People are starting to buy more and more cobs - interesting !

councillor said:
Im not "over horsed" I was well aware of her temperament and talent as it was my friend and instructor who informed me about her when she became available,!
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You misunderstood my post.

I didn't say YOU were overhorsed, it strikes me you have found a horse you are very well suited to and enjoy riding.

I was making the point that there people out there that do buy horses by breed or even colour and don't put temperament first.

What do you think would happen if someone inexperience or unconfident had bought your mare thinking as a cob she would be a easy option?
 
councillor said:
I have a cob cross warmblood.....she is a powerhouse, yes, but too thick set to be much use?? eh no, I can assure you she is hugely talented.

Im on a competition yard full of dumbloods and sport horses and she more than holds her own. Apart from the now retired PSG horse she has the [COLOUR=RED]highest level of schooling[/COLOUR],
...
or pulling my arms out because she wants to be in the front. if the jump is less than 90 she has no respect for it and acts like it is an insult to ask her to jump it.
She is possibly the sharpest horse I have ever rode, and yes I struggle with this as I had wanted the quieter life, hence why I got something with a bit of cob in.
...
try telling my girl she cant do what the others can do...in fact if you try and TELL her to do anything she will put you in your place...you ask, never tell x
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The bits I have bolded tend to make me think the red is not completely true. Any horse, whether "dumb-blood" as you so lovingly put it (with your dumb-blood cross ;)) or cob shouldn't be doing that- Its no proof of talent. The fact she uses her power against you and has no manners, essentially backs up what I'm saying.

The only cob I've enjoyed riding was a 15.2 irish mare, blue and white, clipped and hogged out. She wasn't much to look at, but she was a lot of fun to cover the countryside in- powerful, safe, a 5th leg to keep you out of trouble and brains. She didn't try and drag your arms out or try and boss you. I wish I could have copied her 10 times over, I'd have made a fortune(!).
 
Ah my apologies :) I do get a bit defensive as there are a couple of Diva's on my yard who look down their noses at her and myself. We do prefer to just puddle around at home and not go out hunting down red ribbons, but been there done that so apart from the dressage at home we just mosey along playing in the school with no pressure.


What do you think would happen if someone inexperience or unconfident had bought your mare thinking as a cob she would be a easy option?

Well this is how my instructor found her, another girl tried her and she was not a good match..lol...she could get walk and flat out round the school!!! I rarely let others ride her as she is a one person horse, my husband says she is the horse version of me...I ask if that is slim and beautiful.....he says no, broad beamed and opinionated is closer!!! ;)
 
I think it's the old saying of 'horses for courses'. A lot of riders these days are pleasure riders who want to do low level RC and maybe a BE100/Novice-Medium dressage test which many (not all!) cobs can do quite happily - they may not be as flashy as a WB/TB but they can still do the job. For those who want to be seriously competitive in any sphere are better suited to the TB/WB types who are capable of doing what their owners want them to do.
 
xloopylozzax said:
The bits I have bolded tend to make me think the red is not completely true. Any horse, whether "dumb-blood" as you so lovingly put it (with your dumb-blood cross ;)) or cob shouldn't be doing that- Its no proof of talent. The fact she uses her power against you and has no manners, essentially backs up what I'm saying.

The only cob I've enjoyed riding was a 15.2 irish mare, blue and white, clipped and hogged out. She wasn't much to look at, but she was a lot of fun to cover the countryside in- powerful, safe, a 5th leg to keep you out of trouble and brains. She didn't try and drag your arms out or try and boss you. I wish I could have copied her 10 times over, I'd have made a fortune(!).
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I over exaggerated the puling arms out ( as I have already explained to someone else) she is powerful and you can feel the power, but in fact she is very responsive as she is a well schooled horse. She has very good manners, and is easy to handle on the ground, but she is not a novice ride, nor is she a ride for someone who thinks they are "gods gift to riding" she teaches you to ride and respect the fact she has the good grace to work with you as long as you work with her...To me that is a good and talented horse...even if it has got a big chunk of cob in it.

Horses would not be the challenge they are and would not produce the passion we all have for them if they were all the same, and predictable. No matter haw far down the line we are or how good a rider we may think we are there is always one who will show us a new prospective. It would be a mistake if we try to put all horses into boxes just because of a label we humans put on them.
 
