Cob Grooming Tips

[Dyllymoo]

J is a dark bay cob with black mane and tail (hurrah, after owning a grey for years!). I wondered if anyone had any grooming tips really for:

1) His giant bushy tail! Any products for washing and keeping it in good condition, and for in-between washing. I don't tend to brush it much as I am wondered it will damage it but its looking a bit too bushy!

2) His wild mane! I think it was cut underneath with scissors or possibly clippers and is now growing back like a wild thing and lays on both sides of his neck! I'm waiting for it to grow a bit before trying to tidy it up, any tips greatly received!

I cant believe how quickly his mane and tail are growing in all honesty either, my ISH and WB certainly didn't have hair like it!

3) Clipping.... he came to me fully clipped in September (probably to make him look more sports like than cob like). He has a thick coat at the minute, I have had a bib clip done but its growing back already. What are your thoughts on clipping out completely or just seeing how he goes?

I don't have my own clippers and have never clipped so it would be a learning curve for us both if I did (I cant really afford to pay someone to do it every couple of months really if its not a necessity).



Picture of the hairy coblet

 

[staffylover]

Sorry, can't help much with your query but just to say he is beautiful!! If it helps at all, I found clipping much easier than I was expecting it to be. Get an experienced person to give you a lesson in clipping. It's the bits around the elbows that are a bit tricky, but fine when you've been shown how to do it.

 

[Roxylola]

If he isn' getting sweaty when you work clip a bit more off, if not leave it on
Take your time, dont press, let the clippers do the work

 

[L&M]

Clip the whole lot off and hog, rug with a neck cover too - makes life a lot easier! And trim a few inches off the tail - my cob has the top of his tail pulled to keep it tidy for hunting, and regular brushing, with a spray on conditioner, makes it a lot easier to deal with.

I am very jealous as my cob is blue and white........great fun at this time of year!

 

[Dyllymoo]

Thanks all.

I wont ever hog him, I love him with his mane even if its wild!

I might contemplate clipping him the more work he gets in to. See how we go

 

[shortstuff99]

Ooooo I bet if you hogged him and clipped his feathers off he would look very nice indeed. He would look a lot like the horse in my sig.

If you want to keep the mane long brushing through baby oil can help keep the mud off and the mane smooth.

 

[Leo Walker]

Another one for the whole lot off! Hes not really a proper traditional type cob, hes in between. Those types tend to look a lot better clipped, hogged and tail banged off. I suspect you could pull his mane neatly, pull and bang his tail and clip him and he would look ok as well.

 

[AmyMay]

He’s lovely, and what a gorgeous tail.

I’d chop his tail to just below his hocks, wash, condition and spray liberally with Show Sheen. Leave overnight and then comb through the next morning once it’s dry.

I’d pull his mane nice and short.

He’s really smart ?

 

[The-Bookworm]

I don't really use any specific products for mine.
A mane and tail conditioner and I leave both the mane and tail thick and long- but tidy.
You probably have a double mane and it will partly sit on the left anyway, likely to thick to just be on the one side.

I use a mane comb every so often and split into sections so the mane is completely knot free.
I wash both maybe once a year, we don't show and that's adequate.

I will be clipping March as mine is too warm in the summer. Probably an Irish/Chaser clip as that's what mine has September to last all winter.

 

[Frano]

Baby oil on mane and tail and feathers if required . Canter or equivalent mane and tail detangler spray, use with one of those round horse hair brushes. Looks like a large human hair brush. Do not be afraid to brush main and tail regularly. Cut a bit of the bottom of the tail to avoid collecting mud in it . You may need to clip regularly cobs seem to grow more hair very quickly! Do what ever is required to keep your horse comfortable for the level of work you do.
He is a lovely looking cob.

 

[Frano]

I find the best think to remove mud from a thick hairy cob coat is a metal curry comb. Obviously me careful with it do not use on head or boney/sensitive areas.

 

[Dyllymoo]

Thanks all, some great tips. Will try some of those this weekend, I feel like a little pamper session is in order just to tidy him up a bit.

I have some small clippers that I will try and keep on top of his current bib clip with and then possibly take more off.

How often do you have to clip if you take it all off? i'm going to google lots of videos and how to's I think!

