Can cobs do dressage?? :))

miss_c said:
trendybraincell also does brilliantly with her Welsh D. :D
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Thanks miss_c :)

Shadwick has done alright in dressage :rolleyes: a lot of it is his attitude, he's really on side and has a lovely attitude towards his work. He's competed up to Elementary but trained to PSG. His canter is what holds him back but it hasn't stopped us learning tempi changes, half pass, working piris etc at home.

I don't mind if we don't get to compete at a higher level because he's surpassed all my expectations plus he's just so much fun to ride, my trainer always has a smile when he rides him.

Here's the Little Donkey in question, being used as a demo horse in summer last year
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I have a full bred welsh cob... all 16.2hh of him! I showjump him, but he has won elementary BD and is schooled to advanced medium with tonnes of potential to go further- he finds it all very easy!
Before I bought him he belonged to my instructor, who was trying to sell him as a dressage horse. Everyone rejected him when they found out what breed he was before even coming to see him! since then these same people have seen him out competing and come up asking about him, we were very smug when we told them that he was in fact the horse they had rejected for being a cob! :D
saying that though, he doesn't look very cobby ;)
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Heard many times over that everything should be capable of doing elem/medium with the right training & attitude. I don't *think* it's just instructors trying to get me to pay for more lessons :p
My instructor/friend's Fell stally was capable of all the main lateral work, started changes & pirouettes, and a bit of spanish walk etc. - and he wasn't even worked that often, they just had a great bond & he'd really try for her :) I wouldn't have considered having a fell until I saw him work with her! I've seen plenty of horses that when you see them stood up, they look like wonky donkeys, but move brilliantly & try hard, so they do well. :)
 
they all look lovely and very talented!! im hoping you are all going to keep updated with your cobs via competition reports!! Its lovely to see the competition reports from eventers during the spring/summer months, but equally it would be lovely to see the fluffies too!!!
 
trendybraincell said:
Thanks miss_c :)

Shadwick has done alright in dressage :rolleyes: a lot of it is his attitude, he's really on side and has a lovely attitude towards his work. He's competed up to Elementary but trained to PSG. His canter is what holds him back but it hasn't stopped us learning tempi changes, half pass, working piris etc at home.

I don't mind if we don't get to compete at a higher level because he's surpassed all my expectations plus he's just so much fun to ride, my trainer always has a smile when he rides him.

Here's the Little Donkey in question, being used as a demo horse in summer last year
319699_10150830479593380_581833379_9972389_632662492_n.jpg
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wow simply stunning is she/he really all cob???
 
pinktiger said:
Worried! Why are you waiting til April!! I think your trainer might have you doing bd way before then!! :)))
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I am just uploading my lesson from today :D no she's not ready, transitions can be messy and I would rather wait and be as competitive as I can be! ;)

Thistle said:
Worried1 there seems to be a lot less of both you and CP these days.
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Thank you, slowly but surely :)
 
Worried 1.. That's a good point don't want to do it unless its totally perfect!!!

Wow I honestly thought some of theses beautiful cobs were crossed!! That's something I have noticed that they are expressive!! I'm so excited I really can't wait to start work!! A couple of questions if that's ok??

1. Do they tighten in the neck and is shortness a massive problem??

2. When trying to lengthen how do we avoid looking or being on the forehand???
 
Please excuse some spelling I'm on an I phone and it likes to check my proof reading abilities by lobbing in odd words!!!
 
pinktiger said:
Worried 1.. That's a good point don't want to do it unless its totally perfect!!!

Wow I honestly thought some of theses beautiful cobs were crossed!! That's something I have noticed that they are expressive!! I'm so excited I really can't wait to start work!! A couple of questions if that's ok??

1. Do they tighten in the neck and is shortness a massive problem??

2. When trying to lengthen how do we avoid looking or being on the forehand???
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Like all horses, they are all individuals :rolleyes: mine will fix & tighten his neck if he's not truly working through from behind. Having such a thick set neck can always present problems but this is as much because I has a bad habit of fixing against him too!
In terms of a short neck we find you can never really ride Shadow too round. I don't mean rolkur, just round. He took a while to learn to stretch from his withers but working him round really helps him to stretch over his back more.

They have to learn to carry the weight behind before they can lengthen and you really achieve that lovely big trot. Transitions, transitions transition are the key, mixed with a bit of shoulder in to help encourage more weight to be taken onto the inside hind leg.
 
