Fat Show Cob

No - why does everyone assume that show conditon means fat?!

It means fit and muscley, and yes they are of course going to be more covered than eventers and showjumpers - they don't need to be as fit as them.

For the record - I HaTe fat show horses, and FMM's horses are defo not fat.
 
I got told once that my horse was too fit and lean to win a small hunter class! - Is that right or wrong?? Judges should change their ways for the health of the horse - they have to 'look' right - from all angles!! But, these showing 'dudes' are set in their ways, it won't change, not for a while anyway, so we should live with it, the results anyway. Maybe all the fat on the horse gave the judge the perfect 'armchair' ride??
 
QR -

Disclaimer: Haven't seen the picture yet and this response is not aimed at anyone
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However - I have a real heavyweight cob. We don't go showing so I don't have a 'when I was in the ring' story BUT....

I get very fed up of those people who call him fat.

Yes, he has a crest
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(it doesn't wobble)
Yes, he has an 'apple' bum with a noticeable gutter
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(that doesn't wobble either!)
Yes, he has 'noticable' chest muscles
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However:

You can see his last few ribs and feel the rest easily.
He competes at aff dressage and regularly is placed
He can hack for hours without getting breathless
He is schooled - hard - three times a week, lunged once and hacked twice.

He was cut late, has very short legs, a very deep girth and a humongous shoulder and neck (even without the crest) and my vets have always been happy with his weight.

He HAS to be managed in the summer or starts to get over-covered on his ribs.

All that said he is not and will never ever ever be the same shape as a thoroughbred. He is a cob - designed to carry the weight of a fat farmer all day on the aforementioned short, big-boned little legs.



*and breathe Three, and breathe....*
 
[ QUOTE ]
QR -

Disclaimer: Haven't seen the picture yet and this response is not aimed at anyone
grin.gif


However - I have a real heavyweight cob. We don't go showing so I don't have a 'when I was in the ring' story BUT....

I get very fed up of those people who call him fat.

Yes, he has a crest
shocked.gif
(it doesn't wobble)
Yes, he has an 'apple' bum with a noticeable gutter
blush.gif
(that doesn't wobble either!)
Yes, he has 'noticable' chest muscles
ooo.gif


However:

You can see his last few ribs and feel the rest easily.
He competes at aff dressage and regularly is placed
He can hack for hours without getting breathless
He is schooled - hard - three times a week, lunged once and hacked twice.

He was cut late, has very short legs, a very deep girth and a humongous shoulder and neck (even without the crest) and my vets have always been happy with his weight.

He HAS to be managed in the summer or starts to get over-covered on his ribs.

All that said he is not and will never ever ever be the same shape as a thoroughbred. He is a cob - designed to carry the weight of a fat farmer all day on the aforementioned short, big-boned little legs.



*and breathe Three, and breathe....*

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I agree with you- I have 2 cobs, One welsh D who is a proper old fashioned stamp of a cob, and one show cob type, both are very deep girthed, the gelding was cut late so has an enormus neck - muscle not fat! Yet people with TB types always mention the weight - how would they like it if I said to them that their horses were too thin?????
 
Thank you lilym - at least I'm not alone!

I have a knife-blade narrow arab - no chest, no width but then he's not meant to have.

I just wish people wouldn't assume that 'cob' means 'fat' - some are.... but so are some TBs!
 
I don't think this post was meant as a personal insult to EVERY cob owner in the country, but to that particular photogragh.

I too keep natives that need to be rationed when required.

I also have a TB ex racer that has the leanness problem.

That picture in yesterdays HHO was the first page that flipped open and my thought was 'OMG'.
 
I have H&H and have seen the photo and tbh it does look fat. Don't know if it is in real life but in the that particular photo it looks obese.......
 
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I don't think this post was meant as a personal insult to EVERY cob owner in the country, but to that particular photogragh.

I too keep natives that need to be rationed when required.

I also have a TB ex racer that has the leanness problem.

That picture in yesterdays HHO was the first page that flipped open and my thought was 'OMG'.

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Yes I am with you, this clearly wasn't a dig at cob owners, I am a cob owner, and my cob can get fat, she is deep girthed a broad chested and can easily look large.

This post is about fat cobs not healthy cobs who are well built.
I have not seen the photo but I see too many fat cobs, yes fat, not just a well built cob, there is no doubt that often judges and others think a cob is to slim, but it is just lean and well muscled. Makes me very angry to see fat horses/ponies, not just cobs, it just isnt healthy and does untold damage!!
 
I was at HOYS and watched both the cob classes. There were some which were clearly too fat and it showed in their movement, and they weren't placed. The Keystone Cob looked fab and definetly not too fat. Solid yes but fat no!

