I just bought my first cob! Introduction + feed advice + photos!

[jnb]

@Red-1 - I really wish you could have my cob to ride in the school for a few weeks (he's ace to hack too but I have no school) - reading what you have achieved with Rigsby I know how you would love and improve my boy.
All the pieces for him are there but he's still green as grass - when I have a lesson (usually 3-4 times a month if weather permits & these are the only times we get into a school) I struggle with canter transitions (and he, with balance all around the arena - he's 15.2hh and 700Kg!)

Once a cob worms its way into your heart you'll never meet a personality like it

 

[Red-1]

I will eventually slow down on updates, but today we did hack number 9, so it is still all shiny new and exciting.

Today was rainy, but Rigsby loves his rides out, gets his endorphin trunk out when dressed in lurid yellow, so I was keen to follow his wishes after him being bored after all the ice.

Rigsby did a good 'new' thing! With a new horse, I don't dally when leaving the yard. They have to stand before the gate, stand on the drive, then away when it is clear. I decided today, with 8 rides under our belt and Rigsby never being nappy, that we would tackle the gates. A rainy day is a good day to drive you to want to leave the stable and get straight on to keep the saddle dry.

Rigsby was a star! Parked up next to the gate, let me unlatch, then 'helped' me open it. Once through, he was a bit more clumsy to line up for it, initially opened it further, but after a discussion realised I was trying to close it, so again hooked his head over it to help me shut it! Very intelligent cob!

He strode out in the drizzle, passed the wheelie bins out for collection today without a murmer, passed the tractor in the yard opposite... superstar.

Then... Rigsby nearly shied at a pile of pallets. He gave me a 3 minute warning, his ribs bulged into my right leg. I told him to straighten up and... he did! Rigsby 'thought about' shying three times, but each time I put a leg on and told him to carry one and each time he did his 'thing' which is to high blow, arch his neck, lift his knees high and continue beautifully. When thinking about something he walks like a Fresian.

Back at the yard, he was no longer surprised that he was expected to operate his own gate so we rode right up to the stables, gate secured behind us.

One day, Rigsby may feel less enthralling. I mean, we just do half an hour at walk! But right now he is amazing to me. LOL

 

[ITPersonnage]

What a star

 

[jnb]

What I would give for half an hour at walk! (We have been iced in and my only escape - apart from my lorry which of course we can't use - is the Dingle - a very steep and narrow, sandstone and mud bridleway)
My poor cob reacted to his flu/tet jab for the first time so he's having a few days off and is currently sorting a warm swelling about 2" across at the jab site . He's very stoic and rarely feels anything much so I think he is a bit sore.
He says: "hi Rigsby, fellow cob! I am the Red King of the Cobs in case you should feel you need a monarch .
Mum took a while to come around to my way of thinking - but I've got her where I want her now, 3 feeds a day and a lovely shelter and field - I let her pretend to work me every now and then and we go out and bring some red bits of ribbon home sometimes when the humans are allowed out. All down to me of course!"

 

[HashRouge]

I just love how much you love him, it's so nice to read! Who cares if you're just doing 30 mins in walk - it's supposed to be fun and it sounds like you're both having a blast!

 

[planete]

I am quietly cheered by Rigsby's adventures as Woody and I do our 15mn. lunging followed by 15 mn. walk and a few transitions in and out of trot, all tailored to the old woman trying to do a bit of schooling without crippling herself! I also get a huge sense of achievement from it all these days. Two effortless steps of leg yield out of the circle felt just amazing last night.

 

[Pippity]

One day, Rigsby may feel less enthralling. I mean, we just do half an hour at walk! But right now he is amazing to me. LOL

I've had Blue for two years. I still have days - weeks, months - when I can't believe how perfect she is. There's nothing better than a good cob. (And nothing worse than a bad one!)

