'safe' cob? napping

[dorito]

Hi all, just typed a huge post and lost it somehow.

I'm not a very confident rider (like most people, it comes and goes - mostly depends on the horse). been sharing a chunky cob for about 5 months, he's tried to nap with me when hacking alone/company, yesterday he succeeded - just turned and went for home, much as i could do to pull him up to a walk. Was NOT going to fight him on a (admittedly very quiet) tarmac road, he is very round with a constantly-slipping saddle. I know for a fact he naps with other riders but not been openly told so by his owner. on owner's advice I hack out on second ring of a gag bit.

After yesterday's experience, feel like bowing out now before worse happens. He's not very nice to handle TBH - nothing nasty but an ignoramus p***-taker. on the plus side he's a really light and sensitive ride in the school. albeit really one-sided.

trouble is I was hoping to gain some confidence on him before starting to look for my own pony again. not so sure about the whole idea now. thoughts, opinions please?

 

[spacefaer]

Just because cobs are chunky and normally quiet, doesn't mean they are stupid or slow - so many people assume they are, but every one I've ever had dealings with are bright - they just use their energy for activities other than human work

Most "quiet" chunky cobs are owned and ridden by more novice or nervous riders - they can also be very strong to handle, pushy in hand and ignorant under saddle - because they're quiet and not necessarily very forward going, people don't always take the time and trouble when they're broken to school them to educate them as they would a young competition horse

I suspect your boy is enjoying himself taking the proverbial with you and with his other riders - he needs taking in hand by someone competant and confident to make him realise the error of his ways (and before anyone jumps on me, I'm not suggesting beating him up, merely being firm with him when he tries it on) The trouble with this type of horse, as I said, is that they're bright - and he probably would be a little angel for someone if he thought they wouldn't let him "play" with them!!

I would talk to his owner, suggest that maybe they got a saddle that fitted (doesn't sound very safe to me tbh) and explain your concerns.

If I were you, I would want to be riding a horse that built my confidence, not one that constantly knocked it - whatever level of rider you are, riding and being around horses is meant to be enjoyable

 

[marmalade76]

Most horses, after being regularly ridden by riders who lack confidence, will behave in one of two ways - they will either lose confidence themselves or take advantage of the rider, a confident horse who doesn't do this is a rare find indeed (a friend is looking for one, if anyone knows of one for sale, let me know!)

As he isn't nice to handle he sounds like he's not a very generous chap and I would find something else before he dents your confidence any more.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

I'm not a very confident rider (like most people, it comes and goes - mostly depends on the horse). been sharing a chunky cob for about 5 months, he's tried to nap with me when hacking alone/company, yesterday he succeeded - just turned and went for home, much as i could do to pull him up to a walk. Was NOT going to fight him on a (admittedly very quiet) tarmac road, he is very round with a constantly-slipping saddle. I know for a fact he naps with other riders but not been openly told so by his owner. on owner's advice I hack out on second ring of a gag bit.

Ok, I am the proud owner of a very nappy mare. However she hardly ever naps these days and when she does it's very half hearted and easily corrected. She outwardly appears to be the ultimate safe happy hacker and in many ways she is, but it could all be so easily undone. Therefore I never let novice or nervous people hack her out.

I think that this horse is not a good match for you because other people are allowing him to nap. If you want to continue with this horse then everyone needs to work on the problem.

RE, the parts of your post that I have put in bold:

1. Confidence. The best way to build your confidence is to build up good experiances. So set up your rides so that it will go well. Go back a few steps and make everything easy. Maybe, just work in the school for the next few rides or do some in-hand work (it sounds like this would be very good for him). Always end the session on a good note.

2. You don't need to fight. I have often posted about my mares hate for our local Alpacas (sorry to everyone who's fed up of this saga ). She would have a total hissy fit at them (spinning, rearing, backing up etc...). I decided to ask her to stand nicely before we reached them so that I could dis-mount, then lead her past them, then ask her to stand nicely for me to re-mount. Low and behold, no napping and the mare had done everything that I had asked (what a good girl ), after a few times of the Alpacas not eating her I was able to start riding her past them.

If I'd been riding the cob and he's turned and headed for home and it was too dangerous to have a battle, I'd have calmly pulled him up, got off and led him back the way that I wanted to go. I would have re-mounted once he's started to behave. With this horse I would also only ever ride circular routes, no turning around and coming home the same way ever, ever, ever!

3. His saddle needs checking and if it does fit then he needs a grippy numnah or anti-slip pad.

 

[Brandy]

I would say this is not the horse for you at the moment, You want to build your confidence and this sort of behaviour will only dent it further.

