tom, is this breeding for aesthetic values not somewhat similar to Gypsy horses? do they have health problems because of it or does it not work the same way with horses?
Sorry I didn't have time to reply to this yesterday, it's a great question.
The answer comes in two parts.
Firstly, dogs as a species are very amenable to selective breeding, even when it's extreme selective breeding, much more so than most other species. Think about it, have you ever seen a 16 stone, four foot tall domestic cat, or one that was small enough to sit in a tea cup? What about a particularly vicious strain of budgie?
This is not to say that other species can't be selectively bred for specific attributes, they can, but they are much more resistant to change, especially detrimental change.
Say you decide to buy yourself a nice pedigree puppy. (Let's take two breeds that have been mentioned in this thread as an example) A quick google will provide you with a list of health issues that these breeds are prone to.
Note: This does not mean that every puppy will suffer from these problems, but they will be prone to them.
Dalmation: Hearing, Urinary Stones, Epilepsy, Allergies, Hypothyroidism, Seizures.
Alsation: Hip displasia Anal furunculosis, Cutaneous vasculopathy, Pancreatic insufficiency, Panosteitis, Gastric torsion, Congenital heart disease.
It's the same for almost all dog breeds, with the exception of those which are still
primarily bred to work.
Now. let us move on to Gypsy horses.
As we have seen, horses don't lend themselves to extremes of selective breeding, especially
detrimental selective breeding nearly so much as dogs do, but even if they did, it wouldn't happen.
You see, Gypsy horses are bred for the way they look, but they still have to be able to perform the work that they were originally bred for.
Take a trip to any of the Gypsy horse fairs (Or type Appleby fair / Stow fair into YouTube) and you will see that the horses are not just standing their looking beautiful, they are also being put through their paces.
A Horse that was close to perfection appearance wise would lose a lot of it's value if it was mentally or physically incapable of performing it's primary function.
Gypsies have managed bring about significant physical change in their horses by selective breeding, but these are advantageous rather than detrimental.
Unlike Most domestic breeds, Gypsy horses don't need stabling, and can live outdoors through the harshest of winters. They rarely need supplementary feeding, and will get fat on the poorest of keep. They are inherently quiet, biddable and willing to please. They usually foal and rear their young naturally and without the need for human intervention.
I don't know if this will change in future generations, (Perhaps when it's made illegal to pull a wagon on the highway, or to keep a horse entirely outdoors) but for now, the answer to your excellent question is "No. It doesn't work the same way with gypsy horses"
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