 

[Red-1]

What a star

What I would give for half an hour at walk! (We have been iced in and my only escape - apart from my lorry which of course we can't use - is the Dingle - a very steep and narrow, sandstone and mud bridleway)
My poor cob reacted to his flu/tet jab for the first time so he's having a few days off and is currently sorting a warm swelling about 2" across at the jab site . He's very stoic and rarely feels anything much so I think he is a bit sore.
He says: "hi Rigsby, fellow cob! I am the Red King of the Cobs in case you should feel you need a monarch .
Mum took a while to come around to my way of thinking - but I've got her where I want her now, 3 feeds a day and a lovely shelter and field - I let her pretend to work me every now and then and we go out and bring some red bits of ribbon home sometimes when the humans are allowed out. All down to me of course!"

View attachment 64437

I am quietly cheered by Rigsby's adventures as Woody and I do our 15mn. lunging followed by 15 mn. walk and a few transitions in and out of trot, all tailored to the old woman trying to do a bit of schooling without crippling herself! I also get a huge sense of achievement from it all these days. Two effortless steps of leg yield out of the circle felt just amazing last night.

I've had Blue for two years. I still have days - weeks, months - when I can't believe how perfect she is. There's nothing better than a good cob. (And nothing worse than a bad one!)

Thank you all. He is great, and it is fabulous to share our mini adventures with people who understand. Mr Red still isn't impressed, although he does have to admit that nowadays I smile when I ride.

 

[ycbm]

What I would give for half an hour at walk! (We have been iced in and my only escape - apart from my lorry which of course we can't use - is the Dingle - a very steep and narrow, sandstone and mud bridleway)
My poor cob reacted to his flu/tet jab for the first time so he's having a few days off and is currently sorting a warm swelling about 2" across at the jab site . He's very stoic and rarely feels anything much so I think he is a bit sore.
He says: "hi Rigsby, fellow cob! I am the Red King of the Cobs in case you should feel you need a monarch .
Mum took a while to come around to my way of thinking - but I've got her where I want her now, 3 feeds a day and a lovely shelter and field - I let her pretend to work me every now and then and we go out and bring some red bits of ribbon home sometimes when the humans are allowed out. All down to me of course!"

View attachment 64437

Smart horse

 

[ycbm]

Red i can positively feel your smile!
.

 

[Red-1]

Fiona was supposed to be coming on Sunday for full body and feet treatment, but because of the threatened snow she had to re-route to today and could only do feet.

I sneaked a schooling session in first! He was ace. Still only 10-15 minutes, only a half circuit and a circle at trot, but today was the first time he relaxed his back to the extent that he invited me to do a sitting trot. I was praising him like he won the National. Progress is so slow, but so sweet.

Fiona was able to show me where I hadn't gone far enough with his trimming and where it was out of balance. We did a road walk prior to the trim to demonstrate the lateral walk then, after the trim, another road walk to show how he is walking well again - proper 4 time. Fiona is a magician.

Fiona had previously said to keep the current saddle (it wasn't right but was 'OK' and he was going to change), but agrees that now he is ready for a new one. So, I am looking for a 17 inch black dressage saddle, where I can try before buying. I would prefer second hand. He is M/W, so a popular size. That said, I seem to be having trouble locating one I hate saddle buying.

Rigsby was a charmer. Fiona remarked on how how whole character has changed. He was previously bullish, now he is full of character; comedic, expressive, confident, but POLITE!

 

[Red-1]

Things are going very right, and I have changed a couple of things so can't be sure which is the magic ingredient.

Firstly, I did find a saddle to try, it wasn't successful so went back. However, I also had delivered a Prolite 3 pocket shimming pad this week and today I had a chance to play with it with my current saddle. Mr Red has a good eye for this sort of thing, and he had me jack the back of the saddle up so it wouldn't slide down and back.

It felt really different. Rigsby was full of energy, but that could have been the saddle and could have been that it is below 3 degrees with drizzle and wind, brrrr. Also, Rigsby does always go well when Fiona has been.

Whatever it was, we were trotting here, there and everywhere! We even did some wide changes of rein in trot. By the end Rigsby was seeking the contact. My mind was blown and, in the midst of wind and drizzle, my smile was so big I have sore cheeks.

