Learning to love a TB!

Cobs don't give such a nice ride?? Suppose that depends on your definition of "nice".

Generally speaking a cob is going to cost less to keep than a TB, I wasn't talking about it getting sick I was talking about feeding and clothing it.
 
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A TB is generally smoother and less tiring than a cob to ride, because of its longer stride. And clothing (Im presuming you mean rugs?) is what you decide to spend- some people would have 10 different rugs for their cob, my TB is perfectly happy with one stable rug and one turnout rug. If its really cold I put an old cast off blanket or old duvet under the rug.
Maybe needs more food than a cob or native, but no more than a warmblood or most hunters. Its all down to preference.
 
Why do these types of thread always end up with people slagging off different breeds :p every horse is different and theres general pros and cons to every breed. (FYI I challenge anyone to ride my beautiful welsh sec D and not describe it as a brilliant ride).
My OH has ridden and broken racers since he was a kid. He now owns a very handsome tb x standardbred. Its not so much about the breed its about finding the right horse with the qualities you want. My OHs horse is a complete gentleman to handle. Id let a kid lead him around with their little finger. To ride he can be a bit of a hot head but that being said Ive ridden him a few times and he has looked after me beautifully.
Look at a horse as an individual rather than just its breeding :)
 
So many people have no idea what a true tb is like.

They are sound, hardy and take no more feeding than any other quality horse.

A good tb is the king of all horses, no contest.
There are poor examples, due to the sheer amount being bred every year (same with cobs) but a good tb is the most lovely, versatile partner you can find.
 
I adore TBs, and could rave about the positives of owning one all day long. (What's not to love?!)

However OP we shouldn't be trying to convince you to learn to love one-if you're not 100% and don't feel that they'd be the right breed for you, then I'd keep saving your pennies until you can afford what you'd really desire. Or if that's not possible, can you loan in the meantime? Buying the wrong horse can lead to all sorts of complications and issues, you know in your gut what you really need.

However in my eyes and completely non biased opinion (!) you couldn't do better than a TB.
 
I've always loved natives and since I'm no lightweight, always the larger ones. Grew up riding and being dumped by connemaras and moved on to Welsh Cs and Ds with a Halflinger and Highland in between. Stopped riding for about 5 years for various reasons and have only restarted recently.

Much to my amazement I'm slowly being converted to TBs. I love their stride and their 'go' for want of a better word. Due to age, lack of fitness and various injuries over the years I'm not comfortable or effective on the wider natives/cobs that need a little more pushing, the shorter stride is also harder for me to ride. The bigger NH types carry me well, they have enough shoulder and neck that I don't feel like I'm sitting on the edge of a cliff ( not like the little ex flat racers that originally put me off TBs) and I'm really enjoying them. A few of them are bit grumpy in the stable/ girthing up and soundness has been a bit of an issue but take into account that these are teenage with a few into their twenties that have all raced for at least a few seasons and really it's amazing how tough they are. I also know a lot of cobs and natives that suffer with soundness issues too but normally for different reasons than the TBs - the latter from being worked hard early and the cobs/natives from not being worked enough and getting too fat IMO.

I never thought I'd say this but I'd seriously consider the right TB as my next horse!
 
Equine_Dream said:
Or just buy a tb x cob.....problem solved lol ;)
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TBH I'm a bit confused about what a cob is! I had a Welsh D/TB as far as I was concerned he was a lightweight cob, sadly he seemed to have inherited all the wrong things from both breeds and he was the only horse to date that I've had to PTS because we couldn't get him sound. Not one of my best buys as when he was sound he wasn't the nicest horse!
 
oldie48 said:
TBH I'm a bit confused about what a cob is! I had a Welsh D/TB as far as I was concerned he was a lightweight cob, sadly he seemed to have inherited all the wrong things from both breeds and he was the only horse to date that I've had to PTS because we couldn't get him sound. Not one of my best buys as when he was sound he wasn't the nicest horse!
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Ye i know what you mean. When I think of cobs I think of big hairy fluffy horses. I have a full welsh sec D and I dont think of her as a cob but then I know plenty of people would.

Anyway OP maybe a tbx is the way to go? Ive known some lovely horses including my OHs that have all the lovely qualities of the breed without any of the bad. Plus money wise they dont necessarily cost a fortune.
On the other hand there are some lovely tbs out there. The yard where I keep my horses has bred and raced point2pointers for years and its where my OH has previously worked breaking and riding them. You have your stereotypical bouncy hyper tbs but you also have some absoloute angels. One that springs to mind is a beautiful 17hh pure black gelding who you could trust with the most nervous of novices.
You can find some lovely tbs. You just need to be very selective and make sure it has all the qualities you want :)
 
I've had 2 TBs and i would never have another one. Both fantastic horses to ride and I had loads of fun with them but they both broke the bank due to constantly having something wrong with them. I now have a cob- who is also costing the earth in vets bills ha ha. I'm cursed! My hardiest have absolutely been those with a lot of native blood.
 
An off the track TB is a very common horse here in NZ - and the majority are just awesome. I've had a few and loved them all. The riding school I ran for 20 years had several - all used to teach beginners (schools owner was an ex jockey with brothers who train racehorses).

Like all horses they all have different personalities and some do not require tons of food, the school horses lived out year round, including in the snow, wore one canvas wool lined cover and had hay twice a day and a hard feed if brought in to work.

