course, was associated with manpower and harness, but kobas are also suitable for riding.
Moreover, for an inexperienced rider who is just mastering equestrian sport, a tinker is the best choice. Even a child can easily be put on such a horse, without fear that it will suddenly buck or carry.
Important! Tinkers are great for hippotherapy - "horse treatment", which is becoming more widespread, especially this method is indicated for children with a variety of movement disorders, as well as for people suffering from various neuroses. Perfectly helps this kind of communication with horses and autists.
There are other ways to use the breed associated with its amazing temper. Tinkers make excellent nurse and teacher for foals more frisky and temperamental riding breeds.In addition to the "positive effect" that such "nannies" have on hyperactive babies, the mares of Irish cobs can boast a large amount of milk, which is a separate advantage.
In addition, Gypsy sledges are often specially kept on racetracks in order to reassure with their help unnecessarily frisky and hot Arabian or English racers. That tinker often escorted to the starting boxes of the participants of the race.
We recommend reading about such breeds of cows: "Kalmyk", "Shorthorn", "Aberdeen-Angus", "Simmental", "Kholmogorskaya", "Kakhakhskaya", "Highland".
average cost
Today, tinkers are becoming increasingly popular, especially in the United States. It is there that these horses account for the maximum demand, although the breed is not at all cheap.
A good breeding stallion will cost from ten to twenty-five thousand dollars, while quite a decent workhorse can be easily earned for just a thousand "green" and even cheaper. 
In Europe, on horse bazaars, the price of tinkers ranges from 6-9 thousand euros, approximately the same prices are relevant in Russia.
In general, if you want to learn to ride or just have a calm, hardy and friendly horse "for all occasions", and at the same time are ready to pay for such an animal "a tidy sum", an Irish kob is a great option.