There was some dodgy news as well though. Rigsby will always be on a diet, I did release the diet a little when he was slightly too light, but he quickly put the weight back on, so I tightened the diet again. This morning, he was eating his bedding which wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't spiky rape straw kernels. I have quickly rung round and secured 5 bales of straw, which will be double netted, so he can browse!

 

[Red-1]

Haha, not sure the barley straw will last him any length of time. He was amazed and delighted to have an extra net delivered, and was just eating it in preference to his soaked hay. It is in a small holed Martsnet, so hopefully he will spend a bit longer eating, even if he won't just browse what he needs, as I intended

 

[ycbm]

I'm lucky Red, my mare, similar weight issues, can't give her more than 7kg haylage in midwinter, will only eat barley straw under protest.
.

 

[Blazingsaddles]

Haha, not sure the barley straw will last him any length of time. He was amazed and delighted to have an extra net delivered, and was just eating it in preference to his soaked hay. It is in a small holed Martsnet, so hopefully he will spend a bit longer eating, even if he won't just browse what he needs, as I intended

Barley straw is brilliant for ‘filling’ them up. Much less calories than hay. Mine is on weighed hay but I always leave a net of barley straw, so she has something to nibble. It’s all I feed my donkeys as well.

 

[Red-1]

Barley straw is brilliant for ‘filling’ them up. Much less calories than hay. Mine is on weighed hay but I always leave a net of barley straw, so she has something to nibble. It’s all I feed my donkeys as well.

To my surprise, there was some left when I fetched him in, so the plan may work

 

[Red-1]

Rigsby is having a snow day!

 

[Red-1]

OMG - better and better.

Today, drum roll, Rigsby mastered direct transitions from halt to trot and trot to halt!!!

Not only that, but he was, for the first time, stepping under and LIFTING into the trot. This is compared to a horse that, only a couple of weeks ago, was resistant and jumping through the transition to get his shoulders out of the way.

To be fair, he seemed, at that time, to resent having to trot at all (hence temporally using it as an aversive for lazy walk!). But, I always think horses are generally obliging, so have been trying to improve his lot.

As ever, a number of things have changed: a gut supplement; Fiona came; new balance on the saddle with the new Prolite shim pad; use of celery as a training aid; straw net to supplement his hay; a couple of days off with the snow...

Either way, I was beaming and I also have to say he was very pleased with himself and his new trick!

The celery.... yes.... Rigsby can't have treats in the normal way. He has an occasional dried rose hips but, with his metabolic issues, he can't have apples, carrots - he can't have grass, or even hay unless I soak the soluble sugars out! Since having Rigsby I have had to research all sorts of medical conditions (!) and found that celery is acceptable. He loves it!

So, if he does good when ridden, we go a "good boy," that means he did good, and he likes that. But, sometimes the good boy is swiftly followed by a "woah," and then he halts square, I drop the reins and he gets a little itty piece of celery. Sometimes he gets celery just for being at halt and picking up the contact. Yep, if he softly picks up the contact, I good boy him, drop the contact again and celery it is.

He was standing to attention, waiting to be told to directly transition to trot, just so he could show how brilliant he is, so I would do the whole, good boy, woah, drop rein, celery and rest!

Oh, another added variable today... Fiona told me to get him a ceramic infra red rug. I didn't, as Rigsby is a cob with 2" of fur on his back, I don't think his back was cold. But we did get our old dog one, and he was different within a few minutes of wearing it. The dog now lives in his, and we bought our inherited dog from mum one too. He too is a changed man. They are playing like they do in summer.

Sooooo, Rigsby won a saddle cloth with ceramic infra red properties. he wore it for the first time today.

Which did the deed? Or a combination of all of them?

I really don't know!

