Bargy Cobs with attitude

debsey1

debsey1

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Why is it do you think that Cobs have this attitude? When I first acquired my Cob he was very bargy, invaded my space in the stable, would snatch grass at any given oppportunity and generally wouldn't listen to me. After the first 6 months of ownership (I've now had him 18 mths) he is now a polite Cob to own and is such a joy to ride and on the ground.

After reading several threads on here with people that own Cobs is that they are rude. Why is this? Is it because they look so cute as foals/yearlings that they've been allowed to get away with murder so causing problems later on? Or is this their disposition, their natural tendency?

What's your thoughts on this?
 
Glad im not the only one that had this problem. My cob gelding would pull me all over the place and barge me out of the way. last owner i think must have let him get away with it. He was also very fat with liver problems that had led to sunburn/photosensitivity. He is greatly improved now with firm handling but it will be interesting to hear other peoples opinions.
 
I am interested in this too. Have had my mare for 2 years now. When I first got her she was quite withdrawn and quiet and pretty well behaved. But then she started to get her confidence and started testing me and I have had barging, dragging me around, squashing me against the stable wall and planting and completely refusing to move. She is much, much better behaved now but now and again will revert to some or all of the above if she thinks she can get away with it !
 
Well I have to say I've never had a problem with my cob, but then he knew from the start what the boundaries were.
However I think generally cobs are very intelligent, and it's them pushing to see what they can get away with. Give an inch, take a mile type attitude.
Saying that, I seen this attitude in Shetlands, Connies, Haflingers etc, etc.
 
caramac said:
I am interested in this too. Have had my mare for 2 years now. When I first got her she was quite withdrawn and quiet and pretty well behaved. But then she started to get her confidence and started testing me and I have had barging, dragging me around, squashing me against the stable wall and planting and completely refusing to move. She is much, much better behaved now but now and again will revert to some or all of the above if she thinks she can get away with it !
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I know exactly what you mean, the first few days I had him he was a saint then he started testing me big time. Although we have resolved the issues he will test me from time to time. His previous owner by her own admission said she was to weak for him and he dominated her to the point where she was too scared to do anything with him. People think they are an novice horse but they're are nothing but unless you know what you're doing and nip any rudeness in the bud!
 
My cob is my first horse as i know it will have a lot to do with my experience, but when i first owned her its safe to say she "owned me". Snatching, squashing, barging, charging, kicking.. anything you can imagine.

Now she is loads better in just 2 months... maybe they are just braver with pushing their luck?

Her ground manners are better i should say, there is still major ATTITUDE in the saddle!

love her though
 
Cobs are strong horses and are as intelligent as any other breed. They IMHO have pony brains and are quick to learn. Some are dopes on ropes, others not, but then there are examples of this in every breed.

Like many horses they test boundaries until they find their place. the issue that can arise is if they learn they can use their weight and strength against you. At first this will be subtle ie leaning on you, pulling a little but if not corrected this can become bargy and bolshy.

They need telling what is right and what isn't acceptable and you have to be the boss! My baby is loved to infinity but I will not accept him being rude; I am the alpha horse and he has been told that and is reminded if he tries. Result = one non bargy cob, but believe me he would have been if he wasn't kept in check.
 
Had the same problem!
Agree with JoBo - they are (mostly) a smart breed, and like to test their boundaries. Every single new person that has ever gone into my mares stable, she has tested by throwing her weight against the door when it's opened, and running for the hills.

She does still test me every now and again to keep me on my toes.
 
Cassie was my first horse who I had waited many, many years for and I know I am not as firm as others in the horsey world. It has been a learning curve and I have found it difficult at times to be as strict with her as I should of been. But I think we have now pretty much got each other sussed out. She has got a huge personality and character and it is lovely to see how much she has blossomed and come out of her shell from the withdrawn, shut down cob she was when I first got her. I absolutely love her to bits, but wonder if it could also be the case that because they have a reputation for being on the whole quiet to ride and suitable for novices, that sometimes they end up being owned by less experienced people who struggle to keep on top of them. And I only say that because there have been times when I have been guilty of this too !
 
I have a Welsh Sect D and he could be very pushy when I first had him, he would try to barge past me coming out of the stable and would walk straight over you in the field if he could. He knocked my MIL over in the field and then stood on her, she ended up being air lifted to hospital where she had to have skin grafts to repair the damage he caused! Had him 5 years now and he is completely different but occassionaly he will go to push but I just say a firm NO and he backs off immediately. Not really sure why they seem to be like this but had a Sect D X mare a few years back and she was exactly the same. I do wonder if they are able to throw their weight around with other horses and get away with it so do the same with people? Mine is very easy to handle on the ground now and even MIL will handle him after her terrible experience.
 
This thread has made me smile !

When i moved to my new yard, Shy became the beast from hell and I simply couldn't hold him when he was being led - galloped across newly sewn fields, through the yards,bucking, rearing, sooo embarrassing, even with his controller headcollar on.

Queue the CHIFNEY !! And buy did he behave after a few days of that. Then back to his angelic dope on a rope :)
 
It's their intelligence. When they get a new owner/environment they just try to renegotiate the contract. People buy then because they think dope on a rope and can get a nasty shock. But once you've established who's boss they can behave really well.

Paula
 
shysmum said:
This thread has made me smile !

When i moved to my new yard, Shy became the beast from hell and I simply couldn't hold him when he was being led - galloped across newly sewn fields, through the yards,bucking, rearing, sooo embarrassing, even with his controller headcollar on.

