Losing faith in my ability to make something of my cob :(

E

eatonbraynat

Well-Known Member
Joined
9 July 2009
Messages
400
Visit site
My cob was an absolute arse today and i just wonder if we are actually getting anywhere it is really getting me down. :(

I had dressage on sunday which didnt go to badly but for those who have read my prev posts, we struggle getting any where near a nice canter, it is fast and hurried and he is strong.

My instructor has been suggesting i have a stronger bit for jumping but i feel like i dont want to fail and put him in something stronger, i think i ought to be able to ride him in a snaffle to do everything otherwise my riding must be at fault.

Avery kind member of HH leant me a Wilkie snaffle which i finally found some brakes in, but today i went back to a snaffle to do some schooling and again he was strong and was bucking in canter which is not like him at all. (All back teeth etc are regularly checked)

So i am just wondering is anything actually going to get better, i feel like i try so hard and do all the right things regualr lessons etc, but god things are so hard sometimes.

cookies for all sorry for the long post.
 
Hi eatonbraynat, I'm relatively new on here, so forgive me if this is answered elsewhere but how old is said cob job?
 
Im not very good on the advice but i feel exactly the same as you today after just having a terrible lesson this afternoon. I just feel like giving up on the lessons and going back to happy hacking:(
 
Hey, Relax and don't panic!

I've got a little cobby beast too and he tends to lean alot and tank along...I cried once because we just weren't getting anywhere with schooling OR hacking.

However, I've had a handful of lessons over the last year and been patient - the improvement isn't always obvious - BUT last weekend we went to our first ODE, didn't place but he behaved impeccably and I felt confident on him. I then took him for an hour hack yeserday and LOVED it, we were calm and steady, no stressing and he really made me smile!

I school him in the hole below the snaffle of a 3 ring gag and hack on the bottom hole... this is perfect for him as it puts pressure on his poll and seriously gives us some brakes which is alowwing me to rebuild my confidence!

Don't worry about the bit, something a teency amount stronger than a snaffle really won't affect your horse and once he is going well and understanding what he's supposed to be doing in a stronger bit, you can slowly work your way back to the snaffle. That's my plan anyway!

And I forgot to say we didn't used to have canter...we had walk, trot and wall of death. But at the ODE we were getting 8's for our canter...

soooo if you've read all my blithering rubbish (:D) just have patience...and eventually you WILL see a difference!

Good luck!
 
If your hands are reasonably sympathetic then I would definitely try a slightly stronger bit rather than let him learn he can tank off. With my big necked girl I like a mullen mouth pelham with 2 reins. Most of the time she is ridden on the gentle mullein but I can use the bottom rein if I need to 'explain' something to her.
 
A stronger bit is NOT fail, each horse has a different mouth! Not all mouths are of the snaffle variety! If he is strong then it sounds like it would probably work in your favour. Sometimes it takes a simple thing like a change of bit for everything else to come together ....
 
Don't give up!

A stronger bit is not the solution. Practise, practise and more practise. You feel he starts to get strong? Brakes on and halt. Put your hands forward (whilst in halt) and make him wait. Everytime he starts to get strong, you have to do this exercise. This has helped me and many other people with strong horses.

Your just in a depressed mode, with winter approching and nothing seems to go your way. I think many people have lost their inspiration, but time will tell it all.
 
We tried everything on my show cob ,a very strong ride if she got excited,in the end for anything that made the adrenaline flow it was a dutch gag,grackle and a running martingale...and still she was strong in that combination.
 
Well if you read the H/H today about the girl who won gold at the WEG, she had problems all the way with the big chestnut and they came good. Have faith in yourself and cob, nothing comes easy, and when you start getting the right results from you both, look back in wisdom and pleasure that you got there.:D:D:D:D:D:D
 
At 8 if he knows what you're asking, is worked regularly and has no change in management (e.g. more restricted turn out/just been clipped so feeling the wind/more hard feed as grazing less good etc, etc) out-of-character bucking in canter would worry me.

Some horses love jumping and generally bouncing around but if yours is normally steadier (well, with more feet on the ground anyway, it sounds like brakes are a known issue) then I'd expect something was up

- fit of saddle (getting fitter = change of shape?)
- back or something else twinged
- something rubbing/pinching

The only time my last regular ride bucked under saddle was
- when he'd changed shape and it didn't suit any more
- one day when he had a fly bite rubbing under the saddle area

Obviously there are heaps of other possible reasons, including him just getting sick of all the new schooling he has to do, but the one thing you shouldn't do is ignore/fight it if it keeps happening. It would be much easier if they could talk but as they can;t we have to use everything at our disposal to listen!
 
I have a cob who is 8 years old I have owned her since she was 2 years old. We have worked so hard together but we have had our ups and downs. Every time I think I have mastered something she throws another obstacle in my way. She is a lovely horse though but she is a challenge to hack but I keep persevering. I have affilliated her at dressage (usually scoring 62-63% because she has such a good walk and trot) and I nick name her can't canter won't canter! After many thousands of pounds spent on flatwork lessons our canter is becoming uphill and is more balanced so don't give up the rewards are greater if you work hard to achieve. I hack now with a gag with roundings even though she has a nice soft mouth because if she sets her neck against me to go I would rather give a little tweak than a strong hard pull with no effect. And remember it is better the devil you know.....
 
hello :)
dont worry. happens to everyone!
there is a nice cob at my riding school, Paddy.
He is lovely but he is impossible to get moving but when he gets into canter you cant stop him! There is aload of people who ride him and he is going back to walking to go to a jump , trot then canter. maybe you can try that? try do alot of flat work before you do the actually test.
just please dont give up. thats somthing not to do!
good luck :DD
 
I always get the canter work established out hacking first, then start thinking about getting them in a frame , working etc once they're built up enough and more balanced to start incorporating that....and then once we can get it in big circles and lines out hacking, then start the schooling work. That said, our schooling work, Hairy virtually doesn't do that much cantering in the school as it's too small for him really and shuts him down too much. All our schooling is done in the field if we do do a bit of schooling tbh...majority of it is just hacking and having him schooling out hacking.

Keep at it hun.
 
hannahmurphy said:
A stronger bit is NOT fail, each horse has a different mouth! Not all mouths are of the snaffle variety! If he is strong then it sounds like it would probably work in your favour. Sometimes it takes a simple thing like a change of bit for everything else to come together ....
Click to expand...

I agree and if you are having to haul him about to get him to listen in a snaffle but can be softer with a stronger bit then it is, IMO, definately a way forward!

We should learn from our animals everyday how to improve ourselves and make us better at what we want to do with them. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top