 

[pansymouse]

Invest in pig oil! A good coating of pig oil on a freshly groomed mane, tail and feathers will repel mud very effectively and you can probably get away with weekly maintenance top ups thereafter. Don't hog - hairy is best

 

[Hormonal Filly]

Hes very smart! I'd tidy the main with a solo comb and use a solo rake on the sides of his tail at the top to tidy it up, and cut jut below his hocks. I'd clip him out, leaving his legs on and rug. (assuming hes in work although if he isn't in any work leave him as he is)

Make sure you take a after picture, love a after photo! Second pig oil too..

 

[Dyllymoo]

Hes very smart! I'd tidy the main with a solo comb and use a solo rake on the sides of his tail at the top to tidy it up, and cut jut below his hocks. I'd clip him out, leaving his legs on and rug. (assuming hes in work although if he isn't in any work leave him as he is)

Make sure you take a after picture, love a after photo! Second pig oil too..

He is in work, but not a massive amount. Around 2 hours ridden a week, some schooling and plods around the block. I'm upping it as we get more daylight and hope to do a lot more hacking with him as well some weekly schooling. he is only 5 so I'm not in a rush to do too much.

Might take a bit off at a time and see how we go!

 

[Hormonal Filly]

He is in work, but not a massive amount. Around 2 hours ridden a week, some schooling and plods around the block. I'm upping it as we get more daylight and hope to do a lot more hacking with him as well some weekly schooling. he is only 5 so I'm not in a rush to do too much.

Might take a bit off at a time and see how we go!

Ah, hes a lovely chap.
Might be worth investing in a solo comb and rake, makes sorting the main and tail out so much easier. That's what I use on my cobs main and tail as he won't stand it being pulled!

https://www.sologroom.com/product/solocomb/

 

[Dyllymoo]

Ah, hes a lovely chap.
Might be worth investing in a solo comb and rake, makes sorting the main and tail out so much easier. That's what I use on my cobs main and tail as he won't stand it being pulled!

https://www.sologroom.com/product/solocomb/

Thank you. he is such a sweet boy. I definitely had those at one point, probably need to reinvest Will put on my list to get this weekend.

 

[Tirna]

Thanks all, some great tips. Will try some of those this weekend, I feel like a little pamper session is in order just to tidy him up a bit.

I have some small clippers that I will try and keep on top of his current bib clip with and then possibly take more off.

How often do you have to clip if you take it all off? i'm going to google lots of videos and how to's I think!

He's lovely! I have a similar Cob mix type, we tend to get away with a 1st clip around October then one more early January. I go for a blanket clip in Autumn then full clip (leaving saddle patch and legs) in January, but that's just personal preference and suits my boy who is in a medium level of work and tends to get quite sweaty with anything less. I find the magic brushes very useful for removing dried on mud. Best of luck!

 

[blitznbobs]

I have a full hairy and a clipped out cob ... the clipped out, hugged and rugged one is a lot less work (just saying) is much rather clip em and rug em

 

[BeckyFlowers]

He's a lovely chap! If you like his mane then do not use a neck rug as it will probably rub it out. If you are going to clip his neck off I would use a half neck like a Horsewear Wug. My Welsh cob is clipped out (legs and half head on) and lives out 24/7 in a Wug, although he's hogged as well (due to sweet itch rug rubbing his mane off). His mane was unruly and was bushy towards the top and would flap over both sides. It was a blessing when I eventually hogged him, but I appreciate not everyone wants to hog. I cut my horse's tail short at the beginning of the winter to keep it relatively mud-free and then I let it grow throughout the spring and summer. Canter mane and tail is good for detangling and keeping it soft but it is expensive - baby oil does the same sort of job really.

I find with my cob I need to clip him three times - once end of September, again a month later and last time at new year. His coat grows really quickly before Christmas and then really slowly afterwards. I can still see his clip lines in May even though I never clip him after the first few days of January. For really caked on mud I use a shedding blade (on his hairy legs, not on the clipped bits). As Tirna said, magic brushes are great on clipped bits for getting mud off as they are bristly but flexible.

 

[Leo Walker]

I have a full hairy and a clipped out cob ... the clipped out, hugged and rugged one is a lot less work (just saying) is much rather clip em and rug em

Me too! Mud just doesn't stick to short clipped hairs. I do find mine needs doing every 6 weeks or so all year round though!

