Animals

Gypsy Travellers have a long association with nature and animals.

The horse is the animal most commonly associated with Gypsies as they pulled the carts and wagons. Coloured horses are preferred such as black and white - "piebald", brown and white - "skewbald", or the mixture of these - "odd colour", with the occasional spotted horse "Appaloosa". Mares were most favoured, as they could breed a colt every year. The colt would be "sided" alongside its mother from an early age and learned not to fear the wagon and to become quiet near other traffic.

Although horses undoubtedly dominate the livestock scene many Gypsy Travellers surround themselves with a variety of other animals such as dogs, rabbits, ferrets and chickens.Today a lot of Gypsy Traveller also keep cockerels which since they can no longer be legally fought are now kept as prized birds for show.