 

[jnb]

I love this! I am kicking myself as I sold my beloved old cob's Back on Track rug after I lost him, I would have gladly donated it (might've been a bit big though, 6ft 6/9)
If you ever fancy a "schooling" livery Ruari would love to come and stay Not sure what he'd say to a no-grass existence though lol

 

[Red-1]

I love this! I am kicking myself as I sold my beloved old cob's Back on Track rug after I lost him, I would have gladly donated it (might've been a bit big though, 6ft 6/9)
If you ever fancy a "schooling" livery Ruari would love to come and stay Not sure what he'd say to a no-grass existence though lol

I used to ride/school professionally, both for a large organisation and as a private business. I would even say that I was good at what I did, with teaching and riding. I was never a great competitor, but could help people and horses become confident. I used to say that my private business was to help nice people help nice horses to go nicely. Posh trainers would do that down sometimes, but there is a real need and market for that. Plus, dealing with nice people and nice horses is great!

I often found that the nicest people had confidence issues, because they really cared about doing it right. Also, nice horses come in all shapes and sizes.

But then, I had a back injury, I got older, stuff happened in life, I left my job, then I lost my heart horse and... I simply felt that I had nothing left to say for teaching and riding.

Then, with mum's illness, I have had two years from hell, and lost the will to even think about the future with my own posh sports horse, it was all too much for me. That is why I sold her. Rigsby has been great for me. No pressure. No expectations. He is 17 this year, many issues, as long as he is happy, I am happy. But, I have no wish to do anything other than have fun with my little cob at the moment.

 

[jnb]

And that is your absolute right of course !
It's just I see so many things that I really, really like that you are doing with him, that I would love to do with mine if I had the time and facilities.
Keep doing what you're doing - it's heartwarming and inspiring to read x

 

[GoldenWillow]

" I used to say that my private business was to help nice people help nice horses to go nicely."

I absolutely love this, all I want is for my nice cob to be the best he can mainly to keep him strong and healthy but also so that we can have the most fun possible together.

 

[Pippity]

I used to say that my private business was to help nice people help nice horses to go nicely.

I've finally found an instructor with the same attitude, and it's bliss.

 

[planete]

I am still looking. Royally fed up with the instructor I tried last week hoping to gain some new insights into work in hand who panicked my little cob into headlong flight on the lunge, proudly telling me she was strong enough to hold him while he was doing the wall of death. Oh, and he was quietly cantering by the end...yes, but not through her skilful handling unfortunately.

 

[Red-1]

I am still looking. Royally fed up with the instructor I tried last week hoping to gain some new insights into work in hand who panicked my little cob into headlong flight on the lunge, proudly telling me she was strong enough to hold him while he was doing the wall of death. Oh, and he was quietly cantering by the end...yes, but not through her skilful handling unfortunately.

I nearly 'like'ed this, but couldn't. I would go really slowly. I specialised in confidence. Many times, our first lesson was on how to hold the horse. I am talking, taking the horse to an area, drawing a circle in the dirt and asking the horse to stand with a named leg in the circle. It is surprisingly difficult!

The 'lesson' was actually in the owner/handler being able to feel the difference between moving the horse with pressure, and indicating to the horse what is required with pressure. It has a whole different feel. One is coping, the other is training. Then refine that to recognise where the horse has his attention, and be able to catch the attention before the horse mentally checks out, then refine that until they can do it without apparently moving.

This lesson is key to solving mounting issues, where the handler can then indicate where the horse should stand rather than manoeuvre them into position. If the horse has had the indication of where he needs to move, and willingly complies, he is far, far less likely to want to move.

Many lessons on mounting.

Then many lessons on getting a walk without having to nag.

The first lesson on holding will then translate to helping the horse to yield to the bit rather than yawing, which refines to politely holding the bit...

So, sometimes it would be 4 lessons, and all we achieved is holding, leading, mounting, walking and halting

It seems slow, but actually they were then in a great position to train on as the basic feel and understanding were there.

Some lessons were on catching, on lungeing, I did stacks of long reining. I was recommended by a sports psychologist to some people who had lost confidence to the point they would not mount, that is OK, we did long reining until they actually wanted to mount. We long reined round courses of cones, poles, tarpaulins, knocked barrels over, built walls of milk cartons and ling reined right through them. One day, the rider would see the saddle, with stirrups, in front of them as they trotted round and just fancy a little sit. From there, they were riding!

I loved it all, the photos, videos, the walking out for first hacks, hiring places and making a trip of it.

