Hunting Heavy Cobs

Toffee44

Toffee44

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Does anyone hunt their heavy cobs. My boy has got quite fit this winter, and I am wondering about getting him out on the field next season. I know my local hunt has jump alternatives. Its not that I cant jump its just that I have never expected him to jump over 2ft 6 comfortably, he is a v heavy boy.

Can you hunt feathered and mane or should you really be hogged and feathers clipped.
I havent hunted for years (I think I was 7 when I last went out lol).
 
We used to hunt a HW coloured cob :D

We had him hogged and clipped out because he was a showing lad, but anything goes as long as it's smart! Just take into account feathers MAY end up a bit tattered - and it's nice to put the mane in a running plait and the tail a hunting plait - just keeps them tidy and cleaner!

But like I said, well presented should suffice if you have a LOT of mane!

Zak used to fly over anything that stoof still long enough (and he was a heavy lad too! 10.5 inches of bone!). You'd be surprised at how cobs can jump! So go for it!

Just bear in mind, brakes can be a bit more iffy than horses with less neck muscle! Dorey and I have yet to find a decent bit for hunting, as last time she made a prat of us both!
 
All 3 of our hunting horses are heavy cobs! I would say from a practical point take feathers off as they will just get SO SO Muddy!!

Jump what you feel comfortable doing, there are always people who arent jumping and always a way round!

My little 14.2: Was once very hairy!!

http://www.facebook.com/jay.shellar...obal&view=global&subj=905015525&id=1072824836

My dads 19.2

http://www.facebook.com/jay.shellar...obal&view=global&subj=905015525&id=1072824836

Get him fit and go for it next season!! Coblets are the best :D
 
The first cob in my siggy and the last (Roan) both hunt. The coloured has 10" of bone and as long as I'm not stupid she has jumped everything I ask her too.
I don't compete her over 2ft6 as I think asking her to jump 20+ jumps on a hunter trial course she needs be comfortable with the height but out hunting she nearly jumped me off over a 3ft3 tiger trap (I measured it afterwards)!
She has given so many people leads over jumps or through/over things including the Whip and the field master.
She used to be hairy but it is so much easier to get her clean and keep her clean without the hair.

The roan jumped a ditch on her first time out that alot of the 'old timers' had to get leads over, she didn't even look at it.

IMO cobs make the best hunters, even though they aren't very fast they go everywhere and can go all day.
 
I hunted this (and he still gets out on quiet days)...
wee_orig_henry.jpg


Although he looks more like this when he's hunting...!
DSC00409.jpg


He is 17hh and has 10 inches of bone. Quite happily hunted up at the front all day. Had the Master of one hunt ask if he was for sale once.
 
Its just another reason for clipping him out again :D I find I have a good bit for him (american jointed gag) as he is very accepting. That was my other worry he just isnt very quick bless him, but hes got some stamina. Love him.
DSC00904.jpg
heres the big bugger clipped out. Hes inbetweeny at the moment.
 
Oh Tractor, he's gorgeous!!

Toffee.... Ron is quite a heavy lad (just under 10 inch bone) and his legs are quite short for his height (if that makes sense?!). I hunt him all season, over some tough country and he's one of the better horses out (even if I do say so myself) - he keeps up without a problem, jumps everything, and he goes all day

So I say go out and have some fun!
 
Seriously, go for it! I hunt this:

DylBerkeleyHunt.png


Who, au naturel, looks like this:

IMG_0541.jpg


He's brilliant at it, duck to water, he adores it. We are always at the front, and he will go over any ground and jump anything. I get many, many compliments about him, particularly from the men, who think he's wasted on me ha ha!!
 
Harper_Gal said:
Just bear in mind, brakes can be a bit more iffy than horses with less neck muscle! Dorey and I have yet to find a decent bit for hunting, as last time she made a prat of us both!
Click to expand...
Omg yes *nods furiously* although a cob is a different animal to a draught
 
skewby said:
Omg yes *nods furiously* although a cob is a different animal to a draught
Click to expand...

haha! indeed - IME cobs have a desire to "win" all the time and would much rather be at the front if they can get away with it!!

(BTW - www.klickon.co.uk has some photos of us from our last day yesterday, you can see what a variety of horses hunt with us, everything from pure TB's to proper draught horses and owt between an all! :)
 
Yes give it a go! I would clip personally, becuase it looks smarter and will be alot easier to clean off at the end of the day. As long as your horse is fit I would go for it!
 
Yes, I used to hunt a heavyweight maxi cob. He did eight seasons with myself, his owner and a 16st friend.
He was surprisingly light and balanced in the hunting field although very strong - a pelham with two reins was the best bet - and was ideal for those days where one minute you're on plough, the next on grass, and the next galloping through a slippy concrete farmyard!
He was also the best ditch jumper I've ever sat on - they're a bit varied in Warwickshire from little scrapes out of the ground to yawning muddy chasms under low branches and he seemed to take pleasure in sussing out the ditch and jumping it very precisely.
He would stop at a 2 ft 6in hunt fence if he didn't like it but loved huge hedges (although my only fall with him was when he decided that a hedge with ditch on landing was a bit much at the VERY last minute)
Oh, yes, and I always hunted him side saddle, and he was the most comfortable conveyance for that.
I would say go for it - but do your fittening work. We used to hack for 1-2hrs both days at weekends and have lots of canters over the stubble before cubbing, and he was ridden 4 days a week in the school.
 
So hunt him next season. I've seen hundreds of them out hunting, and 99% have been great. In general, they are so reliable, and steady, and will jump anything. It mightn't be extremely stylish, but they get you there at the end of the day. I had a heavy cob 12 years ago, that i bought as a foal, and he was the best. He would never put himself under pressure, but was always there at the end of the day. Some horses will jump a drain from top to top and it hurts, he used to scramble down as far as he could and then just pop off, very clever. I have a 3 year old at the moment tha i'll lightly hunt next season, and my yearling, who is very heavy, properly gypsy like, will be hunted too, although everyone laughs at me. I know he wont have the speed of most, but i know he'll get there, and it's a great education, so he'll be going!!! Maybe take him x country to get a feel for his jump, but i would def take him hunting next season!!!!!
Explain how to send a PM to me, and i'll try to send you photos, so you can see how heavy they are!!
 
Go on do it!!!!! You and he will absolutely love it. OK you will have a battle with the neck as once its sets it neck and goes its hard to stop, so a pelham and double reins, possibly with a running martingale and spurs will be needed. I am a 40 something nervous jumper, who needs a hell of a lot of hip flask to jump, but my MW coblet loves it.
 
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