Cob Mentalities?

C

CeeandBarney

New User
Joined
29 November 2012
Messages
7
Visit site
So, I've recently had someone tell me that my way of viewing cobs was wrong, and if I were a trainer, I'd get nowhere with them.

I've always been of the understanding cobs have different mentalities, and this has worked with my own cob and the young cobs I've been working with.

My knowledge is

Cobs think differently to more sportier horses - they're thick and strong and when confused will either stop or tank. They can take a while to learn things, need a lot of repetition and sometimes need time to think about things before they can actually do them.
A cob who has been broken and brought on properly usually has no problems, because their basic training is all there and it's all done correctly.
A cob who has been broken and brought on badly can cause all sorts of problems, and will often end up confused, has learnt to work against the rider, and it can take a long time to get things out of its head.
Stupider cobs sometimes get stuck on certain things, like leads or once they are taught something, they can't be 'un-taught' it.

Now, my question is, is there such a thing as a 'cob mentality'?
Do cobs genuinely think differently to your common pony or sport horse?

I've ridden recently my own horse, young cobs, and an ISH, and honestly, the ISH was hugely different to the cobs, he was a quicker thinker, if he didn't want to do something, he would protest, and he generally was of less of a 'willing' nature.
I've ridden mostly cobs for the past few years, and had results using my 'cobs are not smart' way of thinking.
That is my experience to back up this 'theory', more than anything.
I do remember an article in a horse magazine (cannot recall which one) about how to train a cob for dressage, that spoke about cobs being slower and different thinkers.

Just thought this would be interesting, anyway.
 
Mine is far from stupid.
She knows exactly what she wants to do (eat and do no work) and exactly how to try and make that happen!!
When at a livery with a school we started lessons and within a few lessons she was doing halt to canter transitions/generally listening and working really nicely.
When out hacking she will very much try to use her weight against me, often trying to tank if she doesnt like something, or napping to go home.
I find the only way to get through to her is to TELL her to do something, no fussing around "asking" or having a debate about it...I tell her where she's going and at what pace, else she will simply do what she likes. Yes she has tantrums and throws herself around sometimes, but on a good day Shes the best :D
 
I think you've opened a hornets nest here !:D
I have to say my experience has been the opposite - the irish cobs I've experienced can be stubborn but generally very quick learners - I often think of them as the 'collies' of the equine world !

Warm bloods aren't dubbed 'dumb bloods ' for nothing :o runs away to hide :D
 
Flicker51 said:
I think you've opened a hornets nest here !:D
I have to say my experience has been the opposite - the irish cobs I've experienced can be stubborn but generally very quick learners - I often think of them as the 'collies' of the equine world !

Warm bloods aren't dubbed 'dumb bloods ' for nothing :o runs away to hide :D
Click to expand...

I have to agree, this is going to bring some "vibrant comments"!!!

I haven't ever had much to do with cobs (always has arabs for endurancing), apart from a couple of Welsh D's in the past, until 18 months ago when I bought my Romany bred Gypsy Vanner Cob. My vanner is very quick, bright, and like a sponge when it comes to learning - I've been amazed by him, and so has my instructor (who has her own warmblood and TB). He is not the thick Irish carthorse we both were expecting!!! But a willing and enthusiastic pupil!!:D:D:D

I don't think you can make such a sweeping generalism myself, surely each and every one of them is going to be different? Or is that too simplistic?
 
Far from that I have two cobs a gypsy cob and a welsh d, both highly intelligent and very quick learners, I think it's the same for any breed thou, some are very intelligent, some are very dumb, although in general I think horses are very intelligent animals. X
 
I do own a cob myself and he's too clever for his own good, and the baby I am helping bring on has a love of learning and willing nature, he picks things up very quickly.

However, I've found that he's in a totally different frame of mind to some of the young sportier types I've ridden.

So, I think my question would be better put as do cobs think differently to sportier types?

I've found the cob that I own to be smarter when it comes to dumping people off and getting out of work than the sportier types, but he hasn't been broken or brought on well, and launching himself at jumps and slowing down has taken nearly a year to get some sort of change out of him. We had to change his bit because it was just getting dangerous as he would charge through a snaffle, and he's in a gag now. Much prefer not having to saw at his mouth to get him to stop, I must say.
 
I don't think it's particularly related to type - I've come across horses with all sorts of levels of intelligence and helpfulness, but it doesn't relate to breed or type. Where it appears to, I think that's probably more to do with the way that breed or type is often handled - so nurture rather than nature.

Sportier types may well be started differently or with a different mindset from the human that cobs are, which is why you might see certain similarities, but I don't think you can generalise purely on the basis of type or breed.
 
Ooo eerr.
I have a cob she is intelligent and very quick learner. She can be sharp and sometimes thinks her "way" is best ;)

In every horse they all differ in how
Intelligent they are same as people :) all indivuals (sorry cant think how spell it having a daft moment but you get the gist :D)w
 
I really dislike the whole 'dismiss and stereotype the whole breed'. My cob is extremely sensitive, a quick learner, madly affectionate and can be a right little swine.

I wouldn't say all warm bloods are stupid (mine wasn't) or that all TBs are flighty injury prone lunatics, even though my loan girl was!
 
Cahill said:
no horse is dumb :(

we may be dumb in not getting our messages across
Click to expand...

I like this!

