Question for any Cob owners.

Sprout

Sprout

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To any of you lovely people who own a Cob - do your cobs suffer from mites in their feathers/around their fetlocks, and if so, is it difficult, time consuming and expensive to treat?
Another quick question, would you be put off buying a Cob for general hacking if it dished quite badly with both forelegs?

Any advice/opinions gratefully received, as I have finally found a lovely horse, after months of searching, and although I would obviously have it vetted if I decide to go ahead with buying it, some advice now would help!
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Dishing- No, friend of mine has a cob that dished with both front legs, she is great fun and so far has had no problems to do with dishing.
As for mites, no not really. I don't let his feathers grow though (keep his legs trimmed), the main problem is if I don't keep on top of them, they grow back and if they get wet and muddy they will irratate him that way. But like I said, if his legs are trimmed he doesn't get that so much.
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ETS: Didn't read your post properly
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tought you said do you have a proplem with feather mites. If I knew 100% that it had mites I may well be put off.
 
I wouldn't mind something that dished as sometimes it goes a bit with the right work anyway.

Wouldn't buy anything with mites. Got two friends whose cobs have them and it's a nightmare. One friend spends a fortune, vet out all the time, needs really careful management.
 
Keep his legs trimmed to avoid feather mites, would hibiscrub if he got itchy.

And no I personally wouldn't be put off by dishing (as long as the horse's price reflected it) for hacking.
 
Dishing-again i wouldnt mind, my cob dishes with her back foot and its never caused a problem there at least!

My girly has never suffered with mites and i only trim her hair in deepest winter to save mud fever and its just a trim to stop any hair dragging on the floor.
 
My old pony was a cob and she dished with both forelegs and i never had any problems at all she was great fun. As for mites i my mare never got them but i did know a horse that was forever stamping its feet and he had masses of feather, it was because he had mites. But we hibiscrubed them every 3-5 days and kept them clean and he was fine after.
I think cobs are great so dont hesitate if you like him.
 
mites are easily treated with Frontline dog flea spray.it is not licenced for horses but i went to a vet talk and the vet recomended this.my cob used to stamp her hind feet but i bought a bottle of this(about £12) and treated her twice about 2 weeks apart and she has never had it again.
 
Friend is using Frontline constantly and it doesn't work for longer than a few days. She follows her vet's management instructions to the letter but he has them constantly. Constantly changing bedding, vet out to give him special jabs for it, hibiscrub plus some other prescribed wash, creams....he kicks himself and then makes it septic, which makes it all worse.

Personally wouldn't buy one if I knew it had mites! IMHO there are enough good horses out there without any problems to spend my hard earned cash on something that has a known prob...esp because your insurance won't cover you for any treatment if you know it's got mites when you buy it.
 
As cahill says, frontline is great, not had any problems with mine for over a year after treating with this. You can also use invirmin? ( a wormer, not sure if thats right, it begins with an i anyway!) That is also reccommended by vets.
It would not put me off buying a cob, they are the best!
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I have a pigeon toed cob that dishes
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.. he's a happy hacker so no probs at all. As for mites..wouldn't put me off for a second.
 
I think it would be wise to ask your vet to do a skin scrape to find out if the horse actually has mites. In my experience cobs will stamp there feet because they are itchy but it is just because of grease in there heels and skin. This can be kept under control with pig oil and sulpher (see posts) by ThrersaF. I think a lot of money is wasted buying treatments, changing bedding etc when it may not be mites at all and just somthing that cobs and heavy horses have like Mallenders and Sallenders (the hard skin behind the knees and hocks). I think some vets assume it must be mites as thats what you get with hairy horses and they will tell you to take the feathers off and this will result in a whole host of other problems! Anyway thats just my view hope it helps
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I used to loan a cob who got mites. Frontline flea spray applied twice daily will have them gone in a week!! Also keep the legs away from wet conditions where the mites thrive!
 
I have a cob who had mites and dishes slightly.
Dishing doesnt bother me and the mites were cleared up by vets injections and frontline spray.

Cobs are THE best
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My coloured cob dishes slightly (has improved with age and correct shoeing) and still successfully competes at dressage and in showing classes. She hasn't has mites, but I have know others who have treated with Frontline.
 
My cob dished as a youngster but, as he's learnt to carry his gi-normous neck and shoulder, he's come off his forehand and the dishing has all but vanished!
We don't have feathers (good old clippers!) so no problem there.
 
My cob only had mites and stamped her feet when she was on a straw bed at camp last year,it stopped irritating her when she came off it,she has feathers and hasn't had any trouble with them.
I wouldn't mind a horse that dished if it was for hacking only although i will never be just a happy hacker, i would expect the price to reflect the dishing however.
 
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