Showing Advice for a coloured cob

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Tiaan

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Hey everyone,

I am thinking about going to a couple of small shows this year but have no idea in which class to enter and was hoping from some advice from any showing veterans.

He is a 4 year old 16.1Hh coloured cob. At the moment he has a 'traditional' look (long mane etc and tail), and he has high knee action, but his feathers do not cover his whole hoof.

It is my understanding that a he is too big for a traditional cob, but has too much knee to be a maxi?

This picture is actually a couple of years old but its just so you get the idea, so can anyone actually tell me what sort of classes i should be entering please?

Thankyou!!

MisterBest.jpg
 
No idea at all if I'm honest! He doesn't look the right sort to hog out and do maxi's with, yet isn't hairy enough to do trditionals.....yet too tall for native type! I'd be pulling my hair out lol.

If he's not particularly as heavy as he looks in the photo, then I'd possibly be inclined to trim and plait up and do normal coloured classes possibly?

ETA - he is stunning though!
 
ChristmasSparkles said:
No idea at all if I'm honest! He doesn't look the right sort to hog out and do maxi's with, yet isn't hairy enough to do trditionals.....yet too tall for native type! I'd be pulling my hair out lol.!
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This is exactly what I started doing the other night when I started looking on the internet and realising this! that's why I thought I would ask the clever people :)

I don't have any real up to date photographs but I could take some and upload them tomorrow if this would help? Sorry should have taken some earlier but just didn't think.
 
you would be best off doing coloured classes as he is to big for traditional cob and to pretty to hog to do maxi cob he is very well marked so you should do well in the coloured is he reg with CHAPS as that would be the best thing to do :)
 
Definitely coloured classes he's a cracker dont think hed suit being being hogged tho imo why not just give the traditional cob class a go if there are no height restrictions and see what feedback you get from the judges?
 
I have registered him with CHAPS so we have a nice red passport,

Sorry for the possibly stupid question is it possible to have a coloured class with no height restriction then, also how will i know if it has or not? will it say on the show leaflet or am I better to ring the organisers?

Tbh I would prefer to keep the mane if I can!!
 
Oooo yet another question

Can someone please explain the difference between a traditional class and a coloured class?

Would his knee action count against him at all?

Lol sorry that's two questions I have no shame :)
 
Tiaan said:
Oooo yet another question

Can someone please explain the difference between a traditional class and a coloured class?

Would his knee action count against him at all?

Lol sorry that's two questions I have no shame :)
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coloured classes have no hieght restrictions or breed but traditional do have a height restriction i think its 15'1 may even be 14'3 and they are looking for bone feather conformation where as coloured classes are looking for even markings and use of colour though i am no expert but have shown at county level with show cobs i have a shire cross who peple at the yard call the big cob but actually just because she has feathers and bone doesnt make her a cob infact she is a draft horse
 
Thanks Cassie that was quick!

So I'll give the coloured classes a go, I have never really entered a showing class before its like a whole new world, he's markings are pretty even so we might stand a chance but as long as its fun that's more than enough for me.
 
Coloured classes are NOT judged on colour and markings at affiliated (ie: CHAPS/BSPA) level!!!!!!!!!!!!

Any "proper" show class is judged on conformation, type, way of going, manners, show/ride etc. What you (as an owner/exhibitor) have to be aware of is how your horse's markings may appear to affect conformation - for example if you have white markings in certain places on the leg it can make the horse looks over or back at the knee, or if you have white going across the neck in a certain way it can make the horse look short of front.

As for your horse, as others have observed it is a bit in between types. I certainly would not hog under any circumstance and would stick to turning out as a traditional. The knee action would not be suitable for either the hogged cob or plaited types, so this also contributes to my "stay hairy" thoughts.
 
Thanks Alphanumeric I will keep him hairy, so are the coloured classes trimmed and plaited which then would not be suitable ===== so confused!!!!!
 
I am not cob person but i think in the cob classes you might have a height restriction. in the coloured classes as far as i have seen you have no height restriction (unless your looking at hoys) but coloured are split into traditional and plaited and trimmed. i have seen plenty 'traditional' coloureds with less hair than your boys. again depends on the judge :-) if there is a height restriction it will be on the schedule.

Coloured classes are judged differently from cob classes in the coloured class you could have anything from a pony to a tb to a hairy cob. part of what they look at is the markings and way of going rather thsn whether they fit the judges opinion of a 'cob'

hope this makes sense lol
 
It depends what level you are looking to show at. Most local level and just above local will have a generic coloured class where everything goes in together. Some will also have a cob class that is not specified for "hogged only" so you will get traditional coloureds, welsh cobs and all sorts in them.

Once you get up to CHAPS/BSPA level, things get split better. Things tend to get split both height and type-wise, so you will have to register as something (in your case large traditional, I would have thought, though not quite sure on the wording as I don't have a CHAPS rulebook to hand) and then you can look on each schedule and enter the class for you. Be warned though, in CHAPS the split is most often between plaiteds (as one group) and non plaiteds (as the other) so you will find yourself in a class being judged against show cobs and native types, this is certainly the case in HOYS qualifiers. You may also want to investigate the Traditional Gypsy Cob Association (TGCA) as this is exclusively for the hirstute coloured beasties of the world :)
 
asommerville said:
part of what they look at is the markings
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I promise you, if they are a judge of any worth or knowledge whatsoever, they will NOT be taking markings into account in any material way. Conformation, type, way of going, manners, ride / show are what counts. Of course, a well marked horse can present a good first impression, but that is where it stops.
 
Thank you both very much, feel like I am finally getting the idea now I am looking around the chaps website now, so will keep him hairy and go from there.

Once again thanks again for being so patient with my silly questions!
 
@ Tiffany - I havent got any at the moment but I will take some tomorrow and put them on the forum in the evening, will get them from all sides so you can see his conformation
 
Alphanumeric has it right, all classes for coloured horses are judged to the same criteria as other classes, the only way the colouring will come into it is if the judge cannot decide on two equally matched animals when they will take that into consideration. Without going into detail 10 and 20% will be included in the judges discretion in inhand classes. Affiliated shows have colour and marking classes in which case the colour does come into it and conformation and movement doesnt, colour should be bold and deep with an even distribution and mirrored markings preferable 10% of marks will be the judges choice. Your boy looks to be a "vanner" type...over 15.3 and no upper height he should have plenty of bone[measured below the knee] active forward trot and rhythmic ground covering canter, he looks very nice indeed and well up for all Ive described, you should do well!! x
 
I would not hog out and show as a maxi, a few years ago you might have been ok, but now so many of the show cobs that measured out are doing this class and the standard has shot up. Please do not take this the wrong way, but he is too long in the leg and general conformation to make a good maxi unless he has really changed shape since the photo was taken.

He is what you would show as a vanner in coloured classes. Most people show vanners with their mane tidied to about 8" similar to how people do section Ds, leave legs on. If you go onto the BSPA website they have a booklet which gives examples of the different types of coloureds.

The other way you could try is to turn him out as a heavy weight plaited for the coloured classes, trimmed and plaited and see how he does.

He looks a lovely sort and once you have decided which way is best for him, I am sure he could do well in coloured classes.
 
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