Hi there, im really having problems with my horse with getting him to hold his head in and iv been told this is so important to a ridden cob class is this true?
Showing is all about the overall picture - so if you go into the ring with your horse poking it's nose with a neck like a giraffe, you are unlikely to do well.
you need to get the engine going first - that is to school him so he engages his hocks, rounds his back and drops onto the bridle, rather than just pulling the head in!!
It's my bugbear in some show classes that the judges seem to like the "head pinned to the horse's chest but the hocks are in another county" way of going. This is more so in show pony and M&M classes where there are no ride judges though.
Cob classes at anything above local level will have a ride judge and you will be found out of you take short cuts in your schooling. If you are not sure what you are doing, get a good instructor to help you, and good luck.
