Showing 15.1hh cob....how, what where when?

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Wibbly

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Hi there

As you can see I am a super newbie to H&H forum though have to admit to lurking for a fair while. I have just bought a stunning coblet, 15.1hh heavy weight 6 year old hogged gelding. I was on the look out for a safe happy hacker up to weight (almost 14 stone:o) to do the odd sponsored ride. However I came across this stunning boy and he will do all of the above plus show cob classes.

I am really interested in finding out about what show classes he can do, and what the difference between show cob, working cob and working hunter classes is and which ones we would be able to do.

I am right now only interested in local/riding club level, but would really appreciate it if someone could point me in the right direction on rules, attire and the basics of what is involved. Thanks!

Pics to follow when I work out the camera!
 
Welcome to the forum! I'm afraid I don't know much about showing but I'm sure someone on here does. I am fairly certain that working cobs jump whereas show cobs don't. Have fun with your new chap!
 
o dont no about showing cobs but i did my first ridden show class this summer and was a complete newbee to showing. i went to my local riding club show and did best riding horse and coloured. i asked on here for help and with my budget i decided to turn up like this

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decisions i made after to note for next time are that i will either loose weight or wear my black jacket that fits much better.

ps i won the ridden class and came second in the coloured. also there are some rules about the tack such as black or white numnahs, no square saddle clothes and if u dont have either do what i did and ride without one. it is only for 10 mins while you show.

google your local riding club. i dont no which classes he would be good at but you could just take him to the ones you fancy and see how you get on. i thought mine would do better in the coloured class but was actually better in the ridden class. when you go in the ring they will ask you to ride round with the other horses in open order then they will ask for a trot, and then a canter. then the ask you to line up and then each horse will go throught a small routine, eg two figures of 8 one in canter and one in trot then a straight canter. sometimes this is done by you and sometimes this is done by the judge.
good luck
 
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I used to show my 14.3hh coblet at unaffiliated and RC level. Although he is a bit of a stunner cobwise, being pretty much spot on conformation wise, jet black with 4 white socks and a star, he is too small to compete against the big boys at county level etc. Anyway, I used to show him in a brown working hunter saddle which I could either show or jump in, a brown pelham with double reins and had a dark brown wood numnah which was shaped to fit the saddle. I didnt to working cob classes as I gave up showing 5 years ago, but my daughter did to working hunter on him. Tack was the same, but she used boots and a martingale for jumping.

Good luck.
 
For you...

tweed jacket
shirt & tie to complement your jacket (shirt - asda smart price men's white shirt, boil wash with their cheap yellow dusters and you will get a lovely lemon one for about £5, even better if you can fit into their boys school range!)
Cream/beige jodphurs/breaches (not canary!)
long leather boots (joddy boots and gaiters are fine for local as long as they are clean!)
black/brown/fawn gloves
Show cane/whip
velvet hat (current standards for local shows) in navy or brown (again complement your jacket!)

Horsey...
hogged mane
pulled tail, cut bluntly (3'' ish below hock when stood still)
legs clipped as close as possible
Trim everywhere else as desired, ears, nose etc ([personal preference!)
No numnah ideally, but if a must, discreet as possible, the fluffy ones distract from your horse!
No boots/bandages unless jumping phase of working cobs (remove for show section)
plain brown hunter bridle, double bits (rugby pelhams are great if you don't want 2 bits just remember the sliphead!) and reins (not forgetting your lip strap) - snaffle can be used for a novice class. Wide nosebands work really well on cob head so don't go for delicate tack!
straight cut brown saddle - show off his shoulder! Or a smart clean GP for local level.

If you're on a budget, as most of us horsey folk are, start looking for show stuff now, things will be cheaper on ebay, at auctions in the winter months, and will shoot up around April time when everyone is buying it!

Cobs are meant to be a practical useful horse in practical useful tack, so they need to be clean and smart but not bedazzled like some of the show ponies you see!

Classes at local level, if you have a cob class, go for it! But I know some local clubs don't offer an array of showing classes, annoyingly, but you can do Best Turned Out if you wish, Style & Appearance, RC horse, family horse, Equitation, normal working hunter classes etc. As long as he is clean and does a correct controlled show piece you will be fine....I have seen cobs win these classes so don't feel put off by the ponies in pretty browbands prancing around the ring!

As per Madeline1's comment on the show piece, just remember to include an extended canter/gallop in your individual show.

If at a bigger show/qualifier/argricultural show, be prepared for the judge riding your horse, i.e. get him to used to other people riding him, have stirrups a judge can fit their fit in and lots of holes in stirrup leathers! I have a spare set of leathers and stirrups, more suited for a man in my show basket, so when it comes for the judge to ride him, I can switch the stirrups if they a lot bigger than me!
At this level, they may also ask you to 'strip' your horse, so take off saddle, brush off marks, and present to judge stood up well. They will then assess confirmation, and ask you to walk away and trot back, then go back into line up, tack up and hop back on and wait for the prizes! This is when parents/friends are useful, as your allowed a groom into the ring to help with the striping, brushing and getting back on (leg up!).

