Heinz 57 no more?

[Cob Life]

I love my Cob! He’s hard work but so rewarding and very intelligent, supposed to be welsh sec c but is 15.2/15.3 ish with LOTS of feather!

He looks super smart when I clip and hog him.

I have absolutely fallen in love with our neighbours 3yo Welsh x something. No idea on breeding but she’s an absolute sweetheart and if she ever needs a home I’m waiting!

 

[Bonnie Allie]

From FOMO to JOMO (joy of missing out). - when I am in the warm up area and I see the big flashy horse clowning around or doing a massive shy, I feel very happy as I trot around on a short striding plain x-breed feeling safe, not jeopardising anyone elses prep or warm up either.

I won’t get the marks the flashy horse will but I am confident I will commence in the arena and finish 6mins later still in the arena, with a reliable and consistent test.

 

[vmac66]

Nope. I look at my Heinz 57 mare and feel so lucky to have her. Wouldn't swap her for the world.

 

[TotalMadgeness]

I had an absolute stunner of a warmblood once. Never again!!!! My current two are a joy in comparison - they both have fantastic temperaments, they stand quietly at any mounting block/gate/stump/pile of MOT Type 1, they load first time, quietly and easily, stand happily for the farrier/vet/dentist, they can go absolutely anywhere without fuss or drama, they stand waiting patiently at the gate for me EVERY single time, when I go to get them I hold the headcollar out and they put their heads in themselves, they don't box walk, have a nervous breakdown when left alone or when someone dares to moves a pole in the arena from one side to another. You name it they've got it. Do they look special? Yes - they both scrub up beautifully and can do a bit of nice dressage but their other attributes make them priceless. One is a registered full connie the other a bit of Irish Draught mixed with god knows what (unregistered).

 

[poiuytrewq]

Not really but I do get it. I like my horse to look as smart as possible, so I try and keep them clean and trimmed up.
I wouldn’t ever let a ridden one get scruffy and I think I’ve been lucky to have always had nice horses (imo!!)
I honestly think a nice mash up can often be smarter than the average TB.

 

[Auslander]

Conversely, I think there's a lot of reverse snobbery about "posh sports horses". I love them, and wouldn't have anything else, and I rather object to the notion that they considered to be a bit useless for doing "fun" stuff on. My horse goes where I want him to go, and does what I want him to do (and lives out 24/7 all year round!)
I have the hairiest of hairy little cobs on my yard here, and I don't judge her for being hairy and not very athletic. I like her because she's a horse, and I like horses.

 

[SOS]

Cobs are more popular than ever and doing more jobs than ever and making lots of people happy. Just have fun and remember we are lucky to have horses at all, enjoy them.

My “ISH” is basically a big cob and he is a wonder horse.

 

[J&S]

Ditch the social media and embrace your young cob!

I have a lady come to ride my companion pony, a 13hh scruffy (though we try our best!) cross bred native. This lady has spent her entire youth, and up till retiring, riding serious race horses. She has no qualms about being seen out and about on the pony and just enjoys it for what it is. Love the horse you have, the horse of your dreams might not be quite what you need, as it seems you found out.

 

[Trouper]

I hope that anyone in your life who is important to you looks at you and your horse for what you are - real and not some false media image. I am far too old to be influenced by social media and am daily grateful that it was not around in my youth.

Much as I love a flashy TB and will always have a weakness for them, I have come to admire so much more those people who can take a "scruffy cob" and produce a very good dressage performance from them.

 

[HollyWoozle]

I understand where you are coming from but all I can say is that my parents bought me a beautiful ISH mare in 2009 (half warmblood) and I should’ve bought a cob ? She was my choice and I was already an adult but I couldn’t ride one half of her, fell off multiple times, couldn’t do what I wanted and found riding her very stressful. She is now retired in the field (and very happy) and I don’t have a horse to ride. I love her and will keep her until the end of her days but should I buy a horse again it’ll be something less flashy and more practical for my needs.

Enjoy your horse (who sounds fab!) and try to keep in mind that social media never shows the whole picture.

 

[Polos Mum]

I tend to find the warmblood riders look longingly at the heinz 57 types when they are calm, easy, willing and produce really nice results. All while the warmblood rider is looking nervously around the show for someone to cling onto their highly strung that they are slightly scared of while they get on.

I competed a 13.2 black and white traditional last summer, as we arrived people would look right down their noses, when we were getting 70%+ their attitude changed totally.