'safe cobs' as someone else said will take the pee or possibly lose confidence themselves, neither of which you want or need. I would look around for another share or part loan maybe with an owner who will help and guide you more than the current one.

 

[arizonahoney]

When he naps, what do you do? Might be worth growling at him a bit and smacking him to show that you mean business and are not to be trifled with... Just as a starting point.

Also if you can't stop him, turn him away from where he wants to go and push him on (counter-intuitive!) so that he works out that disagreeing with you is more tiring than doing what you ask of him in the first place.

Body protector? People often feel more confident with that extra layer of padding!

 

[Miss L Toe]

I don't like the idea that there are other people riding him and that the owner is happy to let a novice ride a difficult horse and not making sure everything is going well.
I have a difficult horse and I let a few people ride him when I am not there, but he is only allowed to hack out in company, as he is best with another horse but even then he can get worried and whip round [or as one girl said, he ran off with me, well yes, twenty metres back to his pal]

 

[KittyJay]

it sounds like you don't really want to carry it on, in which case you shouldn't, riding needs to be relaxing and fun, especially if you lack confidence.
but if not i would suggest a bit of dutch courage, a body protector, gloves, thick jods and several coats and go for it. if he succeeds in napping don't try to pull him around straight away, bring him to a halt, take a deep breath, take as long as you need, then bring him back around and continue. this might be totally 'wrong' but it works much better for me than a spinning/pulling battle.
what about an in-hand hack, or take somebody with you on foot, or hack with someone else but lead?

 

[Ibblebibble]

if he's not giving you the confidence you're looking for then i think he's the wrong horse for you at the moment. A cob who knows his own strength and how to use it against you is no fun at all
sounds like he's being ridden by a few different riders as well? if there's no consistency in how he's ridden thats not going to help either.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Mmmm, sounds just like my cob: 99% darling & 1% ASBO. Cobs are like this; and the problem is that everyone looks at a cob and thinks he/she's a plod. Not so!! They have a mind of their own, are frequently quirky, and are predictably unpredictable!

It sounds like the one you were riding has issues when solo hacking and this is most likely a confidence issue. Mine used to do this, until I learnt how to be a herd leader he felt safe with; we got there (eventually) doing a lot of ground work till he knew the rules, i.e. respecting my space, only going backwards when I said so, ditto sideways, etc etc. There isn't any short cut to this, and I would say this honestly to you coz if you REALLY are sure you wanna get this cob going well for you, there's no short cut TBH.

However, from what you say, this isn't your normal mount? If you want something that's a confidence-giver, I'd be inclined to book a session at a riding centre and have a lesson on a schoolmaster, rather than denting your own confidence by riding this particular cob, who's obviously got the measure of you!!! - typical clever cob to work this out, but they do this, and will take advantage.

 

[katherine1975]

Hi. I have a 'safe' cob who would also nap if she was ridden by someone who was not confident. She is brilliant in heavy traffic, hardly ever shies but does occasionally buck and is quick to learn. I have a friend who rides her for me sometimes but only in company, I will not let anyone else hack her alone. I would worry that if she learned to spin round on a hack and head for home it would be a difficult habit to break.

Is there anyone else you can ride out with? Or have some lessons on this horse to improve your riding and confidence?

 

[indie999]

My slow ploddy cob reading this was quite normal after all.

Friendly yes/500% in traffic/ big softie/never kicks/ exc farrier but can be Stubborn/Trier/bucks in excitement(rumble bucks in transitions).....and yes can move if it wants to!(and usually when not asked)

If it buggered off with me when not asked I use to kick him on and pretend I had asked him to do this. This use to remind him I was on board and he slowed down when he realised I was asking him to keep going(clever or what)!

I once got off him as he would not go past some men in a farmers field who were metal detecting in rows and rows!We ended up in a woods but despite my beating(yes I did) I ended up having to lead cheeky pots past as there was no way I was going back the same way. I bet if a big bucket of carrots had been up the path we would have gone forward! um!

But I think its easy again to give advice when it can be scary or frightening. I dont think this horse is for you and it will remember and get the measure of you if its not corrected.

Hope you can find something more enjoyable to ride it took me a long time to get the measure of my cob plod! But remember its all experiences that will make you a better rider even if it doesnt seem like it at the mo.