I did really enjoy it, but had become stale with my own personal life interfering, and I wasn't as good as I once was, and therefore no longer enjoyed it. So, I scaled right back. When I also lost my own horse and had a few more knocks, I quit altogether. I felt I was no longer giving value. I hate trainers who are burned out, but don't stop.

One day, when I am refreshed, I may start again, or I may not. Initially I did 'problem horses' but don't think I will ever go back to that. I no longer have the edge and ability to sustain an onslaught from a cross horse! It never lasted long but, IME, to break the cycle, someone needs to stand firm and be consistent while the horse is doing its thing. Not aggressive, but holding your ground. Don't fancy that any more, and with my back ridden 'problem horses' would be a bad idea too.

Even little Rigsby, who famously wouldn't load in his old home (poor previous owners took 2 days to get him home on the one trip they did- and that was ridden, right through a town centre, as they couldn't get him in either on the day or the next morning!), took me 3 hrs 40 minutes to load on the day I bought him. Although we did load 3 times in that time, so we are in a better position for next time. In the end he loaded himself and stood firm, but before that he tried his repertoire, once each trick, I managed to stand firm without getting excited about it, it gave him time to think it through. Even that, which was a very passive session really, hurt my back and reinforced that I don't want to do THAT any more.

I think age and life caught up with me!

 

[jnb]

I nearly 'like'ed this, but couldn't. I would go really slowly. I specialised in confidence. Many times, our first lesson was on how to hold the horse. I am talking, taking the horse to an area, drawing a circle in the dirt and asking the horse to stand with a named leg in the circle. It is surprisingly difficult!

The 'lesson' was actually in the owner/handler being able to feel the difference between moving the horse with pressure, and indicating to the horse what is required with pressure. It has a whole different feel. One is coping, the other is training. Then refine that to recognise where the horse has his attention, and be able to catch the attention before the horse mentally checks out, then refine that until they can do it without apparently moving.

This lesson is key to solving mounting issues, where the handler can then indicate where the horse should stand rather than manoeuvre them into position. If the horse has had the indication of where he needs to move, and willingly complies, he is far, far less likely to want to move.

Many lessons on mounting.

Then many lessons on getting a walk without having to nag.

The first lesson on holding will then translate to helping the horse to yield to the bit rather than yawing, which refines to politely holding the bit...

So, sometimes it would be 4 lessons, and all we achieved is holding, leading, mounting, walking and halting

It seems slow, but actually they were then in a great position to train on as the basic feel and understanding were there.

Some lessons were on catching, on lungeing, I did stacks of long reining. I was recommended by a sports psychologist to some people who had lost confidence to the point they would not mount, that is OK, we did long reining until they actually wanted to mount. We long reined round courses of cones, poles, tarpaulins, knocked barrels over, built walls of milk cartons and ling reined right through them. One day, the rider would see the saddle, with stirrups, in front of them as they trotted round and just fancy a little sit. From there, they were riding!

I loved it all, the photos, videos, the walking out for first hacks, hiring places and making a trip of it.

I did really enjoy it, but had become stale with my own personal life interfering, and I wasn't as good as I once was, and therefore no longer enjoyed it. So, I scaled right back. When I also lost my own horse and had a few more knocks, I quit altogether. I felt I was no longer giving value. I hate trainers who are burned out, but don't stop.

One day, when I am refreshed, I may start again, or I may not. Initially I did 'problem horses' but don't think I will ever go back to that. I no longer have the edge and ability to sustain an onslaught from a cross horse! It never lasted long but, IME, to break the cycle, someone needs to stand firm and be consistent while the horse is doing its thing. Not aggressive, but holding your ground. Don't fancy that any more, and with my back ridden 'problem horses' would be a bad idea too.

Even little Rigsby, who famously wouldn't load in his old home (poor previous owners took 2 days to get him home on the one trip they did- and that was ridden, right through a town centre, as they couldn't get him in either on the day or the next morning!), took me 3 hrs 40 minutes to load on the day I bought him. Although we did load 3 times in that time, so we are in a better position for next time. In the end he loaded himself and stood firm, but before that he tried his repertoire, once each trick, I managed to stand firm without getting excited about it, it gave him time to think it through. Even that, which was a very passive session really, hurt my back and reinforced that I don't want to do THAT any more.