I have had clinics with fancy looking horses that at the end people have asked whether my 'mutt' (as I describe him) is for sale.

I bet the posh horse riders are quietly looking at you with green eyes!

 

[TheHairyOne]

Not at all! Beauty is as beauty does.

And I think you may find people struggling with a horse thats too big/too powerful/too highly strung probaby envy you a little bit sometimes.

My sisters 'proper hairy big cob' gets attention everywhere he goes. Had a number of people ask if he is for sale and had a dressage judge come find her afterwards to say how wonderful he was!

Id much rather be riding him that my backwards thinking id × wb!!

 

[MuddyMonster]

Enjoy your horse for what he is. He deserves that ? There's no need to feel embarrassed, any decent trainer won't be snobby and should be keen to help riders with all types of horses to improve.

This, 100%.

Have you thought about a social media break if you're feeling pressure?

If you want to clip him and present him smartly, do so for your own pleasure and not to impress other people. Those that matter won't mind and those that mind, don't matter and all that!

Would you only socialise with people with perfect heritage breeding, wear designer clothes, and compete in super athletic activities at the weekend ? It's unlikely, so why put the same pressure on you horsey life?

 

[paddi22]

I would nearly guarantee that nobody has every looked at a amateur on a very flashy horse and been impressed. from having seen friends move from fun horses to get flashy horses, the comments heard at shows include 'horse is way too good for her' 'wasted horse' 'can't ride half of that horse', you can't win! people will judge regardless of what you sit on. social media is a curse and so mentally damaging for people.

I'm also gonna push back a bit on the 'its just a cob'. a fit cob being ridden to its full potential can be a great horse. look at videos of Billy Whizz the cob doing Grand Prix dressage. we even get 13hh rescue cobs that happily cruise around 90s affiliated events with kids on board. a controversial point but if cob riders trained both themselves and the cobs to their maximum potential, cobs would get much less slating and be appreciated more.

 

[Annagain]

I'm chair of my riding club so spend a lot of time watching lessons and events. If you asked me for a list of the horses I'd want to take home, at least the top 5 would be Heinz 57s. My top choice was rescued from the side of the road as a foal after his mother slipped her tether and was hit by a car. He now does elementary dressage, showjumps to 1m, events at 90 and is an all-round good egg. I would snap his owner's hand off if he was ever for sale (which he won't be).

 

[Errin Paddywack]

Many years ago our friend had a little 13hh pony that was by a spotted stallion and out of a pony mare. His name was Joke and he was sort of chocolate coloured and basically square. Short back, neck and legs, bit like a tiny hippo but my goodness he could jump. She had entered him in quite a big class somewhere and while waiting to jump another girl looked down her nose at him and said 'you aren't jumping that are you?'. Our friend just turned her pony and popped him over a 4' practice jump. Handsome is as handsome does as they say. That pony would jump anything you put him at. He was the best allrounder going and I would dearly love something like him now.

 

[windand rain]

I love to watch the flashy warmbloods perform when well ridden but unfortunately most at local level are not. There is nothing better than the feel of a TB galloping the sheer power is mind blowing they also, when properly conditioned, look amazing across country fences. I admit to not liking traditional cobs but They can do most things any average to above average rider need as can any British Mountain and Moorland pony type and their crosses. I guess in a way I am not doing the heinz 57 as all the ponies have generations of careful breeding behind them

 

[MuddyMonster]

I would nearly guarantee that nobody has every looked at a amateur on a very flashy horse and been impressed. from having seen friends move from fun horses to get flashy horses, the comments heard at shows include 'horse is way too good for her' 'wasted horse' 'can't ride half of that horse', you can't win! people will judge regardless of what you sit on. social media is a curse and so mentally damaging for people.

I'm also gonna push back a bit on the 'its just a cob'. a fit cob being ridden to its full potential can be a great horse. look at videos of Billy Whizz the cob doing Grand Prix dressage. we even get 13hh rescue cobs that happily cruise around 90s affiliated events with kids on board. a controversial point but if cob riders trained both themselves and the cobs to their maximum potential, cobs would get much less slating and be appreciated more.

But why should people feel they need to do more (or do more of a specific discipline) just to prove a point to a stranger on a showground?

There are lots of horses not reaching their full athletic potential - mine 'could' absolutely do more than he does - but he's happy, healthy, fit and we have lots of fun together so if someone doesn't appreciate him that's on them quite frankly

 

[Cortez]

I never worry what other people think. Do you like your horse? If the answer is ‘yes’ you have the best horse in the world.

