Cob contact issues

Peg

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New to this site so sorry if in the wrong place. My high milage cob has not had the easiest life, but she’s gone from ploddy riding school pony to responsive to my leg and forward thinking, loving life and her job. However, the only time she takes any sort of contact is when she’s bombing down a bridlepath. In the arena i have to take a contact, and she accepts that but doesnt move into it, just moves forward with her head stuck in her neck. I have the power, her hind legs step underneath her and she lifts her ribcage, she moves off my leg easily but will not stretch out over her neck and back. She has had all the physio work in the world done, is at peak fitness, saddle fitted dental done etc etc. Is not fussy about anything but is also incredibly tolerant.. She is in a hanging cheek snaffle with copper lozenge and i am reluctant to go for anything softer, because when she goes shes gone! She’s my first horse and my only wish is for her to use herself correctly. Any suggestions? (Other than draw reins/bungee instruments, i want her to do this herself)
 

SpeedyPony

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Rather than trying to take a contact, I would be inclined to ask her to work long and low and take up some contact herself. If she's been in a riding school she's probably expecting a fairly leaden hand at the end of the rein, so it will take (a lot of) time for her to learn to trust the rider's hands again. I'd also advise keeping your hands as elastic as possible when she does drop into the contact even a little, so that she can learn that she has more control over the pressure and the rein will move with her, rather than catching her in the mouth with each stride (not saying that's how you ride, but it's likely what she's experienced).
 

Peg

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Rather than trying to take a contact, I would be inclined to ask her to work long and low and take up some contact herself. If she's been in a riding school she's probably expecting a fairly leaden hand at the end of the rein, so it will take (a lot of) time for her to learn to trust the rider's hands again. I'd also advise keeping your hands as elastic as possible when she does drop into the contact even a little, so that she can learn that she has more control over the pressure and the rein will move with her, rather than catching her in the mouth with each stride (not saying that's how you ride, but it's likely what she's experienced).
Thank you! Although she’s happy to walk trot canter on the buckle, stretching down, she goes beach donkey at a shorter rein. My hands are soft but can alway be stabler, so will work on that for sure
 

SpeedyPony

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Thank you! Although she’s happy to walk trot canter on the buckle, stretching down, she goes beach donkey at a shorter rein. My hands are soft but can alway be stabler, so will work on that for sure
It's a good start that she'll reach down and stretch, hopefully she will relax a bit more when collected as time goes on.
Stability is good, but also matching the movement of your hand/arm to her head, so that the pressure remains constant.
 

Kaylum

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Try a different bit without the lozenge they dig into the tongue. Also hanging cheeks don't do much to help. Try a low port comfy myler. These are much nicer for cob mouths. See if anyone on the yard has one you can try.
 
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U.N.Owen

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Don't do long and low with a cob, especially one that doesn't know a contact. All you will get is a cob on the forehand that still doesn't know what a contact is.

Instead you will need to connect the front and back from doing a combination of correct flexion and bend (see Phillipe Karl or similar) and lateral work. Having a good contact yourself will also give him the confidence to work into it
 

Peg

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Don't do long and low with a cob, especially one that doesn't know a contact. All you will get is a cob on the forehand that still doesn't know what a contact is.

Instead you will need to connect the front and back from doing a combination of correct flexion and bend (see Phillipe Karl or similar) and lateral work. Having a good contact yourself will also give him the confidence to work into it
yes definitely agree not often! We’re slowly getting there, one turn on the forehand at a time lol
 

Peg

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Try a different bit without the lozenge they dig into the tongue. Also hanging cheeks don't do much to help. Try a low port comfy myler. These are much nicer for cob mouths. See if anyone on the yard has one you can try.
Eek bit pricey but have been thinking of a change! Is sweet iron a good choice?
 

Highmileagecob

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Bear in mind that cobs have different muscle arrangement (for want of a better word!) and often find it difficult to come into a contact. There is a naturally low head carriage and a lot of power coming through the back and hindquarters. If you watch them in a driving situation, the whole body is generally geared for pulling power.
 

Kaylum

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Eek bit pricey but have been thinking of a change! Is sweet iron a good choice?
Sweet iron has a bitter taste. Some horses like this, some aren't so keen. But it's important to understand the type of bit and the mouthpiece as well as the material.

If you use a sweet iron make sure you dry it after every use. It will oxidise as they are meant to, but make sure you look after it as if not they sometimes get so rusty they start to flake.

Check the size of your bit and that it's not too big or small.

Also check your bridle fits. There is plenty of information around about how to them correctly.
 
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maya2008

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I can only report on my own experience with my cob x trotter.

She arrived with her head up like a giraffe, in a solid plastic loose ring bit, choppy stride and anxiety galore. She’d not enjoyed riding school life one bit.

I got her head down out of the sky fairly quickly - asking her by swinging her head gently into a very very soft hand with accompanying leg. It was mostly a safety issue at that point - she couldn’t see and the bit was doing nothing with her head parallel with the ground! Any hint of a stronger contact and she tensed. It was then out of the sky but she wasn’t working through really well - better but not perfect.

Over the winter we spent a few months on her schooling. I simply asked for her head down (as in, not six feet high like a giraffe but otherwise not wildly bothered where she put it) and worked hard on suppling her - turns and circles and transitions and baby lateral work over and over and over so she built the hind end and it became easier for her. She then began to round properly for me as a consequence of the suppling work and began to reach into the contact provided. It is still light, but now she is more of a presence on the end of the rein and it is all her taking it forward.

We’re in a curved single jointed copper bit - mostly because that is what I had in her size and I wanted something with a joint to help more with the schooling. She’s borrowed other ponies’ bridles on occasion - goes just the same in a French link or a lozenge. We don’t use a noseband.
 

stangs

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yes definitely agree not often! We’re slowly getting there, one turn on the forehand at a time lol
Turn on the forehand, as the name suggests, only puts them on the forehand. You really want to avoid it with downhill breeds like cobs. I’d stick to turns on the haunches if I were you.
 

holly34

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I've had cobs through to warmbloods who I bought and all came with this issue, for a sports horse type I'd say work it long and low until it learns to stretch then take a contact and bring its head up but that only really works if its already balanced-ish and not going on the forehand as others have mentioned
for my cob the most important thing was keeping him forward, but you've got to remember that forward is not the same as fast, especially for cobs they need impulsion whilst trying to stay as uphill as possible but not rushing as that will put her on the forehand
I'd say be as quiet as possible with your hands as you want her to start looking for a contact rather than being forced into one, but if she sticks her head up like a giraffe just widen the hands for a moment and half halt gently until she comes lower again, not into an outline but just encouraging her to stretch down a little
lots of transitions to get her thinking forwards and sitting behind, soft hands and circles (bending the right way around the leg instead of hanging off the reins) and eventually she'll start to accept the contact as muscles build up and she learns that she wont be dragged about by heavy hands anymore
Also another vote for a ported/mullen mouth, all my horses came in losenges and go completely differently in ported bits, i personally use the shires ones but the bit bank (although more expensive) do offer a 30 day trial period
just remember consistency is key, keep working on it and it will come in time, every horse is different, some take weeks some take years but it all ends up being worth it
 
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