I think age and life caught up with me!

Oh my god, I think you are the instructor I have been looking for all my life! Is never going to work because you're not teaching/taking horses, and I am probably the other end of the country...but....there's no harm in wishing for the rainbow's end, is there?

I have been ground down until my confidence (self, and riding, and otherwise) is ebbed away and I somehow have my little cob hacking alone (something I only did after 10 years of trying on my old boy) - mainly because it was that or nothing - but I feel like his confidence is waning in me because I doubt myself.

I have done things I never dreamed of with this raw talented boy but his schooling is sadly lacking as he is green and I lack the confidence and ability (& facilities) to bring him on.

My dream is to qualify my unshod cob for HOYS - I know he is good enough. I know I could send him to a top producer and he'd walk it.
But I want to do it with love and trust not sheer repetition and keeping him in a stable 23 hours a day and 1 hour hard, hard work a day.
I just need help & I can't find someone to help me.

 

[Pippity]

Oh my god, I think you are the instructor I have been looking for all my life! Is never going to work because you're not teaching/taking horses, and I am probably the other end of the country...but....there's no harm in wishing for the rainbow's end, is there?

Whereabouts are you, jnb? If you're Cheshire/Greater Manchester-ish, I can pass on the details of my instructor.

 

[MuddyMonster]

If you're near Sussex I can recommend my instructor too jnb.

 

[jnb]

Whereabouts are you, jnb? If you're Cheshire/Greater Manchester-ish, I can pass on the details of my instructor.

If you're near Sussex I can recommend my instructor too jnb.

That's so kind, I am in Shropshire/Staffs border but I can travel (when we are allowed out.) Cheshire is definitely do-able and I don't have a school so I have to travel for lessons anyway.....Pippity could I please have details?

 

[Red-1]

Ups and downs...

After the wonderful schooling session, we went on a hack the next day and he was feeling stones. He was fine on the flat road surface, but lame for a couple of strides when he trod on stones. This is unlike Rigsby. He behaved absolutely immaculately, but there is no joy in riding a horse who feels pain, even if it is only when on stones.

I don't think it is metabolic/lami related as he has no pulses and his feet are cool.

He did have a couple of days with snow balled inside his feet, so I guess that could have bruised him. So, he had a day off.

Next day he did some in-hand work on the arena. I actually annoyed him here, he now likes to do positive reinforcement work, but I forgot the treats so we did an in hand session of more standard training, as in an aversive (slight whip tap) with the reward that it stopped when he complied, along with 'good boy' of course. But no, Rigsby did comply, but was rather cross that I was dictating too much.

Then, yesterday, I planned on schooling again, as he is bang sound and moving freely on the soft, but it chucked it down, so didn't! Today could have been schooling, but...

Rigsby has this thing where, if he fancies a walk out, he shoves his head under the pink walking out rug (on a rack in his grooming parlour) and tosses it to me. He did this this morning, only... he got his head under it and tossed, but his head was also under the rug rack, so he ended up tossing the whole Stubbs rug rack right off the wall. Fortunately, Rigsby has a hard head and doesn't seem to have hurt himself!

We had a nice 1 mile walk out in-hand, in blustery wind and the beginnings of snow. We enjoy our walks, but it seems his feet are not right, right now, for riding. That is sad as I was enjoying riding too.

His feet do look good. I have a slight concern with the one that had worse lami: everywhere else the nails grew out months ago, but on the inside of that foot the nail holes are still there. He was last shod in late July or early August! There really should NOT still be nail holes there. Not with all the road walking we have done. What on earth is that portion of his foot made of???

He was sound and free moving today though, so I shall shelve my concerns. I will give him February with walking in hand and only riding on the school. It must be easier on the feet when he is not carrying my weight, even though that is now reduced (!). The boy is still doing good.