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

Red-1

I used to be decisive, now I'm not so sure...
Joined
7 February 2013
Messages
17,814
Location
Outstanding in my field!
Visit site
Been boxing out daily, yesterday was to ride out again with my friend from a nearby village.

We had a laugh! I mean, we are both of the same age, both gone from sports horse to cob, and both were up for fun.

On the face of it, we just had a walk out locally. In reality, we had over an hour of appreciating the blessing that we have such wonderful, fun horses.

Rigsby did his longest hack yet. We did on and off road, to a busier village, stepped over lots of ditches, but stepped into a lot more :oops::rolleyes::p, watched some cricket, had a play with some roadworks... Ah yes, I can't seem to stop acting like I am training a Police horse :cool:

Riggers is amazing. Not at all spooky, not nappy, happy and willing. My friend's horse is the same.
Some photos, yes, on the pee pee one I was standing in the stirrups. Yes, he was wearing a Pelham, it is simply more comfortable if he needs to go slower than he wants when in company. The red thing we are stepping through was a metal hoop, barely bigger than we were, and the cone was bloomin' heavy!

Happy days on a horse that I didn't know would be able to do all of that!

Last night I booked him onto a RC clinic for later this month, flat and poles, although she does tend to end with a little jump. Rigsby's first riding club!!!!



181081602_10220423140512574_1239470479780337438_n.jpg181110445_10220423138392521_4313764316449955057_n.jpg181291945_527595638411598_7209624839159129575_n.jpg180530141_370767044260343_2591968793916136115_n.jpg181386554_1210974982693079_2432234752449093960_n.jpg
 

ycbm

Einstein would be proud of my Insanity...
Joined
30 January 2015
Messages
56,552
Visit site
Been boxing out daily, yesterday was to ride out again with my friend from a nearby village.

We had a laugh! I mean, we are both of the same age, both gone from sports horse to cob, and both were up for fun.

On the face of it, we just had a walk out locally. In reality, we had over an hour of appreciating the blessing that we have such wonderful, fun horses.

Rigsby did his longest hack yet. We did on and off road, to a busier village, stepped over lots of ditches, but stepped into a lot more :oops::rolleyes::p, watched some cricket, had a play with some roadworks... Ah yes, I can't seem to stop acting like I am training a Police horse :cool:

Riggers is amazing. Not at all spooky, not nappy, happy and willing. My friend's horse is the same.
Some photos, yes, on the pee pee one I was standing in the stirrups. Yes, he was wearing a Pelham, it is simply more comfortable if he needs to go slower than he wants when in company. The red thing we are stepping through was a metal hoop, barely bigger than we were, and the cone was bloomin' heavy!

Happy days on a horse that I didn't know would be able to do all of that!

Last night I booked him onto a RC clinic for later this month, flat and poles, although she does tend to end with a little jump. Rigsby's first riding club!!!!



View attachment 71129View attachment 71130View attachment 71131View attachment 71132View attachment 71134


Have you told him you're aiming him for a Police career ? ?
 

cauda equina

Well-Known Member
Joined
2 February 2014
Messages
8,851
Visit site
So sweet that he wants to explore footpaths
I love it when they approach hacking in the same spirit as we do - I wonder where this goes?

And you have my sympathy re solicitors. How do 'professionals' get away with being so inept?
 

Red-1

I used to be decisive, now I'm not so sure...
Joined
7 February 2013
Messages
17,814
Location
Outstanding in my field!
Visit site
So sweet that he wants to explore footpaths
I love it when they approach hacking in the same spirit as we do - I wonder where this goes?

And you have my sympathy re solicitors. How do 'professionals' get away with being so inept?

The paperwork has, now, allegedly gone in. However, my trust from the solicitor is such that I don't quite believe it!
 

Red-1

I used to be decisive, now I'm not so sure...
Joined
7 February 2013
Messages
17,814
Location
Outstanding in my field!
Visit site
The Rigsby jumping post has made my day, thankyou for sharing

LOL, he is far from a natural jumper! I have decided to go there this week too, the arena is soooo beautiful, we can practice trotting over but then going smartly into canter, in the hope that he will decide to break into canter before the fence, in anticipation, and do a leap of faith again!

Or not, it really doesn't matter!
 

Red-1

I used to be decisive, now I'm not so sure...
Joined
7 February 2013
Messages
17,814
Location
Outstanding in my field!
Visit site
*whispers* I *may * have fallen off Rigsby today...

A bird flew up out of a deep ditch we were beside and I was slopping along with no reins because... Well... Rigsby... So when he jumped forwards I plopped clean off the back
1f602.png


He was very perplexed, he did stop before I was completely off and try to save me, but no, gravity had its way.

But he did load first time!
1f61c.png
 

Odyssey

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 February 2018
Messages
616
Visit site
I love your Rigsby updates. What a fab little horse he's turned out to be, it's lovely to see the joy he's brought you. He's such a handsome chap too, very photogenic.
 

Red-1

I used to be decisive, now I'm not so sure...
Joined
7 February 2013
Messages
17,814
Location
Outstanding in my field!
Visit site
I love your Rigsby updates. What a fab little horse he's turned out to be, it's lovely to see the joy he's brought you. He's such a handsome chap too, very photogenic.
He is.

