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KD Gypsy Vanners 

1. Farm name - Our farm name is KD Farms Gypsy Vanner Horses. Nothing original there...KD is simply the initials of the co-owners Kelly and Dana.
2. Horses before Gypsies - Dana's first horse was our Gypsy mare Abbeylara. However, I received a pony for my 3rd birthday, a QH mare for my 10th, and I still own that mare's 2 foals, now age 29 and 31 as of 2012! It is hard to believe that Whistle and Pepper have been around that long.
3. Years owning Gypsies - We purchased our first mare in the fall of 2003. I saw an article in a horse magazine that made me investigate the breed further. What I found was something I had to own.
4. Horses we own - Currently KD Farms owns a stallion, 3 mature mares, a filly, and 2 geldings.
5. Foals per year - Since our first purchase in 2003, KD Farms has produced only 9 foals. I prefer to have only one youngster at a time. That allows me to give every foal the needed attention and age appropriate training necessary to make each a willing partner. We have had two at a time, but I felt like I couldn't accomplish the handling goals I have for each foal in a timely manner. You will never see the statement 'need to make room for next year's foals' in one of our ads!
6. See above.
7. Favorite - My favorite mare has to be Emma. She is everything that I think a Gypsy mare should be: heavy, hairy, kind, protective, smart, and loves her newest career. Emma has been free-leased to Fassett Farms, a therapeutic riding program not far from my home. She is amazing in her new life! My favorite horse out of the entire herd is our stallion, Killian. He came to us as an unhandled yearling. He has matured into an extremely smart and willing horse ready to try whatever is asked of him.
8. Prepotency - It is hard to really know what our horses might be consistent in producing because of our limited number of foals, but Killian seems to give each of his foals a calm trainable temperament.
9. Activities with our horses - We began with the idea that our horses would be saddle horses, and we do ride both English and Western. However, I recently have been driving quite a bit due to a foot injury keeping me out of the saddle. I enjoy attending open shows, parades, and expos as well. Introducing our horses to the public never gets old.
10. Training - I really like to do as much work with my horses as possible, but I do know my limitations, both in talent and time. Ground work is accomplished with daily handling of each and every horse. Specific skills or problems are handled as needed. I have the knowledge needed to get a horse going well under saddle, but starting a horse on the cart is not in my toolbox. By doing as much of my own handling as possible, I am able to accurately describe the horse to prospective buyers. I am able to show them how and why I do what I do. This has certainly made the transition into a new home easier on both the horse and the new owner.

When to begin training is so controversial. I am a firm believer that any weight bearing activity should not be started until at 24 months of age. I prefer to wait until the fall of their second year (so about 28 months) to start ride work. Basic skills such as turning, stopping, moving off your leg, and some trot work, is taught then. Weather usually keeps me out of the saddle most of the winter, but I find that a good foundation in the fall provides the foundation for serious training in the spring of their 3rd year.

1. If I were in the market to purchase another Gypsy for my breeding program, the first thing I notice is the overall appearance of the horse.   The horse needs to have plenty of substance, correct conformation, and hair. If that horse doesn't have 'look' of the breed, then I don't give it a second thought. The temperament of the individual comes next. I like a horse that wants to be with you, one that wants to please you and seems to crave your attention. Lineage is also important, but there are only a few lines that I would avoid. Color is the last on my checklist, just icing on the cake.
2. When we were purchasing our original group of mares, there were not many to choose from in the States. Only one came from a private owner, but she too was imported originally. I have been lucky in that each horse's lineage is exactly what it was claimed to be. Others have not been so fortunate. However, times have changed and there are opportunities to buy horses bred here that are top quality. I have no plans to import, nor would I purchase a horse from an extremely large breeder.
3. Showing - Whether or not a seller has shown a horse does not matter to me in the least.
4. Seminars - I have not attended any of the GVHS seminars or inspections. I plan to be in attendance at the inspection in August. Until then, I cannot comment on something I have never seen.
5. When I get asked why I chose to register my horses with the GVHS, my answer is because that organization was the only one promoting shows at the time. I wanted to show, so that is the direction that I chose. It is the only organization that I am a member of, as well. However, I know that there are positive and negative aspects of each organization. What is a good fit for me may not be a good fit for the next owner. Individuals need to do their homework and find the registry to fits them and their goals.
6. Our feeding program is very simple. Our hay is an alfalfa/timothy mix. We do not feed our horses any bagged feed unless there is a need, (mares that need added calories while lactating, for example). Our young stock is allowed to grow slow, no pushing to make a yearling look like a 3 year old. These horses were bred to be efficient, and they thrive on the basics.
7. Crossbreeding is an interesting subject. I do not foresee our farm crossbreeding for ourselves, but if the owner of an outstanding mare comes to us with a plan for the future of that foal we would consider it.
8. We do own a stallion, Killians Irish, a son of Mull of Kintyre. Although he is not advertised as such, we would consider putting him to approved outside mares from reputable breeding programs. He is certainly not overproduced here, so a few outside breedings would not flood the market with his get.
9. There are many wonderful and funny experiences with these horses because they draw such a crowd everywhere they go. My favorite memory happened right here on our single lane road. A car had stopped to watch the horses in the pasture, something that happens often. This car stayed for quite a while, so I walked out to see if they would like more information. What I found I will never forget. An older couple, probably in their 80's, and their daughter and son-in-law were in the car. The daughter had a scarf over her head attempting to hide the signs of chemotherapy. I invited them into the barn to visit up close. That they did. After about an hour of the daughter going from one stall to the next, her husband pulled me aside. He said they were from Detroit, MI, and his wife was just released from the hospital a week before. They were visiting her parents who live just a few miles from me. While in the hospital, the Mother had sent a newspaper clipping of an interview I had done about our horses. She had kept that clipping by her bed and told her husband that she was going to get well enough to visit her parents and THAT horse. I was thanked and thanked and thanked some more before they left our farm. You just never know what kind of influence these wonderful horses have!
10. Mentors - As the popularity of this breed grows, more and more quality horsepeople are becoming Gypsy owners. I cannot say that I have one mentor. What I can say is that I try to learn something from everyone...good or bad. Sometimes you say, "Oh, I want to do that!" Sometimes you say, "I would never do that."
11. Everyone is welcomed to visit our horses in person or visit our web site at www.kdgypsyvanners.com.

Killian's Irish