Buying a gypsy cob

[pistolpete]

Not me but a friend is looking at buying from someone who has many many cobs. Various locations. Has offered loan first but without wanting to be offensive I’ve been given the information that this seller may not be honest. It’s academic now as I think she’s decided against this pony but just wondered about people who have bought from potentially unscrupulous sellers and how things panned out. Sorry it sounds so vague. Pony in question seems healthy. Certainly has been well fed. He looks a nice sort.

 

[SEL]

I'd certainly isolate for strangles!

The owner of one of my old yards got 3 from one of those Essex dealers who pops up on the dodgy dealer FB pages. Cobs were nice, good covering, well behaved - but resulted in very expensive vet bills by bringing strangles onto the yard.

 

[pistolpete]

Oh gosh yes!

 

[JackFrost]

Two friends had, so not mine , and from different dodgy dealers - Both were sold as being experienced ridden ponies but were nothing of the sort.
One of them had possibly been sat on once, it hadn't got a clue about being ridden, I 'rode' it and bless its cotton socks, it had no idea what I was asking.

Both were sold as being about 3 years older than they were, one of them because it was too young, the other because the buyer wanted a pony of a certain age, so that was the age it was.

They were both sold to novice owners who were completely duped. Both ponies had nice temperaments so it kind of worked out in the end.

 

[pistolpete]

This one’s a Welsh D cross. Ten year old allegedly. No clue what the truth is but he’s got a kind face! Hope he finds a kind knowledgeable home.

 

[planete]

There are reputable gypsy cob dealers like Trina's cobs for instance. Unless the purchaser is very experienced and willing and able to potentially spend quite a bit of time and effort into training I would not buy a gypsy cob from the nearest man in the street. I bought a small cob that suited my limited budget but I have spent the last three years training a very green and physically fairly wonky and at times super reactive animal. Older than two years old and there is the potential for much mishandling and even far too early hard work.

 

[nagblagger]

If it's listed as a10 yr old, it is probably nearer 14 !

 

[Pinkvboots]

I'd certainly isolate for strangles!

The owner of one of my old yards got 3 from one of those Essex dealers who pops up on the dodgy dealer FB pages. Cobs were nice, good covering, well behaved - but resulted in very expensive vet bills by bringing strangles onto the yard.

I think my friend has one from them although I think there are a few in Essex now and if its the same one we are both talking about, but the cob they have has been absolutely perfect for them but I suppose buying anything from anywhere strangles is a risk if you don't test first.

I have seen it happen a few times even from a very well respected dealer horse was only on there yard a short while, was sold and came down with strangles the whole yard was in quarantine for 3 months.

 

[Goldie's mum]

A neighbour bought a driving pair. They were meant to be an established pair, used to driving together and that had been to Appleby, so used to everything.
Both were smaller and older than meant to be. They plainly don't know each other at all- they were just put together that day when she said it was a pair she was after. One can be driven, the other is nervous, not sure what a harness is, and had a foal about 2 weeks after arrival. Both had lice & worms. Nice enough coblets but it will take her a couple of years and a lot of bought-in expertise to make them into what she thought she was getting.

 

[Goldie's mum]

Not me but a friend is looking at buying from someone who has many many cobs. Various locations. Has offered loan first but without wanting to be offensive I’ve been given the information that this seller may not be honest. It’s academic now as I think she’s decided against this pony but just wondered about people who have bought from potentially unscrupulous sellers and how things panned out. Sorry it sounds so vague. Pony in question seems healthy. Certainly has been well fed. He looks a nice sort.

Please tell your friend that even if she is the clever/lucky one who gets away with it, buying from someone you know to be dodgy helps him to stay in business.

 

[Gloi]

I have a friend who spends a lot of time rebreaking gypsy cobs for people who thought they were buying quiet cobs but had actually bought totally uneducated ones.

 

[LEC]

I am slightly bemused by this post - you are essentially buying the crap of the equine world for low prices and then seem surprised that they have all these issues.
Not caring for or handling horses and breeding indiscriminately with any old crap means a lot cheaper product at the other end.

 

[pistolpete]

Walking away. Hope little horse finds a kind human.

 

[starbucker]

A friend of mine bought a cob for cheap for the younger of the family to learn on, came with a bad case of mastitis and found it had been in a cart incident so is just about field sound and is incredibly lami prone. Luckily for the cob it has a lovely life as a grass ornament cos she couldnt bare to part with it and have their own land

 

[SDMabel]

Depending on the finanical situation / experience I personally would go to a reputable breeder .