I've also bought an ex-HOYS cob who was a total weeble and a even though I got him back in shape, too late for his poor old knee.
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My maxi cob is nicely covered but will never be a stick insect, but I have to manage him very carefully as well. We're off Arena Eventing tomorrow.
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I didn't take the post as an insult to cob owners - and I haven't seen the pic in question.

But this sort of post comes up so regularly about cobs that I felt it was opportune to point out that cobs are a different shape.

I can't tell you the number of times I've bitten my tongue (or sat on my hands) when someone on here posts about seeing 'fat horses with crests and apple bums'.

Probably should've done so again but I've had a bad day..............
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I was reading H&H tonight and my reaction too was "My word that horse looks obese!" But I saw her riding the Humdinger at HOYS this year so I KNOW that she doesn't have her cobs fat - it's just a very unfortunate photo. Maybe we should direct our vitriol to the man we can see in the video taking photos as he it is who has evidently produced that unflattering shot!
 
I was wondering if that photo would have been commented on - part of the reason for me having a look on here tonight - as both the OH and I commented on how obese the Keystone Cob looked in the photo.

I'll take other HHo users kidding that he isn't that fat...a very unfortunate photo, but I have to say, I didn't immediately think 'oh, typical overweight cob', but 'oh, typical overweight show horse'!!. No cob-ism going on here!
 
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It's ok, I own a cob that most people think is too LEAN! Us cob owners can't win.

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Yes, so many people have commented on my girl looking lean in the last year, she used to be chunkier, but after the revelation of her pedal bone rotation we are more careful than ever.
Its hard, people think your horse looks too lean, but I would rather my girl is alive and well and slim then pts

Personally i think better to be lean than fat too.
 
I think it is just an unflattering photo, probably chosen to reflect the joy in Jaynes face (although he is still very handsome!).

If you look at the other photos and videos, you will see that he is not obese. He is how a HW cob should be. You can have a look at the photographers website from HOYS and see all the different show horses if you so wish, make an informed decision (it's The Event Photographer for anyone who is interested.)
 
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I didn't immediately think 'oh, typical overweight cob', but 'oh, typical overweight show horse'!!. No cob-ism going on here!

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That's exactly what I thought.......
 
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I'm not 'getting out of my pram'. Just offering my opinion thats all.

They are a highly succesful team and have had some outstanding achievements this year.

Doesn't mean to say that that particular picture makes that cob look overweight though......
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Wasnt aimed at you at all Cazza525
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Oh ok.....

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It's ok, it was aimed at me...for some reason
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EVERYBODY CHILL! Breathe, caaaaaaaaaaaaaaalm.
In the photo on the link the horse just looks solid and muscly however some angles can be deceptive and make a horse appear to be fat. I have never shown ever but I was under the impression show cobs were supposed to be (this is what some old lady told me when I was about eight) "Fighting fit and just a bit fat" ie. in good condition, fit with a little covering of fat. I may be wrong, mistaken or mad and don't pretend to know anything about showing!
 
H+H hate showing anyway. I have no doubt that they think it is simply an annoying extra where the horses are all overweight, mistreated and it's boring. The Editor seems to like having a dig at it, most shows get no coverage and if the Editor had her way, the entire thing would be devoted to dressage, eventing and showjumping anyway. So they probably chose an unflattering photo just to p*ss off the showing people even more.
Doesn't matter if that one photo was unflattering or not to me though - he is a beautiful horse, a perfect example of his type and very well ridden and produced. And certainly not obese.
 
Having looked at other pics, it does seem like this is just a very unflattering photo. Funny though, I thought black was meant to make you look slimmer!
 
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I own a cob that most people think is too LEAN! Us cob owners can't win.

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Ditto. I have had various cobs and do sometimes get little comments on their weight - because they're NOT fat.

I don't get this beleif that because it's fit it can't be fat. Almost all show horses I've seem, esp at the higher levels, are overweight. Yes, they are fit and well muscled too, but they are still carrying a high percentage of fat. Except people call it 'show condition', which makes it acceptable.
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The 'they're obviously not going to be as lean as eventers' comments don't make sense. Either the eventers are too thin and therefore show horses are the correct 'covering' (fat) or eventers are a healthy weight and show horses are fat. The insinuation that show horses are too 'conditioned' (i.e fat) to go eventing suggests the latter. The fact they are doing a different disapine doesn't have any bearing on whether the their conditon is healthy or not.
 
Clearly if the horse looks very fat in one photo and not particularly fat in another then the angle of the photo is to blame and there is absolutely no basis for deciding that he is or is not fat- the evidence is equally balanced and there is no logical conclusion one way or the other............sorted
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