I'm sure it is personal preference, but I can't say I have seen a rise in cobs entering competitive classes.

I really dislike coloured cobs in general as I just don't think they look smart at all, and I owned one for seven and a half years. He cost me more in food during the winter than the TBs we have now, he caused me more stress, more worry, more time and more injuries. Whilst I stand by the fact the my coloured cob was a good teamchaser and did all manner of competitions, his talents had a ceiling far lower than any of our TBs and TB crosses. IMO it has also been much easier to take a TB or a TB cross with decent conformation and do well in strong classes out showing, however with my coloured cob, who was non traditional with bone but not substantial enough for heavies he was a inbetweeny cob cross with a pulled mane and tail, clipped legs far too ugly to get any real stance in a hunter class.
 
Broke_But_Happy said:
I think it's the old saying of 'horses for courses'. A lot of riders these days are pleasure riders who want to do low level RC and maybe a BE100/Novice-Medium dressage test which many (not all!) cobs can do quite happily - they may not be as flashy as a WB/TB but they can still do the job. For those who want to be seriously competitive in any sphere are better suited to the TB/WB types who are capable of doing what their owners want them to do.
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I think this is the key. Most people can find a cobby type with the jump, paces, looks etc to compete at the level they want to; and cobs are perceived as being low maintenance compared to TBs and warmbloods. Not necessarily easier to ride but needing fewer rugs, less feed and less veterniary attention.
 
I think cobs are popular because there are a lot more lesiure riders now. Those wanting to go for a happy hack and do the odd RC summer show. Generally yes they are safer then other breeds, they are cold bloods bred to pull carts they needed strength and a biddable temprement. Not spindly legs and a hot nature ;).
Saying that I get cross when people pidgeon hole my TB with predjudice as I can do anything with my TB that I could do with a cob so I can well understand how cob owners get frustrated as well.
Anyone who wants to progress up the levels competition wise though needs a horse with more blood. You have to have it. It's physics at the end of the day. There are super cobs who's big hearts and good technique take them a long way but there comes a time when they simply do not have the athletic ability. I like riding a blood horse that finds things easy.

It's horses for courses :p.
 
Firewell said:
I like riding a blood horse that finds things easy.

It's horses for courses :p.
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I like riding horses that are well trained and well mannered, regardless of breed.

I buy horses (ponies) which are easy to keep and train, and most importantly ones I can get back on when I fall off :p

Mind you, if I had a blood horse, I'd want to push it to see how far it could go, and kill myself in the process :o
 
This is the C&T area of H&H so of course most posters want to compete but so many riders simply don't want to. All they want is to be able to have a safe hack out on a sensible horse which is easy to look after.

In the past I've had arabs and sportier types, now I have a coloured cob mare who I mostly hack out and do low level dressage with. She lives out all year round with minimal feed, is the same whether ridden every day or once a month but has enough character to keep me interested.

I know lots of you will say "oh but my TB does that", well that's fine but I, like so many other riders, am happier with something a bit closer to the ground and more weight carrying than a TB.

If I wanted a competition horse I'd buy a TB/warmblood/ISH but if I want a horse to go on a steady hack with I'd choose a cob.

Why is that an issue and why are so many posters knocking cobs?
 
Tapir said:
This is the C&T area of H&H so of course most posters want to compete but so many riders simply don't want to. All they want is to be able to have a safe hack out on a sensible horse which is easy to look after.


Why is that an issue and why are so many posters knocking cobs?
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You said it yourself, this is C&T and the OP was saying cobs can do all that sport horses can do, which is what many have been disagreeing with. People aren't 'knocking cobs', in fact most people are praising their use for those who'd rather hack and do local level stuff, but very few cobs are athletic enough to seriously compete.
 
I would cr*p myself tackling those fences on a TB let alone a cob. Might it have been grassroots rider on a fit cob, or just a coloured sports horse!?

Am not a cob person myself (albeit have known some nice ones) but I wish they were more popular. Would rather see someone with a nice chilled cob that they enjoy than buying a dumblood because it looks flash, and spending most of their life petrified of it (might be slighly influenced by keeping horse close to London - seems to be a lot of them).

Having said that the cobs I've known, whilst sweet, have all had a bit of a tendency to be bargy, stubborn and just generally like their own way. Didn't mean they weren't nice under saddle but have seen them run riot over novice handlers (and why do cobs always have such a talent for standing on your feet??)
 
