Cobs that do dressage!

JoBo

JoBo

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Right I may be getting a bit above myself here considering Blacks has only done a W/T test, but I was just wondering what people views are on cobs that do dressage?
What is the highest level you have known a cob to compete at?
What level do you think that an everyday cob (that has reasonable movement) could get too?

Just wondering as I know there are a few cobs on here that do very well with their dressage!
 
Mine isn't strictly a cob (shire x clydesdale carthorse) and I've only took her out twice this year at prelim level.
She got third and qualified for Derby house championships at her first attempt, and won (out of 19!) at her second at a RC comp.
She's working at elementary level for most things at home, and next year I'm planning to do novice, and fingers crossed elementary.

Any horse can do dressage and get to elementary level with the correct training, after that it starts to get harder to compete against the more traditional dressage types.

I say go for it, we need to see more cobby types competing!
 
I think a cob should be able to do elementary, although I personally struggle with all the flowing hair going round a dressage arena - I think a smart 'sporty' looking cob gives a better impression than a traditional hairy one, but I do know that many people will disagree with me!
 
YES ME! Your stay away from our Blacks with those clippers misses! I just know you are desperate to get rid of all that feather and mane but I think he looks cute!
 
Was at a dressage show on sunday and there was quite a lot of heavy cobs at it, they didnt have a huge flowing mane, but their plaits were doubled up along the neck, the feathers were still there and some of them did brilliantly!

IMHO i thought it was more magical seeing a cob doing the dressage than the tbs
 
I look a state when I compete - she has got very hairy legs, but they get very scabby if we leave the feathers on. She won't let us clip them, so every fortnight they get cut off with scissors - giving her Nora Batty style stockings! My instructor hates it!
Her tail has never been pulled, and I don't plait her, but her mane is shortish, and flops all over the place
Thankfully dressage is one of the few areas that you can compete on an equal footing regardless of your horse's outward appearance.
 
I think you can do dressage on any horse as long as it is schooled correctly. Some cobs move incredibly gracefully, adminttedly some others look like they should be pulling a cart. Surely it is the taking part that counts?
 
I'm ALL FOR IT!!

The More Hairy's out there competing, the better!!

here's Bob being schooled....and he also does some fab lateral work.


I think they look amazing when they move well, all the mane and feather really accentuates it i think!

bob_school.jpg

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well bloss is a norman cob (with a little bit of tb!) and shes happily winning at elementary and consistently gets 64% plus at elementary.

- shes been on the RC team two years runing
- 2nd at winter championships 2006
- halfway in BRYDs National Championships 2006 (elementary)
- qualfied elementary winter regionals 2006 in first two winter outings
- always placed out
- 70%+ in last two novice outings (including area festival)
- petplan area festivals prelim/novice 2005
- petplan area festivals novice open/elementary 2006

the list goes on to be honest!!

she'l be doing her first medium shortly aswell
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ETS - ive beaten some well known riders on her recently in elementary classes too and she has won the open and restricted sections in elementary a few times aswel
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Aww..thanks...

I am a BIG admirer of Blackies, and hope you don't sell him!!

Well, I'm still working up the Courage to get out there and do a test!
Unfortunately i can't get his canter work to go quite as nicely as his Walk/trot, and I cant find any tests around here that do just that!

However, By the New Year, I'm sure we'll have cracked it!

Speak to Kat B on this post...he's her baby and she taught him everything!
Luckily, I loan him, and he has taught me loads!
 
got a 9 for her free walk in my novice affliated the other day too
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im a very pround mummy, can you tell??!!

her sharer is now on the school dressage team and PC dressage team with her too
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I have a friend who had a rescued gypsy cob, and she has competed at Novice unaff level with ease - could go far better but her mummy's not interested! Qualifying her for numerous cross country comps against all the TB's is far more fun according to her......
 
One of the horses placed in the National DB championships Restricted Elementary was a coloured cob, her name was Sally something. Not my thing, but did a lovely accurate test and well deserved the place.
 
Well you know the cob I have
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She's only done 2 dressage tests, both prelims and she won them both! And thats with me on top! Although she isn't hairy anymore
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she does have a typical cobby movement but the judges seem to love it! TGM's pic is prob the best flat work one I have:
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There are quite a few highlands out competing affiliated around me... there was also a Welsh Cob schooled to PSG level for sale on Horsequest not so long ago (might still be there).

I'll be out competing soonish on my Andy - he's not a cob but he does have the long flowing mane and tail, which I most definitely will not be plaiting.

I think a talented cob can be schooled up to any level, they may never score the highest percentages because of the warmblood biase but they can perform submissive, accurate tests and I'd love to see more out there doing affiliated.
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Blackie is lovely btw
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I have been reading this thread with interest as my Welshie and I hope to make some (very tentative) steps towards doing our first dressage test next year. Lets hope we do as well as you and Blackie!
 
There are several cobs doing novice/elementary around here very successfully - thats unaffiliated because I don't go to the affilated to see whether there are any, but I bet they are!
Re the flowing manes etc...maybe it was a fluke, but my arab has a long mane and unpulled tail, and I never usually plait because I'm lazy! But the other day I did a running plait along the top of his neck and plaited his tail etc....and we scored considerably higher than usual...ie high 60s when we usually get about 60%. Maybe he is just improving, but I do think there is a bias towards the 'plaited and pulled' types, and he looked more like that with his mane tidied away. Going again this weekend so will try again and see...
 
Most cobs have great rhythm and score well when well schooled and working in an outline, and, as I’ve found, out they can beat an Intermediate event horse with an accurately ridden test!
They do however look much better with the hair off - especially off the legs as it makes them look ‘lighter’ off the ground
Some judges just wont like them - but a good judge will mark what they see and if you ride a consistent, accurate test you're half way there! Good luck!
 
my best mate is doing very well at dressge at the mo and is going out with KatieJaye a bit.

Here she is doing dressage at patchetts

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I'm riding a lovely cobby at the moment - would love to take her out and do some dressage - she can extend, collect, do some lateral stuff and just loves to work!

If they are willing and have good paces, it doesn't matter what breed they are in my opinion.

I think that a lot of cobby types just dont have the paces for dressage, and thats why you don't see them out as much. But the ones that do stand out like shining stars at the competitions as people don't expect them to look that fantastic!

I say go for it!
 
Cobs are F***ing brillant at it!! Once they get moving and can go really well! I broke a cob other year shes now doing dressage and doing really well always a winner!!

I did freestyle dressage to music on a hairy cob too "i got a band new combine havester"-was un-bet-able!!
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Well then, Wayward Wesley is competing medium (and doing very well too), I also saw a large (17h) coloured cob at Addington once - doing Advanced Medium, can't remember his name now - both these horse are very free moving though.
 
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