Horse Stereotypes. Do yours conform?

[EllieBeast]

A previous post has got me thinking, everyone obviously has their own opinions of differant types of horses. When looking at your own horse, does he/she fit into the stereotype laid out for him/her? and why?

My horse is a Cob. Peoples views on cobs generally are -
lazy
slow
dead to the aids
stubborn
scopeless
useless at dressage
easy to ride
a good 'beginners horse'
kind
good to handle

My mare is -
>energetic
>A bl**dy speed demon]
>incredibly (in fact too) sharp - especially off the leg
>Yes, she is stubborn, i will give you that one!
>Definiately has scope, jumping machine!
>She tries to convince me that she is useless at dressage, but she really isnt, we have had some lovely tests once she gets over that stubborn streak
>nope, definately not easy! she is currently out on loan, and it took me ages to find someone who understands her and can ride her properly!
>In some ways she would be good for a beginner, just not the riding part!
>Yes, she is VERY kind - a diamond
a 5 year old could handle her on the ground. so thats another yes.



So, thats just one type, what goes for yours?

 

[jcberry]

[ QUOTE ]


My horse is ALSO a Cob. Peoples views on cobs generally are -
lazy
slow
dead to the aids
stubborn
scopeless
useless at dressage
easy to ride
a good 'beginners horse'
kind
good to handle



[/ QUOTE ]

My gelding is...

lazy Quite lazy although when not in school can be a nightmare
slow same as above

dead to the aids Not if i pony club kick and use a schooling whip

stubborn YEP

scopeless No
useless at dressage He can be pretty goo, when he wants to be...
easy to ride Yep
a good 'beginners horse' Kind of ;p
kind Always

good to handle
When hes got a haynet

 

[Joya]

I have a chestnut mare, with 4 socks (have heard 4 socks are unlucky?)
She is very opinionated and feisty, and has to be convinced to do things she doesn't want to do, which can take forever! However, now she trusts me, she will try her heart out for me and so long as I am asking the right question, will do it as best she can.
She has been unlucky on the lameness/illness side of things, but she really is a fab mare!

 

[H's mum]

...chestnut mare...

erm YEP!!!

Kate x

 

[Tinkerbee]

Sherry was a chestnut mare. Pure evil

Blob cob. Does exactly what it says on the tin..big. blobby. and cobby lol
Dominic- shetland...evil again...mean glint in his eye but cute as hell

 

[grandmaweloveyou]

hmmm. well: my cob gelding is bombproof and safe (stereotypically) jumps superb now he has been shown (he is 7), has fabulous dressage movements (so the judges and teachers tell me, im yet to test this) and turns on the forehand accurately like he is on a sixpence, he is speedy when i want it (his canters are comfortable and his gallops impressive). he is responsive, works to the voice and the leg aids as and when each are used (not needed to be used together), he is ridden by me, my very beginner father in law and typically takes the mick a bit out of him but any horse would if getting mixed signals, a 12 year old has lessons on him and he is the perfect riding school pony and he lets our 2yr old nephew and 3yr old friend sit safely on. on the downside (i dont want to appear bias haha), his stereotypical traits that do show through are that he can be bargy, mostly with my OH, including shoving the stable door open so a chain has gone up, he knows his strength and will lean on that and when schooling he does need something to look at / work around in the school, ie blocks and things - cobs get bored with an empty arena! so on the whole, nothing like his description. I have ridden other horses, TB's and chestnut mares and have to say they do tend to be like their stereotypes.

 

[UKa]

Mine is a TB and and a mare ...

BUT she is one of the sanest horse I have met and not silly at all like many say TBs should be...

 

[Spot_the_Risk]

My cob is...
defintely not lazy!
light off the leg (too light)
Canters on the spot like a rocking horse when faced with gallop track
Wouldn't ever harm a human - has never in 10 years trod on my foot or hit my head.
Wary of humans
Spooky
ridden in a french link filet baucher, and is light in hand
Jumps well (but I don't)
Got 4th in our one and only walk/trot dressage test
Goes vertical when I try ridden showing.

 

[LeneHorse]

you forgot the number 1 characteristic of a true cob - obsessed with food! I would also not agree that cobs are easy to handle - most times I've seen someone getting towed off into the distance its been a cob on the other end of the rope! (occasionally mine when she was younger) - they just set their shoulder and you have no chance of stopping them. Oh and I would also say that cobs are highly intelligent. So if a true cob is intelligent, greedy and a bit bolshy mine is a fine example of the type.

 

[Spot_the_Risk]

Oh yeah, forgot the greedy bit! And forgot the schooling bit too, attention span of a goldfish!

 

[Forget_Me_Not]

New forest...
My Jesse ....
Hardy...PAH! HATES HATES HATES the outdoors. LOVES LOVES LOVES his stable and rugs.
Childs pony - Not if you value that childs life

Family ponies/happy hackers - (Am biased) Another PAH!
Short choppy trot -

Shetland...