If you can't ride, you can probably meet your competition aspirations on a cob. You'll also be completely oblivious to the horse's way of going, so won't know/care that it's moving like an arthritic hippo.

If you can ride, you'll need a horse with some 'blood' whether that's TB, Warmblood, Arab or similar, so that it has the athleticism, and dynamic conformation to achieve.

N.b. Le Trec is different - as most of the competitors are cob types. (I've been 'involved' in some Le Trec's and have to say that a large percentage if not the majority were overweight cobs, many were also unshod and footsore).

Hope that helps.
S :D
 
Puppy said:
A horse being coloured doesn't necessarily make it a gypsy cob... :confused:
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I googled it at the time and I cant remember who it was :rolleyes: It was quite chunky for a horse at that level but not your typical gypsy cob.

I want to say it began with P but I cant remember
 
Shilasdair said:
N.b. Le Trec is different - as most of the competitors are cob types. (I've been 'involved' in some Le Trec's and have to say that a large percentage if not the majority were overweight cobs, many were also unshod and footsore).
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Well, I do a fair bit of TREC (on a very fit, sleek highland who is also unshod but not footsore) and I sadly agree with this. The number of obese cobs I see out at every event is as bad at local/lower county level showing and I am genuinely horrified by the sight of them.

Most of the worst obese cases seem to have trouble making the times (I over-analyse published results :o ) and when I've seen them out on the POR, I see them covering the ground so slowly, I'm not surprised they're obese :(
 
Chestnut cob from our yard came 3rd at badminton grassroots last week - led the dressage with 22.8 but rolled a pole in the sj. And all of this at the ripe age of 20! He's very athletic for his type and will crush every stereotype there is about cobs but he's an exception. Most cobs are realistically local level happy hacker types.
 
It states the horse was a traditional cob , obviously has been smartened up and is lightweight . Just because people own cobs doesn't mean they cannot ride !!! I have been riding for 15 years ( since I was 5) I owned a Warmblood previously but with all the medical issues you tend to find with the finer breeds (ESP. TBs ) I much prefer my cob , I can go anywhere on him , he's only 4 but will do anything for me ! I would much rather have a lovely forward going but safe ride than a sharp , spooky horse which I have to worry about the next obstacle we face !
Yes not all cobs are sensible I owned a crazy welsh before my cob x ISH he was more like a TB !
 
I may be missing something, but didn't Jess_asterisk come 3rd at grassroots in the 90 (and her horse is no cob!) and according to the website the 3rd in the 100 went to a 9 year old bay :o
 
JFTD said:
I may be missing something, but didn't Jess_asterisk come 3rd at grassroots in the 90 (and her horse is no cob!) and according to the website the 3rd in the 100 went to a 9 year old bay :o
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There where four sections because all the 2012 people and the 2013 people where completing because it was cancelled last year.
That probally explains it.
 
There were 2 years of finals running along side each other - Harvey hooves came 3rd in the other 90 final if you look at the results.
 
Goldenstar said:
There where four sections because all the 2012 people and the 2013 people where completing because it was cancelled last year.
That probally explains it.
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Do you know, I didn't note the fact there were 2012 results despite there being no competition last year. I'm quite thick sometimes...

Thanks for the explanation, I was confused, sorry keenjean...
 
I think the mere fact that the pro-cobbists are scrabbling around trying to find even a part bred that once made it round rather disproves the original 'people are competing cobs' hypothesis, don't you?

S :D
 
Shilasdair said:
If you can't ride, you can probably meet your competition aspirations on a cob. You'll also be completely oblivious to the horse's way of going, so won't know/care that it's moving like an arthritic hippo.

If you can ride, you'll need a horse with some 'blood' whether that's TB, Warmblood, Arab or similar, so that it has the athleticism, and dynamic conformation to achieve.

N.b. Le Trec is different - as most of the competitors are cob types. (I've been 'involved' in some Le Trec's and have to say that a large percentage if not the majority were overweight cobs, many were also unshod and footsore).

Hope that helps.
S :D
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I think I love you in a none-lesbian way...
 
Actually Lorna Clarke won on a cob called Poppadom back in the dark ages but Badminton was a different challenge and there is no way he had gypsy blood but more ID type cob which actually can be pretty useful. He was hogged and coloured! Only coloured to have won at 4* I believe.
 
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