These are some pics of them
Danielle with Acretion winner of several flat races at a local show
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Palais Glyde winner of several races - ex jumper
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Donaghue - Unraced eventually went to UK became a 2* Eventer - with a pupil on a Cross country lesson at a local Pony Club (fence 105cms)
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My own beautiful boy Tnavas with a pupil at South Island Dressage Champs
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I used to be very anti TB....before I rode a few ex-racers. They were sweet natured and gave a wonderful smooth ride that knocks the spots off the vast majority of cobs which is what I usually ride. They do seem a bit accident prone and I wouldn't want anything I have to tip feed down so on that score I'd think twice maybe but plenty of people out there lurrrrrrve feed and rugs (to be honest if I ended up with one I'd just see how it went because my yearling TB x app did absolutely fine outwintered without a rug, or field shelter, on no hard feed whatsoever!) so if you are one and find one you click with, why not?


...are cobs that expensive though? They're ten a penny round here!
 
I never thought I would get another after my last tb mare, but I have fallen hook line and sinker for a unbacked 3yr old tb bay mare due to her genuine personality she adores company of people fuss and a good groom.
She's unshod, lives out with a medium weight rug comes in for a feed dopest sweetest little lady I've ever met.
I'm so excited about getting her and having the fun of breaking her in.

My cb x was true to the cb breed with stubbornness etc but trusted him with my life.
 
We have 2 TB's at my stud, a 22 year old ex-racer and a 6 year old mare.
The older gelding is the sweetest and we let the children groom and ride him when they come round. He's one of the kindest horses we have and has all the patience in the world - he is not thouroughbred-y at all!! However he can be a bit spirited to ride even in his old age, he pulls your arms out when we pass our gallops track!!
The 6 year old can be a massive *****. she's mostly a lovely horse but worries - I find that a common thing with tb's, wide eyed and panicky. All i can suggest to that is to make sure you do everything nice and slow however we've taken her to various dressage and showjumping competitions and she's always been fine then. She can be very impatient and unpredictable (as with most horses) and I don't trust the children around her at all. Not a bad horse, never means harm in anything she does, just worries everything will hurt her! Both lovely horses though - and absolutely beautiful to look at with good scopey paces!
 
Like everyone else has said all tbs are different. I loaned one and although I wouldn't trust him again and I would find it difficult to trust an ex racer I would look at a tb that hadn't raced (although that's difficult). Just go based on the connection between you and the horse nothing else is important.
 
SatansLittleHelper said:
JadeyB how tall are you?
I'm 5ft 11 and just downsized to a 15.2hh cob. I've always ridden 16.2+ so it's been a shock to the system lol but it can be done.
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I'm 5ft 8 but am used to a strapping 17.2hh German WB! to be honest everything feels small and skinny to me now so i'll just have to get used to that :)

I think everyone is right about the connection... i never planned on having such a big horse when i got my boy, we just ended up together and were perfect for one another (but that took a while if i'm honest, he had trust issues and my confidence had been shot to pieces by another horse). i really hope i find that bond again so will look at loaning for a while before i think about buying .
 
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Temperament wise, every horse is an individual so I'd never write off a breed on these grounds. I'm not a fan of TBs purely for physical reasons. I just prefer a heavier type with a nice big neck in front of me. I always feel perched on top of a TB and like there's nothing in front of me to save me should anything go awry.

I ride a friend's ex racer now and again and there's nothing typically TB about him, temperament wise. He's calm, easy, unflappable and while he's fast if you let him go (compared to my two anyway!) he's never strong and stops the second you ask him. Much easier than my ISH thug. He's an ex racer as he didn't like to race, he just trundled along at the back enjoying the view. However, despite being a chunkier steeplechasing type TB and 17.1, I feel like I'm some sort of giant on a tiny pony and that's never going to change.
 
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Sooooo... I went to see a horse to share, who is a TB, and an eventer too (not my cuppa at all).... AND i really like him!!! I'm now hoping that his owner likes me enough to want me to share! Never say never eh!
 
If you don't like them... Don't buy one...

Love my chap. He's small. And a total nuisance. But very lovable and has several titles on his belt.

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Taken me to the regionals Prelim-Adv Med with 70%+ Prelim-Med. ROR Elem and Med champion. Winter Nationals Novice, Elem and Med. Schooling PSG with pi/pa too, currently landing around the 65-67% mark at Adv Med. Not too shabby.

He hacks, he jumps, he goes to the gallops and the beach. Barefoot too before there's any rubbish feet comments ;)

Costs me a fortune in feed, yes. Needs a lot of rugs, yes.

You really do have to look at them as individuals. There are as many cobs, arabs, WB's, ISH's as there are TB's with a less than ideal attitude to life, so don't lump them all in the same category.

Personally, I wouldn't have some types of horse because their shape doesn't suit mine and their way of going will absolutely work against them for what I want to do.
 
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I have a TB. Eats the same as the TB x ID and wears a slightly heavier rug. This year she has grown a really thick coat (for a TB!) and has spent most of this winter turned out in a rain sheet or the 70g and that is more for my benefit than hers as she is a serial roller and I can do without spending 2 hours scraping mud of her before I can ride. She has an entire field to roll in, so she has to roll next to the water or next to the gate where it is muddy!
 
I don't have a Tb but wouldn't hesitate to own one in future. I have never met a bad one, when I was a student and couldn't afford my usual riding school lessons I used to ride an ex-racer for a a friend. The mare and raced then gone to stud then straight to my friend who had only had her a few weeks. I had pretty much only ridden riding school ponies (although the riding school had several ex-racers that I rode). There was no school so I went straight out for a solo hack totally unaccompanied, and continue used to hack alone without problems for several months before I got an office job and had to give up the share.

That mare was fab her only real fault was that she didn't stand to mount.

I now have a WBXTB who costs me a fortune in feed and is as thin skinned and sensitive as any TB!

Having said that don't buy a TB if you genuinely don't like them (rather than just being prejudiced). At 5ftp you don't need anything big. I am the same height and am happy on anything over 15hh and will happily ride smaller if their build suits. I currently ride a 13.2hh fjord and she is plenty of horse for me!
 
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