Yesterday I took him to a friend's yard as she is going to be training one and hadn't done long reining for a while. I knew he would just go, do his stuff, take the pee just a bit, but not too much. He was a great success. He is a proper model teacher, despite the fact that he hadn't done it for a few months himself, as I stopped long reining when his fitness got good enough to actually ride.

Today, however, it is chucking it down, so Rigsby has a day off. I think it is his first day off in about 2 months. He looked quite cross when I brought him in, but placated by his hay net. He is up to 1 3/4 hours on grass now, no ill effects. Hopefully up to 2 hours next week. The rest of the time he is still turned out on the arena.

Oh, I forgot to say, when I went to get him in the rain this afternoon, he whinnied and ran to me, soft, daft horse!
 
Last edited:

Red-1

I used to be decisive, now I'm not so sure...
Joined
7 February 2013
Messages
17,814
Location
Outstanding in my field!
Visit site
Found a funny thing Rigsby does.

Yesterday we did a short school session.

I had rose hip treats as I forgot the celery (it was housework day in the Red Palace so short of time;)). Rose hips are crunchy, he doesn't mind the substitution as rose hips seem to actually have a higher 'value' than celery.

I use them as a reward, usually he does the good thing, is told good boy to mark the great behaviour, later stops for a treat, treat goes in, I wait a while for eating.... Then repeat.

Only, I realised, after the first time, that he doesn't eat the treat. Not until he is cued up for another. There was no crunching as I waited. I gave it a suitable amount of time, picked up the reins, we did more schooling, he did the good behaviour, stopped and had the reins dropped ready for me to rummage for the next treat, only THEN he ate the last treat, had a new one posted in and held that one for the next set of work.

Funny, funny horse!

Found a way to treat himself the entire session.
 
Last edited:

ycbm

Einstein would be proud of my Insanity...
Joined
30 January 2015
Messages
56,552
Visit site
He goes round sucking on a rose hip until you give him another one? ?
 

Red-1

I used to be decisive, now I'm not so sure...
Joined
7 February 2013
Messages
17,814
Location
Outstanding in my field!
Visit site
Rigsby had another jumping lesson today. Back to the huge posh arena, travelling was foot perfect, and he was a lot more enthusiastic to actually go and do the job.

Rather than making the fences bigger or wider to encourage a jump rather than a trot over, I decided to have the fences the same (tiny) and allow him to trot to them, but then canter smartly away. He soon started to anticipate this and pop a little skip over the fence, sometimes :p

Right at the end, I tried a canter towards the fence. If the stride was right, we jumped it from canter. If it was wrong, then Rigsby is, as yet, incapable of adjusting his canter, so we came back to trot.

We managed three fences from canter. He was a champ. Two of them were filmed, so I snapped a still photo.

Even funnier, being as now Rigsby actually JUMPS (LOL) I have dug out my last horse's jump saddle. It actually fits. Why is that funny? It happens to be a reit posh Chelderic, Buffalo hide mono, cost LOADS more than Rigsby did. I can't say it is WORTH more than Riggers, but It definitely cost more. It will be better than the dressage saddle anyway.

For the future, Rigsby isn't ready to further hop actual jump education. Not fit, toned, balanced and established enough in canter. But, I see no harm in a bit of play, basing it on the premise that he can trot to them if he needs to.

Nice afternoon out with my boy. :cool:
183192695_10220461701876584_5913670145187318876_n.jpg182632493_10220461702156591_852127337951391779_n.jpg182510956_10220461702396597_6807137360878487531_n.jpg
 

Red-1

I used to be decisive, now I'm not so sure...
Joined
7 February 2013
Messages
17,814
Location
Outstanding in my field!
Visit site
Rigsby has had a good week, been back on hack one day/school the next. He has been foot perfect. Lovely furry, friendly face. His canter has got stronger both hacking and schooling. He is putting his back into it!

I am decided on one thing though. he was exactly what I needed, when I needed it. But, I have started to look at stuff.... I realised that, right now, he has a pole work clinic booked, a pleasure ride booked, a dressage booked and... I'm not sure it is right.

I have dreams and ambitions. My dreams and ambitions are not Rigsby's!

Rigsby was exactly what I needed, when I needed it. But, he is an aged cob with many issues, and now, I think I need to start the search for another, more competitive type. Rigsby can stay! He is ace. He has done everything I could have hoped for and more.

I see Rigsby's future as a companion and as a hack/ride for friends.

*whispers* I may have booked to see a potential new horse tomorrow.

I don't know why I was so public with Riggers. I think it may have been that I was irked that people would all have said PTS when he is capable of making many people happy. I won't be public with the next one, I am generally a very private person.

I feel that Rigsby's thread may have come to an end. I may sporadically update, but not as prolifically as before.

Wish me luck tomorrow!
 
Last edited:

Red-1

I used to be decisive, now I'm not so sure...
Joined
7 February 2013
Messages
17,814
Location
Outstanding in my field!
Visit site
Thank you for sharing your journey with Rigsby with all of us - it's been very special to follow. Best of luck for tomorrow!

Thank you. He picked me up when I was very low. I feel ready to find a new partner in crime. And Rigsby gets to stay.

I am very fussy with what I buy, he may still be the main man for a while yet...
 
Top