OP I think you're very wrong. My boy is welsh c crossed coloured cob and he is far from dumb. He is probably the smartest or one of the smartest horses I've ever met. Training wise- he loves to learn knew things and gets bored doing same thing. He is very quick to learn.
 
My cob has an IQ off the scale. It also does DIY, is an escape artist, a thief and a walking demolition expert.

It learns very quickly and retains whatever it has learnt both good and bad !

I think you have to remember cobs are types and as such can have a variety of breeds in them. I had a delightful Welsh D for 28 years, he was kind and genuine but no where near as intelligent or quick witted at my current hienz 57 cob is.
 
Hmm, cob bashing time .....................

Well, mine is a clever little spark, even at nearly 20 years old. He knows exactly what he wants and will use all means to get it. In my dressage days he was quick to learn, and he has never used his strength against me while riding. On the ground is a differenet matter. A previous owner allowed him to learn his own strength and I have had some problems there, but nothing the 'naughty stick' waved in front of him wont cure.

To be fair, this is pretty boring. Every horse is an individual and its how we deal with them that matters. Its like saying all russians are vodka swilling cossack dancers, all frenchmen are letchs, all italians pinch bums, all irish are thick, and all scotsmen have red hair and wear kils. Bloody stupid stereotypes and OP you will have probably opened up an real dragons next now.

Bored, yawn, now off to read rest of forum.
 
also shetland mentalities ...... people jumping on and off them for fun and dragging them around and feeding tip-bits.....no wonder a lot of people say they are grumps.
 
I am an identical twin :)

When given new things to learn, if we didn't get it, my sister would have a flounce and give up, I would plug away until I got there. You could argue as we were of the same breeding we should have the same reactions to learning.

Surely horses are the same, it makes no different what breed/build they are.

* I am not anthromorphosising here, I am just making an analogy :D *
 
I do have a cob myself, who is smart.
I have ridden cobs for the past few years, and love them.

It is more how they learn, not if they are clever or not.
I know exactly how clever they are, because mine keeps reminding me!

I have found through my own experience that they do learn differently, and I did read an article by Omar Rabia about cobs have different mentalities - they can do the same things as sportier types, but have to be taught in a different way due to having different brains/thought process.

I was just wondering if anyone else had heard anything similar?
 
I agree with OP here - I think that the majority of cobs in my experience do think slightly differently - and they are built differently. I think that Omar Rashid (I think that's his name anyway!) has hit the nail on the head in his book 'Cobs Can'. They don't have to be stupid or slow, but some training techniques just aren't as effective...eg lots of long and low work can just make them more on the forehand since they are generally built that way to start with.

I think they are generally more patient and forgiving and tend to stop or ignore you if they don't like/don't understand the question rather than having a tantrum about it - exactly why I got mine! I know there are exceptions to every stereotype, but cobs have been bred a certain way, and it shows in their way of thinking - patient and food oriented! :D
 
This is very different to what you posted on PB.

On PB, you've been telling us that cobs are thick. No, the way the rider gives the aids. What's that saying?

You confuse me because you have such different views on things, like what a good rider is, what a nice horse is, and the way that cobs are o.O

Cobs are horses.
 
And as for Barney, Cee, some of the things you say are 'stupid' is just him taking the mick out of you.
He's a very clever horse, as you said :)
 
I don't think cobs are more stupid than other horses but they do ( on the whole, taken as a mass) have a different mentality to say TBs or WBs. There is a reason that people who want a quieter life look for a nice sturdy cob. They might be just as naughty, they may learn just as quickly but there is more of a self preservation mentality there I think. I don't hear many stories of cobs rearing over backwards or throwing themselves under lorries or that sort of thing. Perhaps they do and I just don't hear of it.

Not cob bashing at all. If there is a difference it is all to the good I would suggest :)
 
I do think cobs think differently to the hot blooded horses. The expression, still waters run deep seems to apply to them. There's a lot going on under that shaggy forelock and behind those huge brown eyes. They say little, put up with a lot and plan ahead. They like things to make sense before they apply themselves so any stubborness or seeming stupidity is more likely due to a failure on the trainers part.

The times when the 'safe' cob tanks off home is probably the fault of the rider. If the rider does not give confidence as a leader, then it makes sense for them to take the role and take charge. When they throw a paddy in the school, its because they have been pushed to the point where they have to shout to get the message across.

Wisdom is a characteristic of a quiet and thoughtful personality, cobs have it in abundance.

Warmbloods are pretty intelligent too but with a different way of looking at the world.

I've yet to meet a stupid horse but I have often met stupid owners.
 
horserider said:
I do think cobs think differently to the hot blooded horses. The expression, still waters run deep seems to apply to them. There's a lot going on under that shaggy forelock and behind those huge brown eyes. They say little, put up with a lot and plan ahead. They like things to make sense before they apply themselves so any stubborness or seeming stupidity is more likely due to a failure on the trainers part.

The times when the 'safe' cob tanks off home is probably the fault of the rider. If the rider does not give confidence as a leader, then it makes sense for them to take the role and take charge. When they throw a paddy in the school, its because they have been pushed to the point where they have to shout to get the message across.

Wisdom is a characteristic of a quiet and thoughtful personality, cobs have it in abundance.

Warmbloods are pretty intelligent too but with a different way of looking at the world.

I've yet to meet a stupid horse but I have often met stupid owners.
Click to expand...


Ah. You've said what I was trying to say much better than I had managed to. Thank you for that :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top