I think any horses can be short and tight in the neck, ridden correctly and trained on the right lines then cobs are no more likely to be short and tight in the neck.
However I think there is a tendency for some riders to want to get a horse 'round' and so want to haul them in, this can lead to shortness and tightness and in turn will lead to horse falling onto their shoulder or forehand when asked to lengthen.
Any horse can be trained to engage behind, this in turn will ensure a horse stays balanced so when asked to lengthen they are able to lengthen without a loss of balance which is essentially what running onto the forehand is.
 
Worried1 said:
I think any horses can be short and tight in the neck, ridden correctly and trained on the right lines then cobs are no more likely to be short and tight in the neck.
However I think there is a tendency for some riders to want to get a horse 'round' and so want to haul them in, this can lead to shortness and tightness and in turn will lead to horse falling onto their shoulder or forehand when asked to lengthen.
Any horse can be trained to engage behind, this in turn will ensure a horse stays balanced so when asked to lengthen they are able to lengthen without a loss of balance which is essentially what running onto the forehand is.
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Nicely put Worried1 :) it should certainly never be a case of hauling them in, like you say this will can all to easily lead to them leaning and ending up on the forehand.
 
Ill add to the cobblood lists with the babycob I was starting out last year for the owner... I'm not cob-ish usually but I do enjoy her! She's really a bit too onward bound at times but the judges love her!!

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Canter is erm... Hairy to say the least!! She hasn't quite cracked it, and regularly does quite spectacular airs above the ground :D
 
Almost anything can do dressage to a reasonable level with correct schooling.

But the majority of the pictures prove the point that very few proper hairy cos are good at it. Most shown here aren't the true traditional cob but the leggier, more sporty Welsh types.

The true heavy cobs who do well usually have dedicated skilled riders and exceptional temperament to overcome their lack of natural athletisism.

Having said that, cobs are often EASIER to ride well at lower level dressage because they're more compact, usually very willing and less....... complicated to ride and hold together than the big bouncy waembloody types.
 
Billy rocks! He belongs to a very good friends of mine, I've known him since she first bought him as a 'sell on project' He quickly found a place in her heart and is her horse of a lifetime.

He is qualified for regionals at Medium this year. sadly missed his music qual due to a very serious illness. He is now well on the road to recovery and will be back out and about soon.

At a show recently the neighbouring lorry asked 'what about the companion' and looked at Bill. They were open mouthed when he beat them in the Med!
 
He prepared for the dressage champs by sledging, pulling some friends round the tracks at the yard where he lives.

I'm trying to find the vid, Sam riding him bareback, lungeline round his chest at a decent trot through the snow. Person sat behind on sled holding the line whilst giggling. Got to love a cob!
 
I think he's brill and i never get tired of watching that video. Would love to have seen their faces when he beat them, makes me chuckle when that happens.:)
 
I have to be honest here but A welsh cob and a cob are two different things! I have a welsh cob and we do dressage. In general a welsh cob would find dressage much easier as a propper cob would as they tend to be much lighter. So all of us showing our lovely welsh cob, not really what this treat is about.

Having said that. Yes all horses can do dressage although some heavier horses may find it more difficult. My OH owns a Belgian draft. You could see him as a Belgian cob and he can be very light on his feet!
 
Kikke said:
I have to be honest here but A welsh cob and a cob are two different things! I have a welsh cob and we do dressage. In general a welsh cob would find dressage much easier as a propper cob would as they tend to be much lighter. So all of us showing our lovely welsh cob, not really what this treat is about.

Having said that. Yes all horses can do dressage although some heavier horses may find it more difficult. My OH owns a Belgian draft. You could see him as a Belgian cob and he can be very light on his feet!
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Yeah was wondering if the term cob has changed, welsh cob and cob are not the same. Lots of welsh on here and they are lovely, have a soft spot for the welsh cobs. but the title was can cobs do dressage. They are never going to move like a finebred but i find they are very obliging and usually try try their heart out, and with that, your half way there.
 
Thistle said:
Billy rocks! He belongs to a very good friends of mine, I've known him since she first bought him as a 'sell on project' He quickly found a place in her heart and is her horse of a lifetime.

He is qualified for regionals at Medium this year. sadly missed his music qual due to a very serious illness. He is now well on the road to recovery and will be back out and about soon.

At a show recently the neighbouring lorry asked 'what about the companion' and looked at Bill. They were open mouthed when he beat them in the Med!
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So glad he is on the road to recovery, hope to see more of him on youtube.
Don't think it shows in the link i put up but i saw him the one where he extends towards the exit, on the lap of honour. Loved it
 
There was a pink roan cob named Barollo competing at PSG some years ago, came from Ireland originally. I had a heavyweight hairy guy that would do a decent passage/piaffe but never managed to master the changes; he could do it, but would never have been competitive.
 
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