Shitlands...Pretty docile abideant pony.
DOES FLYING CHANGES

Need I say more?

 

[JoBo]

[ QUOTE ]
My cob is...
defintely not lazy!
light off the leg (too light)
Canters on the spot like a rocking horse when faced with gallop track
Wouldn't ever harm a human - has never in 10 years trod on my foot or hit my head.
Wary of humans
Spooky
ridden in a french link filet baucher, and is light in hand
Jumps well (but I don't)
Got 4th in our one and only walk/trot dressage test
Goes vertical when I try ridden showing.

[/ QUOTE ]
Ditto, except the vertical bit and we got 2nd in our first w/t test. Bodey is not a slow cob, but at the same time makes you feel confident and comfy.

 

[Enfys]

QH and APHA........yes, they read the book.
Arab ..........oh yes, she wrote the book.
Haffy x QH........good days he is a QH, bad days he is a Haffy. Book? Can I eat it?

 

[only_me]

ok so my tb horse

stereotypes:
sharp
quick
bad-tempered/evil
not for a 1st timer
sleek,defined
fragile
not easy to handle
hard to feed/fussy/bad doer


my tb
dead to leg (at mo, working on that

)
rather slow... we usually get time faults since we haven't discovered next gear up from canter!
the sweetest horse you will ever find
maybe not the best for a 1st timer to ride, but to handle is a saint!
hes had more cuts and bruises than any of my other horses!
you don't even need a headcollar to lead him (apart from the fact that he keeps escaping from his headcollar...)
eats anything but weight falls off him at the mear mention of the word work

i luv my boy! hes the best!

i also love cobs though... i love watching them show as more often than not they all bomb off when asked to gallop! and boy can cobs jump

 

[bex1984]

I have a 14.1hh Fell pony cross, very chunky, he's a coblet:

lazy - YES!!
slow - can be, unless trotting!
dead to the aids - until you wake him up! Brakes can be a bit rubbish but currently just about behaving in a pelham...
stubborn - absolutely
scopeless - refuses 6inch jumps (but that's my fault)
useless at dressage - haven't really tried but he is learning rein back, turn on the forehand and the beginnings of working in an outline
easy to ride - yep, you could just sit there and be a passenger
a good 'beginners horse' - yep, but will try it on for more confident/experienced riders. Is ridden by a 7yr old beginner sometimes and is perfect for her. He's pretty bombproof.
kind - yes, NEVER bites, kicks, puts his ears back at you, he's such a sweetie
good to handle - most of the time but does have that strong cobby neck! Likes to follow you when being lead, otherwise he'll try to pull you sometimes. B*gger to lunge.

He's a big wet lettuce sometimes. He planted his feet coming out of the barn today because it was raining and he didn't want to be turned out - he's supposed to be a hardy little native!!!

 

[Mid]

my gelding doesn't match any stereotypes... he's quite cobby in build, have no clue as to his breeding... he's dopey, quite strong on the ground, impatient, slobbery, spooky and nervous to hack out, very very very fast, greedy... fat...

but he's also the sweetest little guy there is

and he tries his hardest at anything you ask him to do, and loves cuddles

 

[loulum]

I have a chestnut mare!She has 3 whites socks which apparently makes things worse!She certainly isn't ill tempered , can be stubborn but as long as she has confidence in you she will do anything!We do sometimes have what I refer to as chestnut mare moments but I certainly wouldn't say she fits this stereotype!You've got to get a balance of give and take but I would say thats the same with any mare!

 

[Shantor1]

I give my gelding a stereotype of somewhere being a scud missile (likely to rocket off if spooked) or a lovable, placid but dopey Herman Munster!!

 

[claireross]

Welsh Section D pony, well 16hh actually.

But definately conforms to the, Full of character", "kind", but "bolshy" nature of Welsh Cobs.

He would never hurt a fly, but will nip, kick things over, throw rugs on the floor etc, etc, etc, if I dare to ignore him. Very annoying if you are trying to have a quick chat at the yard.

When ridden he does tend to have little temper tantrums, he won't actually say NO to anything, but will let you know he's not happy by having a little buck, head shake or similar and then carries of as it everythings ok.

 

[Hullabaloo]

Mine is tb x fell. Going on mine he's a stroppy git who thinks he's a racehorse but I don't know any others to compare him with.

 

[Nats_uk]

[ QUOTE ]
I give my gelding a stereotype of somewhere being a scud missile (likely to rocket off if spooked) or a lovable, placid but dopey Herman Munster!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Your gelding sounds just like mine! I have a warmblood who is scared of his own shadow (literally!). I am the only person I know to be bucked off across a dressage arena!! But to handle he is as docile as a dog.