Good luck in whatever you decide to do with him - just remember to always show him as his type and don't get tempted by the bling, however sparkly it may seem!
 
Wow thanks so much for all the info.

He is still quite green but very willing to please, so I look forward to working on a show piece with him from now until spring and then having a go at a couple of classes.

Am I right that working hunter involves jumping rustic fences? How high? How many?

What is the difference between show cob and working cob?

Sorry I really know absolutely nothing.
 
Working Hunter starts with a course of rustic fences (height depends on show and level but never really massive! - our local shows tend to have 2ft 6'' for the novice class, and then a bit higher for the open. Mix of uprights, spreads, fillers, combinations, etc and about 8 fences. Clear rounds (unless they were hardly any!) called back in to do group walk/trot/canter and then individual show, and then placed.

Working cob has jumps and is like working hunter, but just for cobs! Show cob is just the group walk/trot/canter and individual show.

For working hunter, you can use pretty much any bit, noseband, and a martingale, again keep things plain and simple! If its close in the final line up, horse with the less tackle etc on tends to do better. You'll also get marked for style over the jumps at some shows, as well as turnout.

Might be worth trying to get a long to a local show near you to watch some of the classes, and give you an idea of how it all works!

A tip on your show piece, don't over practise too much on him, as he may learn it and start anticpating the movements, practise them as individual movements that you can then can then do on the day in a certain order and practise a couple of days before!
 
Thanks Lilyhead, all very helpful. No over-practising I promise.

I am planning on simply creating a bon and getting to know him and hacking, with a little bit of schooling over the winter. Then perhaps have a little look as some local shows.

Just been and bought rugs today, so I think anymore spending is out until after Christmas. But then I will have a look on ebay. Will need a plain browband and nose band. And a hacking jacket. Got everything else. The Lemon duster shirt from Asda sounds great value!

How exciting!
 
If you're really interested in doing a bit of showing, definitely go for ridden cob or cob type classes. Ridden cob is often the proper heavy weight maxi cob and will always place higher than the smaller ones (in my experience), but ridden cob is for the slightly finer and slightly smaller. Also have a go at these classes in hand if he's green, just gives him a chance to get used to things, as in-hand classes are generally before ridden, just gives extra time to relax and more practice for the stripped of in-hand part of the ridden classes.
Working cob classes never normally go over 2'3 or 2'3, and try to avoid martingales and boots, as they're not that suitable for the cob classes, as they don't show the horse to be sturdy like they should be.
Also how good is he at being ridden, because some classes will require the judge to ride if they're over 15hh.
Hope this helps
 
Very attractive little horse, but doesn't really look that a cob in those photos.
L/W cobs should have a minimum of 8 inches of flat bone when measured around the cannon just below the knee. They should move in a similar manner to a hunter, without too much knee action. Manners are also highly important.
Looks very small for 15.1 too - have you had him measured? As someone said further up the thread they need to be closer to the top end of the permitted height than the lower end to really stand a chance against the big boys at county level.
From the pictures it looks as though he could be more of a small hunter / small riding horse.
Heres a link to a picture of 'The Humdinger' who is owned by FMM (a user on here).
You will see that yours is far lighter in build.
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgu...a=X&ei=m1D1TJatJJSahQf1tpHRBQ&ved=0CCQQ9QEwBQ
 
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zebedee said:
Very attractive little horse, but doesn't really look that a cob in those photos.
L/W cobs should have a minimum of 8 inches of flat bone when measured around the cannon just below the knee. They should move in a similar manner to a hunter, without too much knee action. Manners are also highly important.
Looks very small for 15.1 too - have you had him measured? As someone said further up the thread they need to be closer to the top end of the permitted height than the lower end to really stand a chance against the big boys at county level.
From the pictures it looks as though he could be more of a small hunter / small riding horse.
Heres a link to a picture of 'The Humdinger' who is owned by FMM (a user on here).
You will see that yours is far lighter in build.
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgu...a=X&ei=m1D1TJatJJSahQf1tpHRBQ&ved=0CCQQ9QEwBQ
Click to expand...

Hi the photos above are not of my boy! They are a different users photos. She generously showed me her attempts at doing a riding horse and coloured class.

My boy is a heavy cob. I dont have a pic to upload right now. My boy is a big chunky 15.1 on his passport. I just want to do local shows really. In fact any kind of showing is a bonus as I bought him as an all rounder leisure horse. I will have a look also at the in hand classes to start with...maybe that will suit us better to begin with. Thanks again all!
 
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