To name a few really good ones that are well renowed in the Gypsy cob world - SD Cobs bred by the Downs family and Willowsway stud .

You will not find one thats backed, but you will find ones that have been cared for, taught handling manners, had generations of good breeding and zero bad experiences.

I would much rather start with a clean slate, send of backing and bringing on or do it herself if they have the facilities / knowledge . Then to try and work your way through complications from a cob that's had a rubbish start in life and had bad experiences.

There are some really cracking cobs out there, but you need to be prepared to pay a decent amount of money for the work that's gone into their start in life.

I can ping contact details through for the SD stud if required, or search them on facebook.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

I bought a sweet little gypsy coblet from a friend-of-a friend. An old schoolfriend had backed her and whilst she was everything I'd said I didn't want (i.e. cob, coloured, feathers/hairy, mare - and particularly youngster) she somehow ended up coming home with me. She was a just backed 4yo and there was something about her that I couldn't just leave in the field; I guess it was the absence of anything nasty rather than the presence of anything else, if that makes sense.

I was told that she'd "spent time on a travellers site" but that didn't discourage me as what I sensed about this little pony was that she was actually very genuine.

I had put a picture on FB on her in a particular saddle I'd had (which I was selling) on a local site. Someone who said they used to own her came forward - and they had some pic's of her too at age 18 months. From the markings it was deffo her. Unmistakeable! I'd invited this person, "R", to come and see her, as she was literally less than a half-hour drive away, but somehow she always came up with an excuse. She'd said that my little coblet had exhibited "defensive" behaviour such as "double-barrelling". She also told me that she'd come from Patrick Eagles' yard. The pic's I had of her were obviously in that location I suspect; my little girly was looking young, scared, and quite vulnerable - and knowing her it was obvious that all of these things were in her little mind at that time.

IF I had known about the "double-barrelling" (about which the previous owner was not specific as to exactly what had happened) then would I have bought her? I probably would not have.......... and I'm glad I didn't know about it.

 

[Glitterandrainbows]

Mine was a real handful when I got her took her for a lameness work up and X-rays she had muscle damage once that was sorted and had been turned away and ground work done she is fantastic and is the safest horse to hack on the roads, however getting her right was not cheap and for what I’ve spent on her I could of bought a seriously well bred horse however I wouldn’t swap her for the world when I first bought her she would rear a lot but now I can’t even explain how safe she is and she’s forward too !

 

[Glitterandrainbows]

 

[Glitterandrainbows]

Photo in orange is her been sat on by a dealer at 2 and half !! The other picture is my neice riding her now I’m so proud of how far she has come .

 

[Lucky Snowball]

The saddle cloth is back to front ! Clearly a top end dealer nice lucky pony.

 

[JackFrost]

The saddle cloth is back to front ! Clearly a top end dealer nice lucky pony.

I would be more worried about sitting on my hair extensions. Ouch . Or is that the useful lead rope round your neck training aid??

 

[Glitterandrainbows]

Jack Frost I’m absolutely howling at your comment I’ve never noticed that before, the girth had a big knot in it honestly I’ve never seen anything like it in my life I was supposed to be getting a tb and seen her on Facebook and the rest is history .

 

[JackFrost]

Tying a knot in the girth!! Why did I never think of that - instead of wasting money buying lots of different sizes.

 

[nagblagger]

I was wondering how to tactfully say the horse looked too young, no hat, trainers etc and then i read the comment underneath it was a dealer !!

 

[Glitterandrainbows]

I was wondering how to tactfully say the horse looked too young, no hat, trainers etc and then i read the comment underneath it was a dealer !!

not to mention too big physio report done when I first got her after initial vet checks were so shocking for a 2 year old god only knows what she had been through but she was so scared of the bit !

 

[Glitterandrainbows]

If anyone is interested in anymore ridiculous things these so called dealers have done there name is “ mark horses” or “lms equestrian”

 

[SDMabel]

If anyone is interested in anymore ridiculous things these so called dealers have done there name is “ mark horses” or “lms equestrian”

I'm just moseying at their Facebook now... how awful

 

[Glitterandrainbows]

I'm just moseying at their Facebook now... how awful

They blocked me so I wasn’t sure if they were still selling

 

[Glitterandrainbows]

Deleted

 

[horsimous]

I bought one that had been cut late (around 5) and was very under weight. A lot of aggression, anxiety and awful behaviours surfaced in the spring. I sold him with full disclosure of the issues to someone with a lot of experience with rigs and a suitable set up.