Huge confidence knock? Especially on cobs?

[Poppy+MrDarcy]

I seem to have the most confident issues on cobs, they just seem more intimidating than larger horses, I have absolutely no idea why. When I was younger (around 15-16) I had a horrendous fall of a tiny gypsy cob, I think it was actually only 13hh, but she threw me into a ditch with roll of barb wire at the bottom, it hurt *a lot* I was in pain for weeks with scars and cuts all over my back, I was lucky not to get nerve damage.

I didn't ride that cob again, but 10 years later I bought a cob of my own. As expected I was petrified to do anything with him, poor thing, he was such a kind pony, and it took me years to make use of his amazing temperament. Anybody else had this issue?

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

The problem is that people equate "cob" with "plod" and it ain't actually the case!

All of the cobs I've had (and I've had a good few through the years) haven't exactly been a "novice ride". Ohh bar one who was an RDA horse - but she wasn't sold to me as a plod as I was told that she had "bolted" which was why they were getting rid of her. She never put a foot wrong with me tho' and when I had her it was obvious there was a pain issue in her sacroiliac area which we sorted. End of.

Cobs need firm but sensitive handling right from the start as if they ever realise their own strength and how they can use it against people, this is where they will quickly go wrong. All of my cobs have also been very intelligent and will soon get to know if they can take advantage of a rider as they are very good at summing humans up!

My current cob I've had since she was a just-backed 4yo (profile pic). She was everything I said I didn't want i.e. pony, hairy cob with feathers, mare, youngster, you name it. Yet I somehow ended up bringing her home. Best decision I ever made.

Re. confidence: I had a Mentor for the first few years with my girl (can still call upon her if needed) which was fundamental in building our confidence with each other and for getting the horse/rider relationship on a good footing through the Youngster years which included her coming with us and mentoring us on our first pleasure ride. There ARE some very good people out there who work with riders with confidence issues and I would highly recommend consulting a professional if this is an issue. With one of my cobs a previous owner had - unbelievably - taught him to rear. I only found this out in the last couple years of his life after I'd managed to trace a previous owner, and was soooh glad I knew why he did it. A professional had helped with the rearing, and given me the "tools" to deal with it if it happened, and he'd never done it again after professional intervention and also helping me with my confidence for solo hacking with him. Invaluable!

 

[sbloom]

Cobs tend (not always) to have balance issues, they're often built on the forehand and they're heavier weight, so they can be strong. Yet another reason for correct postural work, groundwork etc. I bang on about it all the time but build your relationship with your horse on the ground AND improve their ability to move correctly. It's a game changer.

 

[Wizpop]

Your fear associated to cobs is because your mind is still triggered by the really bad experience that you had with yours when you were younger. Even though it was a long time ago, memories are stored unconsciously and no amount of logical thinking will change this although, as you have found, you can work through it thereby creating more positive memories of riding cobs. As Mijods has already said, there are some really good practitioners around who can help with this and similar issues by providing you with tools to deal with this problem. Remember the good experiences rather than going over what went wrong, as whatever you think about most will influence how you feel and become true for you.