A welsh cob for a nervous novice....

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moses06

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I know someone who is a nervous novice and is considering a just broken welsh cob over a very nice older bombproof pony as they "want a pretty one" oh dear, I feel a disaster coming on....My welshie isn't particulary sharp or difficult, in fact he has super manners but can have an opinion on things and isn't an easy ride as he looks!!
 
Oh god disaster heading her way really. Welshies arent exactly the easiest of rides when they are even 17, I think my girl found every hedge dragon there was yesterday!!!!

On a more important note, where is this welsh and how much hehe.
 
trendybraincell said:
Whoa Whoa Whoa Whoa....WHOA!!!!

Not Moses?!
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Oh god NO!!!!!! Now I trust him and I'm not the most confident rider, but no way would I stick a total novice on him!! We have a livery who want's one and has been offered a very sharp D as a first pony.......even though it's none of my business they asked my opinon and I said it wasn't a good idea, they now seem to think I'm jealous that they are getting a "county standard" welsh....I just don't want to see an accident, ho hum, I shall be keeping well clear!!
 
I'd just have your cam ready for each waking moment down the yard and be ready for a lifetime of £250's from you've been framed.... ;)

If you can't beat them....! Haha.
 
depends on the horse.

my OH learned to ride on a 5yo just backed welsh sec D & they have the strongest bond ever. Rar put OH on deck quite often with his inexpereience of having a rider on his back & Oh regually confused Rar with his incorrect aids but they have come on together in leaps & bounds.
Rar has never put a foot wrong (fallen over them though) & OH loves him.
 
A nervous novice shouldn't be getting ANYTHING that's just been broken in! In fact she probably shouldn't be getting anything, full stop.

Having said that, not all welsh cobs are the fire breathing, neurotic hell-raisers that they're portrayed as. I've got a 6yo that I've owned for 4 years & he's a sweetheart, he takes everything in his stride & is pretty much unflappable but still looks flashy & a handful. I'd say that anyone competent enough to be buying a horse would be capable of riding him &, as long as they had common sense & weren't a nervous wreck, would have been within days of me backing him. If there were more welsh cobs like him they'd be a very sought after breed!
 
Nari said:
A nervous novice shouldn't be getting ANYTHING that's just been broken in! In fact she probably shouldn't be getting anything, full stop.

Having said that, not all welsh cobs are the fire breathing, neurotic hell-raisers that they're portrayed as. I've got a 6yo that I've owned for 4 years & he's a sweetheart, he takes everything in his stride & is pretty much unflappable but still looks flashy & a handful. I'd say that anyone competent enough to be buying a horse would be capable of riding him &, as long as they had common sense & weren't a nervous wreck, would have been within days of me backing him. If there were more welsh cobs like him they'd be a very sought after breed!
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Yours sounds very mich like mine - he's a gentleman, but I wouldn't trust him with a novice due to his sneaky streak!! And the mare concerned is sharp, as in VERY sharp....
 
hmmm don't happen to know the breeding of this mare do you?! I bet I could hazard a few guesses!!

Oh well I'm just very glad its not Moses...he is such a dude, Welsh Cob who do dressage rule!!!
 
I wasn't nervous but I guess you would class me as novice as it was my first pony.
He was a county WH pony, section D, and was a dream for me.

Hacking he was keen but not dangerous, only joggy.
At shows, he was second to none. He'd stand rock solid outside the ring but when it was his turn to go in, he was awesome, just go in and do his job. Never refused, never ran out and always in the ribbons.

His only downfall ...... he was an absolute pig to catch but again, was fantastic to handle once I'd caught him.
He wasn't stupid, he'd quite happily be caught by anybody who wasn't riding him!!

So, without seeing the Welsh in question, it's difficult to judge whether it'd be suitable or not.
 
quirky said:
I wasn't nervous but I guess you would class me as novice as it was my first pony.
He was a county WH pony, section D, and was a dream for me.

Hacking he was keen but not dangerous, only joggy.
At shows, he was second to none. He'd stand rock solid outside the ring but when it was his turn to go in, he was awesome, just go in and do his job. Never refused, never ran out and always in the ribbons.

His only downfall ...... he was an absolute pig to catch but again, was fantastic to handle once I'd caught him.
He wasn't stupid, he'd quite happily be caught by anybody who wasn't riding him!!

So, without seeing the Welsh in question, it's difficult to judge whether it'd be suitable or not.
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There's two major differences there though...you weren't nervous....and he wasn't just backed :)

Breed irrelevant...problem always is novices and people getting horses which aren't suitable and wondering why it then goes pear shaped with a quirky nappy horse needing restarting as a result.
Any horse, breed irrelevant, bought by a nervous novice which is literally just backed, is just asking for problems really. They all seem to want the young pretty ones, or the ex racers, or anyone which has too much talant than they'll ever need to begin with! Whatever happened to loaning that passed down family pony who's a saint on 4 legs or buying one thats old seasoned and suitable for what they want these days ;)

If I had unlimited money....I'm sure you could buy the likes of Totilas or ArkoIII ....doesn't mean just because I could afford them and liked the look of them I could ride one side of them haha. Let alone get them as just backed youngsters and get them to the standard they are now. I'd end up on my head no doubt.
 
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It would depend on the horse in question- the most saintly and safe horse I have ever ridden was a very green 4 or 5 year old.
But as a rule I wouldn't recommend either a newly backed or a Welsh as a first horse. Mine is 13 going on 3- yes some days he is so saintly you could put a kiddie or your granny on him, other days he's so unpredictable it can reach the point of dangerous.
 