 

[ihatework]

No I don’t feel like that at all (although I do have sporthorses). I think (some) people with Heinz57 have this self imposed issue and reverse snobbery.
Nothing I like better than a Heinz57 that is awesome at its job. Or a sporthorse that is awesome at its job.
I’ve got little time for poor examples of either.

 

[paddi22]

But why should people feel they need to do more (or do more of a specific discipline) just to prove a point to a stranger on a showground?

There are lots of horses not reaching their full athletic potential - mine 'could' absolutely do more than he does - but he's happy, healthy, fit and we have lots of fun together so if someone doesn't appreciate him that's on them quite frankly

yep I totally agree with you 100%. I was responding to OPs feelings about feeling inadequate and that her horse was lacking in some way. you are right that at any stage it should come down to authentic feelings of 'do I love my horse? and am I having fun? and everything else is totally irrelevant.

 

[MuddyMonster]

yep I totally agree with you 100%. I was responding to OPs feelings about feeling inadequate and that her horse was lacking in some way. you are right that at any stage it should come down to authentic feelings of 'do I love my horse? and am I having fun? and everything else is totally irrelevant.

Oh sorry, I totally misunderstood your post - I can only blame lack of caffeine Apologies!

 

[Fransurrey]

Nope. My cob doesn't even have known parentage. There aren't many fancy horses on my yard and some people don't even ride. Only one person competes and she's gone down a level. Nobody minds. I do like the mantra:

Those that mind, don't matter.
Those that matter, don't mind.

 

[Identityincrisis]

I have seen this happen, and i believe that is how people often end up over horsed. People want the flash but can't ride it.

I saw the exact scoffing you describe played out at an old yard, a livery went out and bought the big, black, flashy horse (friesian) and another went out and bought a fell, the ridicule that poor girl got from the other livery and friends was awful. Fast forward 6 years, the fell is out doing BD Novice and the flashy horse is sat in the field having not neen ridden in all that time because the livery was over horsed but would never admit it

I like flashy horses but stick to my unfashionable Arab!

 

[YorkshireLady]

Although I will say that there prob are less of the Heinz 57 around...minus cob sector though even that is changing! This is partly a good thing what with moves against indiscriminate breeding but also a sad thing as many less of the mixed up gene pool sort that makes a good un.

 

[Birker2020]

Gosh all horses are lovely, no matter what their shape or size or breed. I just love horses, sure I have my own preferences but I don't 'not like cobs' I think all horses have their place and all horses have the potential to be lovely and kind and some are talented and some are less so but that doesn't mean they mean less to their owners, quite the opposite in fact.

Its what you think that matters, not what others think sweetheart. x

 

[DizzyDoughnut]

Nope! I've currently got a welsh pony and a Fell, I think they're the best, it doesn't matter to me what anyone else thinks of them. Although I think other people seem to like them anyway.

 

[I'm Dun]

I never worry what other people think. Do you like your horse? If the answer is ‘yes’ you have the best horse in the world.

Out of my 3 the one I love the most, my heart horse, is an older traditional cob who rarely has 4 sound legs. I wouldnt sell him for a million quid!

 

[Sealine]

It's a no from me too. I have a big, chunky coloured of unknown parentage (he was a BOGOF). When I first bought him to replace my old TB someone at the yard said 'shouldn't that be pulling a milk float or a rag n bone cart?'. I smiled and laughed it off. I really don't care what others think and never have. I've had him for 11 years and I haven't regretted one single moment. I used to go to a lot of clinics (dressage/XC/show jumping) and I wouldn't say anyone looked down on us but I could tell that people were surprised by the end of the session at how well he went. They would encourage me to compete more and do BE and BD but competing isn't my thing. He is straight forward, honest and tries his heart out. He is no world beater but he's perfect for me and I wouldn't change him for the world.

 

[smolmaus]

I was joking to the lady who owns the rescue about Sadie sticking out like a sore thumb as a fluffy little midget cob at the yard full of big leggy warmbloods and she told me very firmly that Sadie was a proper old fashioned model of Gypsy cob (before they started breeding for white), that she was a rare thing these days and to tell anyone who commented on her that their big warmbloods were common as muck in comparison ?

I would never say such a thing to anyone! And honestly attach none of my ego at all to what kind of animals I have. But I do sometimes think it, very quietly and in a very petty way, when the teenager across the way lists her horses breeding at me for the third time that week.