 

[Fransurrey]

If you're going to clip yourself, invest in some quality clippers. Cob long 'guard' hair is like pig bristles!! I don't like taking the whole leg off as he lives out, so I trim up the legs with scissors, thinning blade and thinning scissors a few times a year, giving him a Welsh Cob effect (he's proper gypsy cob). Mine is looking quite feral at the mo, as it was just too wet to do it for most of December. Top of tail is also tidied with thinning blade and scissors. I trim the tail to about 6 inches below the hock, or he'd step on it (he also found it too heavy to lift and kept pooing down it when I got him!). For conditioner I find the Cowboy Magic detangler serum the best. I buy the really large bottle - it seems eye wateringly expensive, but mine lasts me years. I have a full neck on my boy (white mane!) and it hasn't rubbed his mane at all - it's kept it nice and neat all winter. In the crap weather I plaited his forelock. In hot weather he had a running plait.

 

[Dyllymoo]

Thanks all. He is usually in a 0g Rambo with neck on only if its constant rain. He went out naked at the weekend hence all the mud, he doesn't always look that feral, I promise. I used the magic brushes and they get the mud out really well. He literally comes in like that (at least on his face and neck) EVERY DAY! He is a proper hippo!

I will give him a trim. I think I may end up clipping him out but leaving a saddle patch but again he may be too hot with even just that.

Any recommendations for clippers for that are cob proof!

 

[BeckyFlowers]

Thanks all. He is usually in a 0g Rambo with neck on only if its constant rain. He went out naked at the weekend hence all the mud, he doesn't always look that feral, I promise. I used the magic brushes and they get the mud out really well. He literally comes in like that (at least on his face and neck) EVERY DAY! He is a proper hippo!

I will give him a trim. I think I may end up clipping him out but leaving a saddle patch but again he may be too hot with even just that.

Any recommendations for clippers for that are cob proof!

Nothing wrong with looking how he does, I expect he's happy as Larry about it. I don't leave a saddle patch on my horse and he seems fine, I do use a nice fleecy saddle cloth though. I use Heiniger Handy clippers and they get through most of the yak coat. My clippers are 20 years old and still going strong. I once used some cordless clippers (I think they were called Harmony something-or-other) and they wouldn't cut the coat - I had the blades sharpened and they still didn't work. Not sure if they've improved in the last few years but I wouldn't recommend cordless clippers and would recommend more heavy duty clippers such as the Handys.

 

[Gloi]

I'll say chill and accept he's hairy and muddy, the mane will soon grow and behave better once it's a bit longer.

 

[Dyllymoo]

Nothing wrong with looking how he does, I expect he's happy as Larry about it. I don't leave a saddle patch on my horse and he seems fine, I do use a nice fleecy saddle cloth though. I use Heiniger Handy clippers and they get through most of the yak coat. My clippers are 20 years old and still going strong. I once used some cordless clippers (I think they were called Harmony something-or-other) and they wouldn't cut the coat - I had the blades sharpened and they still didn't work. Not sure if they've improved in the last few years but I wouldn't recommend cordless clippers and would recommend more heavy duty clippers such as the Handys.

He constantly looks happy when he is covered! Ok thank you. May need to save up for those. Might just bite the bullet and ask someone to clip him for summer and then save over the next few months.

 

[Dyllymoo]

I'll say chill and accept he's hairy and muddy, the mane will soon grow and behave better once it's a bit longer.

Ah I'm not stressed about the mud etc. I just want to make sure his mane and tail stay in good condition, I hate the idea that they are disgusting and brittle.

 

[Gloi]

Ah I'm not stressed about the mud etc. I just want to make sure his mane and tail stay in good condition, I hate the idea that they are disgusting and brittle.

I swear by a tiny bit of micronised linseed then

 

[AFB]

Tail - wash it, plait it and put it in a tail bag. Take it out again around 1st May when the mud is gone.

 

[Leandy]

Keep mane and tail well pulled and short (both shorter than now), hairy heels,ears and jaw well trimmed. His tail is too long, I'd keep banged to level with the top of his socks, it will improve the look of his back end and keep it clear of the mud. He doesn't look particularly heavy to me, just hairy, although if he is young he will likely mature some more. I bet he doesn't look so cobby in his summer coat. I would clip according to work not for appearances only, although he would look better currently with a half head and a nice trace clip. That will tidy up a lot of excess hairy bits! I wouldn't hog unless you really want to, that will require too much maintenance and I'm not sure he's got enough neck to carry it off and will look better with a well pulled mane.