ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

Gypsy Vanners are the horses you see carrying the Drums at the Queens Parades - they are magnificent and thought to be a mix of Clydesdales, Friesians, Dale Ponies and Shires. Beautiful showy horses they are romantic looking animals. One can well visualize them carrying knights in armour (as indeed they did) and rescuing fair maidens. But they are best known for pulling the caravans of the Romany people the Didikoi before motor transport was freely available. Hence their name Gypsy Vanners . They are now a recognized breed all on their own. The Queens Drum horses have Gypsy Vanner bloodlines..

The other end of the scale is the miniature horses much loved by our own Kym and little Einstein is the smallest of them all.

If horses dream and I am sure they do - maybe Einstein dreams of how things will be.....................


WHEN I GROW UP



You don’t have to be an Einstein to realize that I am small
barely weighing six pound at birth , just fourteen inches tall.
I am tiny but I’ll grow you know – and inside in my heart
is a vision of a Vanner – though I doubt I’ll take a part.

Leading the parades of cavalry with two drums on my back
oh perhaps if they were bongoes – that’s a size that I might hack.
And I doubt you’ll ever see me harnessed up to a big dray
but a little bloke can have big dreams and dream of stallion play.

But for now I am content to play with my two goat companions.
A white boxer dog bigger than me. I dream of prairie canyons.
My Mum tells me ‘be careful – you are just a little boy’
which I am of course but I am not somebody’s fluffy toy.

My name is Einstein I am small, but also very smart
I’m the smallest horse born in the world – a perfect work of art.
But I’m dreaming big – oh yes I am – although upon reflection
a Gypsy Vanner I will never be. That’s my idea of perfection.


Maureen Clifford © 12/11



This is me at one day old -cute ...don't ya reckon?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fzciDHl ... re=related


one year on and look at me now. I can play 4 legged football - I could be a Bronco
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&featu ... fTYbZ9ExXk



I wonder if one of these is my Dad? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fzciDHl ... re=related

Haha Maureen, that's lovely. I LOVE those Gypsy Vanners, but with all that hair, they are a hell of a lot of work. I have been communicating with a lady who owns a Gypsy Vanner stud in America (I'm using some of her images in my next book) and she says it takes an entire day to wash and brush their manes and tails for a photo shoot! She usually leave them in plaits to save on brushing time. The hair around their hooves is particularly hard work. They can't be in paddocks with prickles or burrs, and even exposed dirt discolours the hair and they have to bleach it white again. Lots of work. But amazingly beautiful!!!

They would be hard work to keep up to show standards but they are so gorgeous. I love the big horses

Cheers

Maureen

That big horsie is walking a really weird looking Dog there Mauzie ...