Stow Fair

[KingPoker]

My missus would love you as you seem to love horses as much as she does!!!

Great pics BTW and amazing wagons!

[Compo]

Thankyou for sharing such an intimate part of your life (especially the "courting" bit! Top work with the camera allowing us a rare glimpse into another world. BTW wha's going on in 34e wher the men are crowding into the back of a small transporter?

[RED-DOG]

Thankyou for sharing such an intimate part of your life (especially the "courting" bit! Top work with the camera allowing us a rare glimpse into another world. BTW wha's going on in 34e wher the men are crowding into the back of a small transporter?

Thank you.

The belly (the unborn foal) of a mare was sold for well into 5 figures. The box contained the much admired mother-to-be.

[Compo]

Thankyou for sharing such an intimate part of your life (especially the "courting" bit! Top work with the camera allowing us a rare glimpse into another world. BTW wha's going on in 34e wher the men are crowding into the back of a small transporter?

Thank you.

The belly (the unborn foal) of a mare was sold for well into 5 figures. The box contained the much admired mother-to-be.

Cheers mate

[action man]

hey red, there wasnt an irish guy there selling t.v's was there. If so at the next stow can you tell him he can have the bricks from the back of the t.v back, in exchange for the £100 it cost me. Sob sob

[sofa----king]

nice pics tom,i dint realise there was still some of the old school still traveling mate.i was tempted to take sharky there but .,.,.,.well ive been let down by so many diffrent events this week im p155ed off,,,,i think i will end up at the folk dancing festival at tredegar park sob,sob,,,,

[bone1986]

I've been working just down the road from Stow, the horse fair is certainly a sight to see when driving by. Thanks for sharing the pic's. 

[ACE2M]

Nice to see those caravans.

Every summer of my youth was spent at my dads knocking about with two brothers whose dad was a builder of those caravans. I was always fascinated by all the gold leaf and artistry on the carpentry and painting.

John Picket was his name, have you heard of him? near shaftesbury in dorset. I've never seen anyone who could drink as much special brew as him.

[RED-DOG]

Nice to see those caravans.

Every summer of my youth was spent at my dads knocking about with two brothers whose dad was a builder of those caravans. I was always fascinated by all the gold leaf and artistry on the carpentry and painting.

John Picket was his name, have you heard of him? near shaftesbury in dorset. I've never seen anyone who could drink as much special brew as him.

Yes, I've heard of him. If you want to Google, it's John Pickett with two t's

[tikay]

Tom, what a stunning thread, thank you!

2 questions, I have so many, but just these for now.....

1) What is the "thing" between Gypsies & horses? Are horses a basic "trading commodity", or a sort of currency? Do you just trade them between yourselves, & to what use (other than as maybe a form of currency) do you use them?

2) I assume you have an "eye" for a horses conformation & soundness etc. What specifically do you look for when assessing a horse?

Also, I bet Kizzy is having a ball, all those dogs & people & horses - I hope she's behaving.

[RED-DOG]

Tom, what a stunning thread, thank you!

2 questions, I have so many, but just these for now.....

1) What is the "thing" between Gypsies & horses? Are horses a basic "trading commodity", or a sort of currency? Do you just trade them between yourselves, & to what use (other than as maybe a form of currency) do you use them?

2) I assume you have an "eye" for a horses conformation & soundness etc. What specifically do you look for when assessing a horse?

Also, I bet Kizzy is having a ball, all those dogs & people & horses - I hope she's behaving.

Those are simple questions, but as you might imagine the answers are many faceted and quite complex. bear with me and I will try to explain as best I can.

[ericstoner]

What a facinating lifestyle for your grandchildren.Let's hope the can enjoy their heratige,and be allowed to keep up the traditions, your fathers showed you.

Then you and Mizzy, can slide of into your dotage,safe in the knowledge, you've done your bit.

Wish my two would start producing grandchildren.............................can't wait.

[Dingdell]

Red - do many (if any)  leave the way of life behind completely? Or is it something when it's in your blood it's in your blood?

[RED-DOG]

1) What is the "thing" between Gypsies & horses? Are horses a basic "trading commodity", or a sort of currency? Do you just trade them between yourselves, & to what use (other than as maybe a form of currency) do you use them?

Until relatively recently, before motorised transport became widely available, horses were, for obvious reasons, an integral part of the Gypsy way of life. You might expect that with the coming of the Transit van, the horse would have been left behind, there are however, several aspects of the Gypsy psyche that have perpetuated horse ownership long after the need for a beast of burden has passed.

Generally speaking, Romany Gypsies are a sentimental race. They cling tightly to their traditions, trying hard to preserve the old way of life for no reason other than the fact that that is the way it was always done. This trait, more than anything else, is probably why we have survived long enough to be granted ethnic minority status, the criteria for which states that you must share a common and unbroken history, language, and culture.

Next comes an over-developed desire to compete. Owning the best horses is something that Gypsies have aspired to for hundreds of years, the mere fact that they are now of limited use in the accepted sense of the word is of little consequence.

Then there is the privacy/security aspect, Gypsies have an inbred need for secrecy and a pathological mistrust of those in authority. Things are changing rapidly now, but not so many years ago, it was not uncommon for a Gypsy to have his entire life savings grazing in a field or tethered by the roadside. A horse could be worth £40, £400 or £4000, a gorger (non Gypsy) would never know the difference, and it would be of no use at all to a Gypsy who had obtained it by foul means. Pedigree is certified by direct eye witness (a mare can't suckle a foal for six months without every mark on it being noted)  records are passed on by word of mouth.

Horses are still used for harness racing, pulling drays, waggons and various other stuff, but the short answer to this question is yes. Horse breeders use horses as a way of making money, and others use them as a trading commodity/form of currency.

The vast majority of Gypsy horses are run of the mill and don't command huge prices, that doesn't mean we don't take great pride and pleasure in owning them.


More to follow....

[barhell]

I've seen a few harness races on local strectches of road, certainly a sight to see.