 

[dorito]

Hi all, thanks so much for all the replies.
I did say I'd lost a huge post that went into much more detail, but then just couldn't face retyping whole thing again. Need to make a couple of things clear(er).
Fisrt off, I'm not really a novice but am nervous.been riding about 20 years, had my own arab for 12 of them and she was terribly spooky (esp in the wind) and had a list of things she didn't like, as long as your arm. however, devil you know and all that - I would always get off and lead her if there was a tricky situation coming up. she never ever napped, bucked, reared, bolted though. I have been told cob bucks but not yet had the pleasure... -unfortunately these days I am not so agile and 2 stone heavier, and 51 years old :-( and cob's saddle is like the proverbial flying biscuit, it's got balance strap and STILL slips like crazy, however tight we girth him up).

I have hacked out in company with him about 5 times, he has been pretty good, have felt him trying to turn but nothing that a strong leg aid did not sort. took him out on my own successfully a couple of weeks ago - again he half-heartedly tried to turn,he looked at a couple of things but was a star basically - I was so thrilled, this was my first hack out alone for 8 or 9 years.
then the other day -he wasn't really willing from the off, feel he took the opportunity too spook at something in the fence and just whipped round on me. so annoyed i didn't get off and lead him past it. but would never have got back on. think next time I will lead him out the route I was planning. he is alittle monkey though, very clever and is getting the better of me - why oh why doesn't he have some conscience!!!

 

[RubyFrench]

my new 'safe cob' started to nap with me after about a month, and i know it is just him trying to take the p**s! he never succeeds, and i find it quite funny when he realises he wont be getting his way, gives a sigh and plods forward! his o' was quite breezy about the whole situation saying he'd never done it with her blablabla and it made me feel really silly. but 3 months on he is napping less and less, sometimes he wont do it at all, but when he does he is easily corrected. i just spin him back round, make him stand for a moment then ask him to move forwards. i've come to terms with the face that he doesn't want to walk out the front gate of the yard anymore but other than that, i just apply my leg on the corners where i know he has a tendancy to nap and we're getting along okay now

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Aha! Welcome to the world of cobs!!! LOL

If yours was an Arab before, then theres a whole world of difference ..... and it takes time to re-adjust, especially, if like me, you're ehmn, shall we say, not exactly in the first flush of youth!!! Sorry I'm not trying to be rude. I was talking to someone else at the weekend - a "mature" rider - and we both agreed that the horses we'd have ridden in our 20's is summat different to the steady ride we'd be looking for now. One's confidence does decline, one loses that bit of pluck, and there's nothing wrong with this its just the way things go.

I think you did very well with this cob, and maybe it would be fine to ride out in company with this horse; but he is being a monkey. Not that you've in any way "failed", but its just the sort of horse you've been used to is totally different from this one.

 

[marmalade76]

Funnily enough, I fell off this evening, for the first time in eight years. I rarely ride cobs, I can count on two fingers the number of cobs I have ridden in that time :/

 

[missyme10]

My cob is the same, partly aged related as he's just turned 5.
He does it going into the school, sometimes coming out, when hacking in company, and its all the same, he's trying it on and taking the pee.

At first it shook me up and i couldn't deal with it, que him then doing it a lot worse as he knew he could get away with it. If i smacked his bum, he'd spin, rear and buck.
Finally one day i'd had enough, i decided to throw the towel in and sell him. I dunno what then went through myhead but i went and put spurs on and a body protector, got the best whip i could find and gave it one last shot, he didn't know what had hit him, i marched him in and out of that school a dozen times, all attempts to nap were met with a kick, a smack on his arse and a gob full off me. I was damn right angry with him and boy did he know it.

It saved him from being sold, from that day, he now respects me, and whilst he still half heartedly tries it odd times, he now knows i'm no push over so doesn't push his luck. Even his attitude on the ground has changed since that day x

 

[caroline23]

would just like to second all thats been said, cobs are deffo not plods! mine has a very active mind, also just turned five, and has on several times suceeded in turning and running for home, i did loose confidence untill i broke down what needed doing into steps so i could easily achieve something each time i rode him out therefore increasing my confidence

first was someone leading me headcollar and leadrope, then they walked next to his head holding the reins if i felt him tense/i felt nervous, and so on and so on until yesterday i had my first solo ride on him he only tried it on once at gate, but a quick quick and tap on the shoulder and he just gave in as i finally had shown that i was the leader, his groundwork and general attitude has also immensely improved since i have gotton his respect in ridden work

 

[ISHmad]

Could you invest in someone to come out and help you both with the napping. And maybe go halves with the owner on some groundwork sessions from someone like the Intelligent Horsemanship Recommended Associates or some local trainer?