Horses with unlikely skills...

sorry jftd, Didn't meant it to sound mean, I just meant people (not their owners who are justifiably proud) should give ponies/cobs/stallions more credit, not write them off because they are a certain type. I suppose just like I shouldn't assume a Connie can or wants to jump!
 
Jenni_ said:
For a horse that doesn't jump he seems to be enjoying himself immensly, especially in that last picture!

Your other half needs a labotomy though JenHunt... seriously!!!
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indeed... not sure who enjoyed that day more, Ron or OH!! And yes, OH is bonkers!

In all fairness to Ron - There were several reasons why he didn't jump. His previous rider was a big chap who balanced on his hands and got in front of the movement. He was very on his forehand if you didn't try to keep him up. Plus Ron couldn't canter round a school, nevermind a 20m circle. And when my instructor saw him he'd had most of the summer off, and was only just at jumping fitness.

He used to decide he "couldn't" do things that required him to canter in a bouncy canter - doubles were a nightmare as he'd jump the first then shoot past the 2nd! He also used to decide he couldn't if you got tipped forwards, or if there was something scary in the fence!

Once his canter came right, he found jumping easier and the began to enjoy it, and once he enjoyed it he tried harder, which made it more fun!

the more I think about it, the more I think he was never really taught to jump, just taken hunting and told to follow everyone else. Fine over ditches or whatever in Ireland as there's less upward motion involved, but over solid fences...? There's not a dishonest bone in his body, but from where he was being put at a fence he just couldn't and he felt happier saying that than trying to get over and hurting himself!
 
Daughter used to ride an 11.2 sec A who used to try various evasive actions to avoid working as desired. I think the most amusing was to jump the polyblock wings (3ft or so) in preference to jumping the actual jump (2ft - 2ft 3) as directed. Why??
 
My horse puts his own light on in the stable when it gets dark, even though it is a proper horse proof light switch with a rubber cover. He just thinks of it as a challenge.
He's also one of the hairy cobs that jump brigade, as far as BE100 and could go further if I could get him fitter.
 
Mine likes to jump stuff on his own...

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He also likes to jump stuff with me. Not normal stuff though, like logs and show jumps, oh no. Judges tables (fortunately minus the judges) and ornamental hedges are his personal favorites...
 
JFTD said:
No of course it's not unlikely to see a connemara pony out doing advanced eventing, or a 14hh cob type jumping BE novice. I see these things all the time :cool: Every highland I know is jumping well over a metre with ease, that's why the local sj courses are so clogged up with them...

Oh no wait, they aren't...
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Yeah, virtually every other Pony Trials pony we see is a cob of indeterminate breeding, with feathers up to his knees and built like a brick outhouse :D I have to say that through pure breeding, connies don't count as 'bog ponies', but I think dafthoss's monster does count as he's not had the best start going.
 
KatPT said:
What surprises me is that people are surprised that cobs can jump (im afraid your Connie doesn't count dafthoss, never known one that couldn't jump like a stag), jumping the top of a set of polyblocks isn't exactly out of the realms of possibility for any horse, its us riders that hold them back! It's like when my mum is always astonished by a well behaved stallion...why assume otherwise?
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Oh you don't be such a downer. I think my horse is surprising people, he is a four year old who had hadn't jump a stick less than six months ago, ok he's 'only' jumping the top of the poly blocks. But he is doing with scope and style, and enthusiasm. He is clearly going to be a talented horse if this is him as a youngster!!!
I think a high percentage of people think that cobs can only plod down the road with a novice on board. Just ask Shils :D
 
Ex racer had huge talent for jumping out of fields, especially from a standstill

I did a handy horse class on him, judge looked most shocked. He stood like a rock, jumped a mattress, walked under a washing line, and didn't flinch even when a lead rein decked it's rider, and pony trotted through middle of the handy horse class :D
 
My Shire-cross has the skills you would expect of a good draft cross, such as dressage and jumping, but she can also drink tea out of a sippy cup.
 
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