Sadly gone are the days when people used to buy horses and grew up and learn together, the world is so judgemental now as to what we should and should not buy.

Although not a match made in heaven, a novice rider and a novice horse, can learn tons together, achieve together and grew old together, especially if they get the right help and advice along the way.

I was 14 when I got my 4 year old pony (due to my nan dying and leaving me enough money to buy and keep a pony until I was 18 knowing that was my dream) and she was all we could afford, and I learnt so much from falling off and problems we had, and good instructors and advice from people around me, it has made me the rider I am now, and to be totally honest I would relive that journey again and again, the tears and the lows but the joy of our first rosette, knowing I had achieved, knowing I was the first with my beloved pony, even if I had thousands to spend on my first horse I would not have wanted it any different. We all make mistakes no matter how experienced we are, and continue to do so, there are so many success stories of people buying totally unsuitable horses and their achievements, who are we to take away their goals, highs and lows.

Keep an eye out, offer none critical advice when needed ie "if it were me", "I have a free half hour would you like a hand" works far better than waiting things to go wrong and saying "I told you so".
 
My Welsh D would be fine for a nervous novice. We bought him as a first horse.

You could put a complete beginner on him for a lesson in the school.... However, he's older, wiser and just happens to have a laid back nature....
 
My best ever horse was a big Welshie. I could put anyone on her and she would look after them. She also could jump big XC and SJ courses, show and do dressage. My horse of a lifetime.
 
Binky how much sense you talk.I have a welsh cob for the record and am a nervous rider.Up to date he has been a saint BUT he isn't sharp and was 9 when I bought him with plenty behind him, not just broken.
 
Aoibhin said:
depends on the horse.

my OH learned to ride on a 5yo just backed welsh sec D & they have the strongest bond ever. Rar put OH on deck quite often with his inexpereience of having a rider on his back & Oh regually confused Rar with his incorrect aids but they have come on together in leaps & bounds.
Rar has never put a foot wrong (fallen over them though) & OH loves him.
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Yes, but is your husband nervous?
 
Yes OH is nervous when out of his comfort zone, but has me & 2 very goon instructors looking out for him.

my 3 year old son has been Rar off lead in school (me walking beside just in case). we have also subjected him to chainmaille, swords, sheilds, spears, arrows shot around & from him, hawks from him & he just doesnt bother, he is just a total star & a lot less of a tit than my pair of 10yo's
 
eahotson said:
Binky how much sense you talk.I have a welsh cob for the record and am a nervous rider.Up to date he has been a saint BUT he isn't sharp and was 9 when I bought him with plenty behind him, not just broken.
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Haha thanks! Think that's the first time I've been called sensible :p

For what it's worth, the first horse I learnt on was a little ancient welsh mare who was the ploddiest kindest grandma of a horse ou could ever meet! Bless her.
And my own first ponio was a welsh D :) Though she was 10 and unbacked....well. Had attempted to be backed 4 months prior to me but had gone hidiously wrong!!
I owe that mare everything to me, she taught me everything and would jump the moon if you asked her, or at least try 110% for you. She's just awesome :D I wasn't novice nor nervous though when I got her and she really wasn't that much hard work tbh, we just clicked :)

http://www.theimagefile.com/?skin=3840&Action=VF&id=3795350050&ppwd=vs5180dp

Thats her :) With her kiddlywink who's loaning her now and being shown the ropes :D
 
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I have to say, I have never really had much to do with Welshies (unusual I know) but I do know I was loading a horse for a friend last week, Welsh x TB, lovely little horse. But I remarked to my mate just how bleeding determined he was about not going on, and also mine is a 16hh Suffolk X and I had loading issues with him at one point, and not once ever did he give me a yank like this little fella did!!! I did have to wonder, is that the Welshy in him?? I only really ever have anything to do with horses so nothing native, I must admit I do find them quite different.

Oh we loaded him in the end btw didn't take too long!! :)
 
Ehhmmm, Welsh Cobs are renowned for their quirkiness and can be very sharp, so I wouldn't choose one for a novice, no way. They can also be damned strong when they wanna be; I had one so know what they can be like.

I'd be inclined to look for something steadier; perhaps a nice steady cross-bred cob or something like that. The sort of horse that is impossible to find but once obtained becomes worth its weight in gold - like my boy.

You really want something a bit older, say 10 plus if not more than that for a novice as well.
 
I have to put my hand up and admit I bought my Welsh D mare as an unbroken 3 year old as my first horse when I was a very novice and nervous 14 year old. It was an absolute disaster to start with, I think any youngster would have been but she was particularly stubborn and oppinionated. It took about 3 years for her to start to come nice, but she really was worth all the hassle.

She is now 12 years old and I would trust her with my life, we have such a good bond. I think the one plus point of having a youngster as your first horse is that you learn together and she has made me into a confident rider with good stickability!

However I would still say to your frind NO NO NO! She would be much better of buying something sensible that can teah her.
 
That's no reason to buy an horse but a welsh youngsters are not always bad, every horse is different and they shouldn't be painted with the same brush.
 
I had a welsh cob, he was 15 when I bought him and I was a novice, we actually bought him from a riding school so maybe that made a difference, but he was an absolute superstar never put a hoof wrong.
 
As a rule I would say NO WAY. Not even with someone elses bargepole.

However, my friend has a section D, (for sale....) that is 5 this year, and sooooo laid back its untrue. He occasionally bucks in canter but more in a humpy back sort of way - not at all unseating. He jumps sensibly and nicely, hacks alone and is good to box/shoe/catch/traffic. So he would be great for a novice.
 
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