Heavier built youngster - maturity/coping with deeper going

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maya2008

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Just wondering. He's our first cob cross, and he has lots of bone and a ton of muscle. Yet... he struggles in a sand school (fine on grass or the flatter, 'bouncier' type school surfaces you can get) and builds fitness slowly. Is that a feature of a heavier set horse? He's 4 now, and comparing him with our other youngster, she seems more mature.
 
You should just go very slowly, they were not built for going round corners. Lots of hacking and if you have a nice paddock practice on a bigger area.
If he gets tired he will start being naughty and sour.
 
He’s ever so sweet. I have been reluctant to ride him in our school as he finds it hard, so we go out to use bigger arenas with a better surface once a week or so, and mostly hack otherwise. When would you start doing more with a heavier set horse? 5yo? 6yo?

In no hurry- we go at his pace, but it would be nice to know (roughly!) what to expect.
 
I wouldn't ride him in an arena at all yet, unless you have to for some reason. He isn't mature yet and won't be until he is about 8, you will need to be very careful with his joints. You could school him on grass being careful not to ask for too tight turns.
 
Its not so much the deeper surface, its the smaller area. The fitter he is the easier he will find work in general. Mines very nearly 6 now and is still filling out and developing. Her canter is rubbish still but the fitter she gets the better its becoming.
 
My cob/ID cross looked quite mature at 4 but did get tired quickly as he wasn't strong. He was very lightly ridden in a big school with a good surface and hacked out two or three times a week. He has been brought on fairly slowly to allow him lots of time to build fitness and strength. He is now 8 and schooled 30-40 minutes on a very good surface two or three times a week, often has one in-hand session, and hacks once or twice a week. He lives out on a hill and the local hacks are also quite steep. He seems to do best with short sessions and two days off each week. Long slow hacks are also fine. He is definitely not built for speed!
 
Celtic Fringe said:
He seems to do best with short sessions and two days off each week. Long slow hacks are also fine. He is definitely not built for speed!
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What do you do with him competitively? Ours is destined for my husband, who wanted something slow and steady for hacking but also likes to get out and do the odd (v low level) competition.
 
maya2008 said:
What do you do with him competitively? Ours is destined for my husband, who wanted something slow and steady for hacking but also likes to get out and do the odd (v low level) competition.
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That was my plan for my cob too - hacking and some low level TREC. He was backed at 4 and we hacked, did a little schooling and in-hand agility. However, I've not been able to ride him for the last two years, since he was 6, due to hip arthritis so he has been with a professional rider and is out successfully competing British Dressage at Medium/Advanced Medium level and is turning into a proper schoolmaster!! I only just got back on yesterday following a hip replacement in April and he immediately went from 'dressage cob' to 'steady eddie' pony and plodded round the school with me in a very steady walk! His professional rider has found that short schooling sessions, hacking and two days off works really well and (touch wood frantically) so far he has kept totally sound. If I'd been able to ride more then we would have done a lot more hacking as I'm totally rubbish in a school but he definitely would not be working up to a nice passage/piaffe and four time changes :)o_O
 
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