Showing help please! Lightweight cob vs small hunter?

[SoundTheBugle]

I understand that there is some overlap of the lightest lightweight cobs and small hunters. Would I be correct in thinking that Duke would do better as a small hunter than a cob?
I'll need to grow his mane out for next season if so, so planning ahead ?



He's 14.3hh but only 4yo and very much still growing

Thank you!

 

[shortstuff99]

I think when he fills out he would make a nice LW show cob!

 

[shortstuff99]

LW cobs are not that heavy. Here is mine

 

[tda]

I'd think LW cob too

 

[holeymoley]

Definitely lightweight cob

 

[LegOn]

LW cob too and he's lovely!! The Small Hunters seem to have a little less bone now & he has lovely amount of bone

 

[jnb]

How does he move?
IMO at the moment at 14.3hh he will look small in either class. I'm on the fence and would like to see him in a year's time, be aware if you're looking at County level the LW cobs will be in reality 15.2hh at least on the day, the Smalls 15.3hh+ on the day, and they are big.
My grey LW was 155cm on the button and we were constantly dwarfed in the ring by the produced cobs.

 

[shortstuff99]

How does he move?
IMO at the moment at 14.3hh he will look small in either class. I'm on the fence and would like to see him in a year's time, be aware if you're looking at County level the LW cobs will be in reality 15.2hh at least on the day, the Smalls 15.3hh+ on the day, and they are big.
My grey LW was 155cm on the button and we were constantly dwarfed in the ring by the produced cobs.

The height limit for a light weight cob is 15.1 so if they are bigger then that then they shouldn't be there!

 

[IrishMilo]

I know nothing about showing but what a beauty. Looks very similar to an old horse of mine.

 

[conniegirl]

The height limit for a light weight cob is 15.1 so if they are bigger then that then they shouldn't be there!

Show horses are generally measured in January when they are unfit, have been let down in condition, have had thier hooves trimmed as far as possible and have had every single hair clipped off thier withers. They will have been taught to stand for the stick such that the lowest possible measurement will be achieved.
The show cob may well have been 15.1hh in January but when fit, in show condition with shoes and some length on thier feet and stood up properly most of them will measure well over 15.1hh.

Its the whole reason that people pay £600 for gold height certs that can’t be challenged and why there are tactical objections to height certs in the weeks leading up to HOYS.

 

[jnb]

The height limit for a light weight cob is 15.1 so if they are bigger then that then they shouldn't be there!

As an owner of a genuine 155cm (15.1hh) I am more than aware of that!
However I am a realist & I'm telling you a height certificate that says 155cm means without shoes, let down, unmuscled (possibly other underhand methods) and you will rarely if ever, see anything that small in a LW Show cob class.
Unless you have the £750 to object to everything in your class that is how it is.

 

[conniegirl]

As an owner of a genuine 155cm (15.1hh) I am more than aware of that!
However I am a realist & I'm telling you a height certificate that says 155cm means without shoes, let down, unmuscled (possibly other underhand methods) and you will rarely if ever, see anything that small in a LW Show cob class.
Unless you have the £750 to object to everything in your class that is how it is.

Ditto this. My small hunter only just scraped into 158cm by the skin of his teeth. He was always the smallest loooking small hunter in the ring

 

[Leandy]

Agree with the others on height. For local level you could do either class but for county level standard I doubt he is right in either class as he will look small and therefore more overgrown pony than either cob or hunter. Have you actually measured him accurately and allowed for shoes?

Of course he may be different in a year or two but I doubt he will grow around 3 ins.

 

[shortstuff99]

As an owner of a genuine 155cm (15.1hh) I am more than aware of that!
However I am a realist & I'm telling you a height certificate that says 155cm means without shoes, let down, unmuscled (possibly other underhand methods) and you will rarely if ever, see anything that small in a LW Show cob class.
Unless you have the £750 to object to everything in your class that is how it is.

Geez showing has got even worse then. My old mare pictured above was an awesome LW show cob and was 15h and didn't used to look small, but that was 15-20 years ago now.

 

[Blanche]

I was told many years ago that a small hunter should be a small middleweight. Not sure nowadays that is what is used as a definition though. I too think LW Cob.

 

[jnb]

I was told many years ago that a small hunter should be a small middleweight. Not sure nowadays that is what is used as a definition though. I too think LW Cob.

A Small Hunter should indeed be a scaled down MW. They should be workmanlike but quality in movement.
A LW cob should have "the head of a lady, the backside of a cook" - at the moment, I think this horse falls between the two; if he were produced, they would hothouse him up into a LW cob probably if he moves well enough.
In my opinion he would benefit from slow maturing (my LW did not mature until 10yo) and he may well make a LW Cob. But - if you want to show him now do unaffiliated to give him ring time, the producers 4 and 5yo will dwarf him at County level and look like 10yo - funnily you never see them in a show ring at 10..... make of that what you will.

 

[SoundTheBugle]

If he's likely to be dwarfed for a couple of years until he fully matures and fills out, would he look completely out of place as a SHP instead?

 

[Leandy]

What sort of showing level are we you talking about here? Also how old are you? Are you able to get yourself in a SHP class as rider? In all honesty he is not a true SHP quality no. I'd strongly suggest you go and watch at the type of shows you want to go to, go and see all these classes and then you will get a feel for the type of animal required and whether you would be as competitive as you would like to be.

 

[L&M]

Mine is a very similar stamp - in the summer with condition on he is definitely a lw show cob, but when hunting in the winter, if he had a mane could be classed as a small hunter.

i show him in cob classes, but we also do local level WH classess which he usually does very well in as always jumps a nice round. But I wouldn't show him as a lw hunter as keep him hogged and clipped out all year.