Debate - jumping a cob?

Sanolly

Sanolly

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I am not saying that cobs can't jump - I have one that has loose jumped over 3'6-3'9! I am thinking more about damage to their joints, are their joints more sturdy and able to cope with the extra strain of jumping? Or should you only jump cobs sporadically as they were originally bred for harness work - ie slow and steady?

Discuss!
 
It wouldn't even occurr to me that a cob could damage themselves jumping - think of the working cobs who jump a very decent course at county level or the hunting cobs..
 
Well I've jumped mine for 12 years now and has never been lame or had any joint problems. He's now 16. He did 3'6'' showjumping and 3'3'' xc when we were younger and out hunting jumps whatever everyone else is jumping.
Having said that being a leg at each corner sought of horse (14.3hh/15hh) he has never had studs in (and never gone over) I believe that this has a BIG impact on joints. (Didn't used to but when I got my rugby boots with studs in and started training my knees and ankles swelled up with the twisting.)

I think provided that the cob is not a fat cob and you can feel his ribs ect. like any horse. (firm believer that a cob is not an excuse for a fat horse they need the bone to support their body) then obvs same with all horses about leg care not jumping on hard hard ground and the like but, (I promise to get to the point in a mo) having met alot of horses and ponies I am yet to meet a cob who has had joint issues unless they are just plain fat!
 
My friend has a Cylesdale x Conny and he has jumped Pre Novice XC and does well, always clear, but never fast enough to get placed.
He has done 130 in a chase me Charlie, he is a heavy weight cob of 15.1hh and big feathered.
He isn't jumped much however, because she is concerned about the weight coming down on his joints and feet.

So i think it is fine jumping cobs but not day in day out, much like anyother horse really.
There joints are designed to carry there own weight on a day to day basis like other horses. But it's not good for any human or horse to spend the whole time jumping ever day, show jumpers don't jump every day and most of the top horses have been bred to do that job. :D
 
My little cob's a grade A and has beaten some v. posh horses in his day and has never had any lameness or joint problems. He's now 21 and still jumping small opens - helps pay for the diesel!
 
HappyHorses:) said:
^I would love to see some pictures! ^ :)
Click to expand...


Here, I hope, are some pix.

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Sister's heavyweight cob jumps the same XC fences as me and Pidge :D He isn't built to cope with a whole course at that height but is more than capable of jumping individual fences.
Wouldn't have thought the impact on their joints would have been any different to another horse as although Pidge is an ISH he weighs in at a hefty 640kg but he certainly isn't fat :p
 
Recently had this debate with my instructors.
My boy is 16hh heavyweight cob, we've jumped 1m courses recently, one instructor pointed out to me that if he didn't have his 'personality' he would never jump like he does.
The other pointed out that if you watch him jump 95cm+ he struggles a little as its more effort for him to get his shoulders up, so ideally I should keep him at 80-90cm where he finds it much easier.
1st instructor disagrees and thinks his limit should be about 1m... I feel he jumps his best at about 95cm -1m...

1st instructor had her elderly cob (25) pts last year as he had jumped 4ft from about the age of 7 - 17 and poor boy could no longer get up from rolling or lie downs, which she believes was from his jumping :(

It'll be a while till hes fit enough to jump again though so am just going to see how he goes, but I think I agree that it puts more strain on their joints, as majority of cobs are built on the forehand so its much harder for them to get their shoulders up....
 
Dunno if mine is a 'cob' as such (he's TB x Conn but has connie legs!) and he has been jumped since a 4 yo (when I look back maybe he should have had a reak back then!) and I jumped him up to NC, did open HTs on him etc etc. He is now 19 and, although we have had some jumping gliches I may say he still gets very excited about jumping at home and still loves his xc. I had him 2 stage vetted a year or so ago to add vets fees to his insurance and the vet did not find anything wrong with his legs. He has very large pasterns as far as I am concerned but he's always been like that - bone not swelling - and i don wonder if this helps him as they're soo substantial!
 
My mare was a a lw cob that was in the riding school from the age of about 4, was hammered out hacking and when they reaslised she would jump she did 2 jump lessons sat and sun. When i got her i limited the people who rode her for a year while i finished school and she was only used in the rs on sat. After a while she became lame with bad shoeing, i moved her to diy, she came sound and i never had a prob with soundness. She was pts at 19 due to colic enduced bast stangles, she did however start to show stiffness in one hock when she was about 17 so i easied off the competing. She was a rc allrounder, competed aff sj to 1.10m and would school over 1.20m without a prob.
I was carefull with the ground i jumped her on as i would be with any other horse, i dont think they should jump less because its a cob. Each horse is different and i managed mine to what suited her so i never had any problems with soundness. Some horses are more likely to break down than others, its how we manage them that makes the difference.
 
Mine is a hw cob and I jump him as and when I want to , I do not jump him on hard ground or slippy ground or over jump him , but I don't treat him any different because of his build :) If he were not to jump again for him he would not be happy about that at all and would most definitely let me know
 
Wow so many interesting replies! My boy loves his jumping and actually gets quite wizzy, but I remember one woman giving me hell at a show for jumping him. She was saying that he would have major arthritis by the time he was 18 because I was "forcing him to jump", and that they should be hackers/dressage horses only.
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I know the position is crap in the second one but I didn't think he was going to jump it (t'was very scary don't you know!)
 
My HW loves to jump, I'm not up to his standard so we stay as little as possible but he has jumped 95cm with a younger much more able rider on his back!! Speed he doesn't have so won't ever make a pro but we have fun playing! He loves XC and is brave enough to try anything. I do though add rosehips to his feed to help his joints, he's only 9 now but I like to use something early on to avoid having to use stronger drugs later.
 
Bob Le Cob, absolutly amazing little horse really caught my eye at hickstead :)

I think they can as long as they are fit like any other horse I hate seeing over weight horses jumping as it looks like their really struggling cob or no cob.
 
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