Queue the CHIFNEY !! And buy did he behave after a few days of that. Then back to his angelic dope on a rope :)
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I came so close to buying a Chifney for mine after a series of all of the above then the next day I had a day in the school of stop, walk on, back, left, right, trot on, stand, back etc all in hand and when he was in his stable telling to move back, move to the side etc. I've had to be very consistant and its paid off.

What gets me, is that I don't see TB's behave this way they seem to be more sedate than cobs I wonder if it's to do with their early training when racing?
 
My boy was a nightmare when I first got him at 6 and unbacked - had been badly handled with no boundaries and doing anything with him was a mission. I used to joke that he was feral, but it wasn't too far off the mark!

Now for the most part he's fine to handle, just not quite been able to compeltely stop the headbutting (but he no longer sends anyone flying and will go for a fair old while without doing it so it's 95% improved!). On the very odd occasion he'll gently push his way out of the stable (but unless you've a stick or headcollar to hand he is going!) but he's a nosey beast and avoids the feed bins and takes himself into the tack room to see what we all do in there.

He's still self-opinionated and we have the odd 'discusion' about acceptable ridden behaviour, but these moments are few and far between.

Now he's 99% just a fun character who I adore. :)
 
I almost feel like I have a naughty school boy on my hands! He is also very dominant amongst his field mates, another livery said to me the other day " Your boy keeps biting my horse" (he is a massive Cleveland Bay) I don't think he is being malicious just keeping him in check there's nothing I can do about that is there? I can't very well say to him " Now look here, that's very naughty do that again & you'll go without tea"!!
 
Now he's 99% just a fun character who I adore. :)[/QUOTE]

Totally agree, my little mare makes me smile every day. She just has the hugest personality and you can always tell what shes thinking and how she is feeling. My riding instructor generally doesn't like cobs but has confessed to having a real soft spot for Cassie because she is so funny and such a character. As I said I waited many years for her and I love the very bones of her even when she is squashing me against the stable wall or headbutting me !
 
Dont know why anyone would think this only applies to cobs? I have a WB who is smart enough to know that she is much stronger than me and uses it against me regularly! I think WBs are worse as not only do they have the power they have the speed too........a dangerous combination lol! :D
 
Expect its a bit of both. On the third day of owning mine, went to get him in and he jammed his ears back and charged at me in the field!! I was so mad I charged back at him and, lucky for me, he turned and ran. Chased him around screaming like a banchee til i was knackered, then went and sat on the gate with my back to him whilst I calmed down. Next thing he is snuffling my back looking very apologetic!! He's been brilliant since then, but he can get a bit cheeky with strangers sometimes, especially children, so not a total angel!!
 
They are very clever. My friend owns two who she keeps with us. We do them for her twice a week, she does them the rest of the time. They have two completely different behaviour patterns. On our days they are led in or out together by just one of us, they walk nicely, stand patiently for gate to be opened, walk in and turn politely, wait for gate to be shut and headcollars removed, they then walk off.
On owners days she leads them one at a time, they drag her to field, pull away to grab grass as she tries to do gates then try to dash off before she can get headcollar off. Why ? Because she allows it, she is nervous of disciplining them, feeds from pocket to try to get the to stay with her and they know she had no control whatsoever.
She sees us handling them and is reduced to tears, wondering why she can't get the same respect from them. To be fair, with our help she has tried to be more assertive but it's a waste of time, these two just know somehow that they can control her, they sense her lack of conviction.
I have found it fascinating, I knew horses would behave differently with different people, but these two are incredible, totally different animals on different days of the week, they are never dopes, just mannerly and they are never highly strung, just rude, but they are very very clever.
 
Nas can be Bargey, I like to say he isn't because I'm on his case a lot, but then I think the more time I spend with him it's more like he wants to tow the line. Face it when a cob wants to go they go.

He's been living out for most of the summer holidays which has meant I've done minimal with him. When I got him in last week for check over boy was he shoving me about it's almost like he gets grouchy with me.

And guaranteed when I start bringing him back into work we.ll have this period where he won't do a thing I say and end up dragging me all over the place. Then suddenly his manners come back.

I love him, can't wait until I have more time with him... One more week lol
 
Perhaps it's a case of with their build, they tend to be a little more difficult to pull around. IMO, most horses (not just cobs) will try it on in terms of barginess and general bad manners if they are allowed to - it doesn't take an awful lot to nip it in the bud. My cob is quiet as a lamb on the ground, and even he tried it when he first came home. Once they know it doesn't work, they don't tend to try it again :)
 
I had a cob as a teenager. When I first had him there were a number of things he was scared of including refusing to walk past cows. I was firm with him and he soon was ignoring them and walking past. Anyhow a couple of years later I had a very competent lady sharer. A few weeks after she started riding him she said to me - "he's rally scared of cows isn't he?". Little wotsit. :D

Paula
 
I think in part its because they are more likely to be first horses, or 'my first youngster' than other breeds. And usually not being highly strung, people don't put the same boundaries in place. And then it doesn't take long for them to use their strength to advantage against people. Some can be naturally clumsy, but cobs that have always been correctly handled aren't more likely to barge than any other breed ime.
 
Any horse that has not been brought up properly as a foal/young horse is often bargy and rude.

Teach them to lead and yield as foals and there will be no problems in the future and the horse will have a better chance of leading a useful life.

I have two cob yearlings and they both lead and are better mannered than a six year old cob I have just bought in.

A light touch on the rope is all the yearlings need, the six year old is learning manners through brute force and a piece of blue pipe, which is a pity but she will be a better and polite horse for it shortly.

So before blaming the cob, give some thought to how it was trained or not, in most cases.
 
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