Do cobs take longer to mature?

[canteron]

My little cob is rising 5 - successfully backed and now doing a couple of short slow hacks a couple of times a week and maybe a short school session.
The thing is that although I would like to do more with her, and she loves working (she literally hasn’t put a foot wrong) she just still seems a bit of baby to me in body and attitude.
So I am thinking I will put my plans on hold and just make this year a gentle fun year. Even though I see 5 yo cobs working at a much higher level
Am I being too soft - I have had her since a foal so this may cloud my judgement? I
Hope to have her forever!

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

They are slow growing so not physically mature, very often until about 8. If you want her to be sound and long-lived a slow start is the best thing for her, imo.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

http://www.equinestudies.org/ranger_2008/ranger_piece_2008_pdf1.pdf

Page 6 - all horses of all breeds mature skeletally at the same rate.

 

[Antw23uk]

I'd go with your gut instinct. An extra year doing very little in a partnership that has potential for last twenty odd years is a small price to pay. You know your horse, follow your gut

 

[Shysmum]

Shy was fully grown by 8 years old. He went up an inch after 7. Cobs have a lot of bone to lay down.

 

[HorseyTee]

My cob is rising 6 but I'd still so babyish in body and attitude.
All I've done with him is in hand stuff. He's also shot up this last year so was going through a weird scrawny lanky stage and is starting to look a bit more square now.

 

[Littlewills]

Mine was backed by the old owners at 3.5 I think, did nothing really till I got her at 5 then built up slowly and was in relatively hard hacking work by 6. She did very little school work till the winter of her 6th year and even then it wasn't much.

 

[ycbm]

I don't think so. Big drafts can seem slow to mature, all sorts of horses can seem slow. I have one who is six this year who is a lightweight sports type, half harness racer on the mother side, and I still wouldn't work him as much as I would some other 6 year olds, he's very stretchy and not strong enough.
.

 

[Spotherisk]

Bought at five years, Harley went on loan rising six in February and came back to me a year later so riding seven. He had put on over an inch of bone in that year! I’m not sure he grew taller but there was a lot of filling out to be done.

 

[Polos Mum]

I personally don't think any breeds are fast maturing - just some industries / disciplines were people are impatient.

You know her and if you think she should go slower - do just that. Try your best to ignore anyone who suggests otherwise.

The prize for you is still having fun with her in 20 years time. Not picking up a rosette this summer. There's plenty to do to keep her mind active while her body catches up - in hand etc.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

At 5, my cob was as green as grass. I did very little with him for the first year, just got him used to being in a school; being rugged, indoors etc. He didn’t do any jumping in the first year. Go easy, I think it’s worth going slow.

 

[pansymouse]

My friends cob was backed at four or five in Ireland and retired at 12 with arthritis in all four legs - he had done too much too young and it had irreparably damaged him. She bought a unbacked seven year old cob last summer, had her professionally and slowly backed and is now bringing her on. It took her over a year to find a cob that had not been backed under six years old.

 

[Goldenstar]

The unsoundest horses I ever had where both broken late The soundest was racing a two and worked until 26
Its not the work that is the issue it the type and and duration and skill of the rider .
horses age three times faster than humans .
so ,
a three year old horse is similar to a nine year old child
a four year old horse a twelve year old
a five year old 15
six yo equals 18
And so on .
Most elite human athletes have to started in their sport before 18 .

 

[ycbm]

My friends cob was backed at four or five in Ireland and retired at 12 with arthritis in all four legs - he had done too much too young and it had irreparably damaged him. She bought a unbacked seven year old cob last summer, had her professionally and slowly backed and is now bringing her on. It took her over a year to find a cob that had not been backed under six years old.

My friend's horse was born at her place, sat on at 3 then turned away, sat on at 4 then turned away, ridden at 5 gently, never seen a jump, ridden for longer than 40 minutes or done higher level work than Preliminary in his life, and shot at 6 with incurable stifle issues.

Samples of 1, 3 or even 10 are of no help, I'm afraid, they are just anecdotes. We need research on large numbers of all types of young horse before we can say what the right or wrong age for them to start work is. If there even is one. Personally I think it depends on the horse. There are things I will not do with my over-flexible 6 year old this year that I would happily have done with other 4 year olds.

 

[Gloi]

There are many little cobs which get arthritis at a young age but a lot of it is down to bad conformation and breeding from mares retired young unsound.
Make sure the filling out done between 4 & 6 is due to muscle and not from getting fat.