Showing Traditional Cobs (All Colours)

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rushyj

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Ok firstly note to self don't post about a new society on 1st of April lol.. Some of you may have seen Binky01 post regarding starting a new society for showing traditional cobs in the UK this wasn't a joke!!! lol.

We have had a fantastic week looking into if this could be done and have had a massive response. We have managed to arrange meetings with nearly all the requested major county shows who are very interested in holding ridden classes for Traditional horses and ponies.

The aim is to hold ridden showing classes in three sections (148cms and under, 148 to 163cms and 163 plus) for ALL ridden traditionals. This will be a county level series ending in a year end championship for 2010 and aiming for the big champs (HOYS & RIHS) for 2011. Exclusive to traditional horses and ponies thier will be no restriction on colour etc. If we get enough response to hold the national championship we would like to know if youngstock classes would be of interest?

I am off to Ireland next Saturday to a seminar with the Irish Cob Society to help arrange thier backing and affiliation to thier studbook, judges and DNA catalogue etc and we will be able to offer thier servces as an affiliate. With this in mind though the classes will be judged as a type not as a breed so horses of that quality but unknown parentage will now have a society that they can be shown through.

Please let me know your thoughts below.
 
this would be fantastic. please pm me when you know more. i will be so happy to be able to compete at a proper level just because everything is set up for coloureds at the moment
 
He is a classic type. The breed standard on the website gives more detail..

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This is a great idea. I have a non coloured hairy cob who doesn't really fit in any claases at the moment. I am sure there must be loads of others like me.
Please keep us posted as to how you are getting on and when/where the first classes may be.
 
Yep that has been the ongoing problem. There are distinct breeds involved but not enough is known about parentage of UK horses to have enough horses fitting the requirements to be able to do a broad showing series so we are going to do as the show cobs and hunters do and offer an affiliation to the society as a type so you don't have to have proven parentage. If successful with DEFRA we are hoping to offer a passport service and stallion/mare grading also..

All you would need to do is register the horse with the society annually and the owner/rider have annual membership and you can enter any of our afflliated shows in that season and qualify much the same way as you would a show cob or hunter.
 
brilliant, yes there will be youngstock in hand, workers and novice sections may even get adventurous and do side saddle section lol
 
With my keen interest in cobs...
I'd like to know what the definition/criterion (sometimes known as 'breed standard') for the 'traditional horse and pony' would be.
Without one, you will have trouble judging showing classes objectively and consistently.
With one, you will exclude some owners who consider their animals 'traditional cobs'.
For example, I have a Shire x Tb (non coloured) and wouldn't necessarily consider her a cob type...but some people would...
S :D
 
Shilasdair said:
With my keen interest in cobs...
I'd like to know what the definition/criterion (sometimes known as 'breed standard') for the 'traditional horse and pony' would be.
Without one, you will have trouble judging showing classes objectively and consistently.
With one, you will exclude some owners who consider their animals 'traditional cobs'.
For example, I have a Shire x Tb (non coloured) and wouldn't necessarily consider her a cob type...but some people would...
S :D
Click to expand...

Perfectly put that is our entire point. I am at the moment talking to all the relevant societies to form the exact breed standard. There are standards for Gypsy Cobs and Irish Cobs and even under xray there are profound differences (which the breed societies are very protective of) I will post a rough guidline breed standard below. The horse you mention above would possibly be lacking in feathering and the ultimate aim is to breed gypsy cob to gypsy cob but that all needs to be encouraged and promoted hence the whole point.

We will have judges who have specifically bred these cobs for years and know the entire lineage of them. The problem with bringing this breed to the fore is the fact that breeding was never documented it was all stored in breeders heads so it is a mamouth task to get all the information together.

And as with all showing if your horse is not true to type you wont come anywhere simple as. The reason for showing and promoting a type is to aspire to the ultimate horse of that type and to give help and knowledge to the breeders and owners.
 
Breed Standard

Size

Gypsy Cobs can be any size and may be of the pony, cob or horse variety.

General Appearance
The over all appearance of a Gypsy Cob should give the impression of intelligence, kindness, strength and agility. They should be of good bone, either medium weight or heavy weight, be well muscled, with a sturdy body, kind expression and abundant hair.

Head
The head should be in proportion to the body, neither too large nor too small, with broad forehead, generous jaw, square muzzle and even bite. The ears should be neat and well set on. The eyes should be large and set well apart with an intelligent, kind expression.

Neck
The neck should be slightly arched, well muscled, clean through the throat, not too short and tie in well at the shoulder and withers.

Chest
The chest should be broad with ample muscle. The muscle along the bottom of the chest should appear in an inverted “V” shape as it ties into the forearm.

Shoulders
The shoulders should be deep, powerful and well sloped.

Withers
Withers should be average in height, not too high, with a good cover of muscle.

Back
The back should be short, well muscled and tie in strongly at the loin.

Barrel
The barrel should be deep with well sprung ribs and a solid covering of muscle. The flank should be as deep as the girth.

Legs
The legs should be set well under the body, straight, clean and with plenty of dense, flat bone. Forearms and gaskins should be well muscled.

Hindquarters
Smooth and rounded across the croup, long hip with wide pelvis and well muscled buttocks.

Hair
Mane and tail should be long and thick. Abundant feather starting at the knees and hocks, preferably with hair running down the front of the leg as well as the back. Feather may be straight or curling and should cover the hoof.

Color
Gypsy Cobs may be any color, either solid or colored.

Disposition
The Gypsy Cob should be, above all else, a kind and willing partner. It should display an intelligent character and docile temperament.
 
I didn't post on the other thread because I thought it might be an April fool. However, I think this is such a fantastic idea! There are a lot of stunning solid coloured traditionals that are redundant from showing despite being really fantastic types. I will watch this space with keen interest!!
 
Ooh, you had me all excited for a minute until I realised that I am still stuck between a rock and a hard place - I have an unregistered Welsh Cob so I either have to hog her and clip her for cob classes (she's too small to do well), enter M&M classes hors concours (only if the judge will allow it) or stay at home with a cracking cob who doesn't tick anyone's boxes! :p She wouldn't be nearly hairy/heavy enough to meet the above criteria.
 
Not nec... we have been considering part bred classes...where less feather is possible but that is proving the hard one to do... is she vey welshie?
 
rushyj said:
Not nec... we have been considering part bred classes...where less feather is possible but that is proving the hard one to do... is she vey welshie?
Click to expand...

I know, it'd be really difficult to quantify - hence our problem, lol. She's very obviously Welsh with not much feather to speak of.

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I don't know what to suggest as a solution I'm afraid but it's something else to consider. :)
 
Hi she is lovely but is much more a show than a traditional gypsy cob. What height is she maybe show cob is the way to go? Feathers are the way to go the more they have the better for a traditional..
 
Sounds like a fab idea, i show my mare, would love to see more at county level etc. Would you have a veteran section?? My hairy is now 18.
 
This is very interesting, friend has a beautiful gelding who would fit well with the trad. She has also just bought a little mare for her children, who has a lot less feather, but has all the other atributes, especially the kind and willing nature. She had been relatively untouched for 2 years when we tried her (I was the test pilot and she never ockered when I got on bareback to try her out). The 11 year old boy led her out for the first walk and she very gently moved him out of the way of next doors geldings and carried on as if they were not there! :) I presume this is the temprement you mean?
 
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