Fat cob to event horse: P's journey

snooples said:
Unfortnately the horse market in Ireland is very bad so I think we will be lucky to sell him. If I told people the price we are hoping to get for him I think most people would faint, given the prices I see horses going for in the UK!
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Oh my goodness so true. I hear people talking about paying 2k min for an ordinary, no special breeding or breeding at all foal-and I think seriously? And saying stuff like 'If it's that cheap there has to be something wrong with it'. :eek3:

I have seen horses I bred being turned around 4 months after I sold them to England for sale in England again for 3 times min the price they paid me for it! People have to make a living but it is putting the breeders out of business, it's gone like farming or milk.

There are people up north, who are trying to cut that out, and sell to england direct for a fair price. They take a commission. I hope it works but I am not so sure!!

On the other hand, he is a type people in Eng seem to want, but you can't give away over here. I have one similar, I am not allowed to sell (the father has him for driving-I hope to god no one realises I have any connection to IT :tongue3:) - I'd have to pay the factory to take him!

ETA: the lack of posing for pics is his residual cobbiness. It will hopefully resovlve once he develops into a decent equine :wink3: :tongue3:
 
P had his first day out today! He has only been away from home 3 times in his life so I was anxious to get him used to other horses being around so I just brought him down to a local riding school. He walked into the box no prblem and off we went. His eyes nearly popped out of his head when he arrived and when horses were trotting past him he was mad to go after them but he settled nicley after a while and I was able to walk him on a nice loose rein by then end.

I think he knew he was too good down there so he decided he was going to give us a bit of excitment. We just have an oldish box at the moment no partition and just one long breast bar. As we were just about to take him out when we got home I noticed something odd, hes front feet were over the bar!!! We dont know how he did it, he was just standing there as if it was normal and we didnt hear a thing when driving him back. He will be cross tied extra tight next time I think :eek:

Here he is yesterday saying hello to my other horse
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/94091423@N04/9529255113/] pi by snooples17, on Flickr[/URL]
 
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So big day for us Sunday, Im going to do some dressage. Even though hes still fat as a fool I dont think a dressage test will kill him even at this stage.

So I need some tips!!

Hes barely been outside of home and this is going to be in a huge open field as its going to be a ODE. Any tips for a nervous horse on one of his first days out???

We are obviously very early in the training and have mainly hacked so he is not great for bending, anyone have good exercises to help??


And most importantly of all HOW do I make him look respectable :p


My frend rode him yesterday as I was riding another horse and I snapped a few pics of them after in the arena

[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/94091423@N04/9569620619/] DSC_0247 by snooples17, on Flickr[/URL]

[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/94091423@N04/9572409052/] DSC_0245 by snooples17, on Flickr[/URL]

[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/94091423@N04/9569605441/] DSC_0244 by snooples17, on Flickr[/URL]

[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/94091423@N04/9572389598/] DSC_0242 by snooples17, on Flickr[/URL]
 
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Nice horsey ;) ... Saddle looks to far up his neck .. Gives the wrong picture .. Makes him look short in the neck and long in the back ... Also for low level dressage I would rather she him with a lower looser head carriage ...looks a little stuffy in some of those photos ... But I completely understand he is a work in progress ;) but looks a very sweet horse :)
 
Lambkins said:
Nice horsey ;) ... Saddle looks to far up his neck .. Gives the wrong picture .. Makes him look short in the neck and long in the back ... Also for low level dressage I would rather she him with a lower looser head carriage ...looks a little stuffy in some of those photos ... But I completely understand he is a work in progress ;) but looks a very sweet horse :)
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Thanks will push saddle back a bit so, hes such a big lump of fat its hard to judge ha.

Totally agree about the head carraige, he just automatically holds his head like that but iv been working on getting him stretching on and moving better from behind.
We havent really done any schooling (im well prepared for this test :p ) but im going to do some tomorrow and really get him stretching.

I cant wait till he is fitter and I can do some fast work and make some inroads into the belly!
 
**************** Competition update ****************

So today is my first proper update on how he is going if anyone is interested :p
So there was a ODE down the road from me today so said I would bring him to the dressage. He needs the experience of being around other horses so I thought this would be a great opportunity even though it was a little earlier than I would have preffered but it was so close I couldnt not go!

It was BE test 95, it was riding club so was allowed bring a whip with me. I walked him around for a good while to relax at the start, he was terrifed of some of the cross country fences but that didnt matter for today anyway.
This was my first time riding in a big open field with other horses and he was great besides the almightly buck he put in going into canter during warm up!

His test was very good for his first ever test, lots to work on but that was a given. We got all 6's and 7's to end on a score of 35! ;) Leaving us smack bang in the middle of the 30 entry class not bad for his first day out!!! The judge said there was a lot to lack but needs a bit more oomph at times

So one phase down on his quest to become an eventer two more to go!


I did a running plait which is a bit bunched up when hes not stretching!


[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/94091423@N04/9590437533/]
IMG_1403 by snooples17, on Flickr[/URL]

[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/94091423@N04/9593305782/]
IMG_1411 by snooples17, on Flickr[/URL]


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IMG_1412 by snooples17, on Flickr[/URL]
 
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Im very pleased with the difference in 3 weeks! We still have so much work to do but at least its going in the right direction :)
I want to dehair him so badly but still not allowed!
 
What a pretty boy. I definitely see an improvement already. I agree he's not a cob, he actually looks really sporty.

I have to say, if he was with me, mane and tail would be pulled, and feathers and beard shaved!!! Would look a million times better ;) You should do a before and after photo of the de-fuzz!

ETA: Just read your last post, surely you can convince them somehow! :D He's not a tradi-cob so it seems pointless to leave little whispy feathers! Maybe show them this site: http://www.flaxlion.com/, they're coloured sporthorses and look fab minus long manes etc.
 
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Oh thanks for the link!! il be printing off those pics and shoving it in the owners face going look at how amazing these are!!! Im allowed take his beard off, im happy enough to leave his feathers as hunting season is just around the corner but that mane and tail gotta go!!

I put his first day pic and his halt pic together and the difference is quite substantial!!
Shows what steep hills and being off grass can do for a horse maybe he will turn out to be nearly a tb :p

Wont be anymore P updates now of quite a few weeks until his showjumping debut!!

[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/94091423@N04/9600631507/]
1-***** & picasso by snooples17, on Flickr[/URL]
 
Wow! He looks like a different horse! Looking forward to the next update and hope its as happy as the last and that the owners let you dehair him!!
 
He is definately NOT a cob, ISH definately.

I reckon with those feathers clipped off, his mane pulled and his tail pulled and banged he would look a completely different horse. especially when hes done some work and muscled up too. Little diamond in the rough there I think!
 
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