Thinking of getting a cob - advice please!

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katelarge

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Dear lovely peeps,

As per the subject line really. I own a gorgeous little mare who is a fantastically talented jumper, but in recent years I have begun to suffer badly with degenerative discs in my lower back. Jumping is now pretty much out the window, so I am considering changing my plans and getting a cob instead.

I have loaned a large, HW cob in the past (about five years ago), he was a right lout but a great laugh too and for some reason we just gelled. So, here are my questions for you:

First off, I thought before I commit to buying a cob I should ride one again, as my back is not what it was when I loaned my boy in the past. Now, does anyone either own a SANE one I could sit on, or else recommend a riding centre where you know that they have one I could have a private lesson on? I am based in Rutland/Leicestershire and can travel within reason.

Second, do you think I'm on track with budget and requirements? All thoughts welcome and thanks in advance!

Budget is likely to be around £6k, and for this I would like:

Ideally a gelding, but will consider a non-marish mare. No younger than 7
Really lovely manners
Steady temperament, confidence giver
Very safe hack, good in traffic
Good bit of bone, HW or large middleweight
Nice enough to do a local level, fun showing class - no higher
Able to do a Prelim test
Good conformation, but doesn't need to be a world beater
Good feet, sound
Already vetted, or able to pass a five-stage vetting
Good to clip, catch, load, shoe, etc.
Nice family member
 
I have degenerative disc disease too - and prolapsed disc and i have ridden twice since october!! However my back is now much better, and my neice has been keeping my heavyweight mare ticking over. She is a clydesdale ID X and has such a fab temperament. I like you wanted a gelding, but she isnt marish at all and is 100% safe. For the sort of dosh you are willing to pay you should easily get one. Most riding schools have cobs so why not book a lesson/hack? Let us know what you buy!
 
Thanks so much, Tangoharvey - I have had a prolapsed disc too so I know your pain - literally! I think a shift of emphasis on to hacking/schooling and some showing would do me the world of good. My mare is just bored and ticking over when she should be out showing some teenager a great time!
 
I'm currently horse hunting and have viewed a few cobs.
Financially, that figure is realistic and doubt you will have any problems for that amount.

But, please do not rely on a vetting that's already been done. To be worthwhile it needs to be a vet appointed by you, and the vetting (including bloods) carried out before it leaves the vendor.

As you have a sore back, can i also really, really recommend that you ask a competent friend/instructor to also ride the horse incase they feel something you might miss. I've seen a super cob who was all that I'm seeking until I rode him downhill. I could feel some minor stumbles, that might be nothing, or could be an early indication of navicular or ringbone. Sadly, I've not pursued the purchase.

Good luck finding a horse
 
BTW I just checked the Lynn Russell site and her horses START at £5k so she may have something suitable at some point too... but I think I'd probably value temperament over showring appeal. I have also found a site called Safecobs, but they seem mostly to feature youngsters, which I think I'd be a bit wary of. Anyone with any experience of buying from Lynn or Safecobs, do feel free to contact me - by PM if more appropriate.
 
I was going to say snap! as I have degenerative discs/prolapsed discs too but decided its probably not really appropriate!

I think with that budget you should be able to get something very nice that ticks all your boxes. From my personal experience I would say not too get one that is too broad as I find that aggravates my back and also not too tall ie not a maxi cob as they are easier to mount.
 
Very good point MTJ, and yes, if I do progress on this I have a friend with a BHSAI who would be perfect, or else my yard manager, who teaches and competes. Looking again at the Safecobs site, they are not actually all youngsters, but they do seem to be one and two-star cobs, which according to their rating, are possibly not so suited to competing - they are possibly just hacks. I don't want a sharp horse, but I can't have something that needs booting along, and would love to do a little dressage and showing too. I did local shows with my loan cob and really loved it.
 
Cheers jodie3 - the reason I want to go and ride one a few times is precisely because of my worry that the increased width could aggravate my lower back. The cob I loaned was a big fella and I remember a bit of a "stretch" in my hips, so I need to know I can take that and not be crippled!

As for height, I can't go too small as I am 5ft 9 and a bit. What I lose in height I'd need to make up for with bone, though the idea of something I can mount from the ground is a lovely one!
 
Your ideal cob sounds like a description of my boy :D Unfortunately, he's not for sale and I live down South so too far for you to borrow him for a ride.

One thought I had is that if your cob is hairy then it's a lot of bending down to either wash or clip his feathers. You would either have to have a lovely friend/ family member to do this for you or pay some one to do it. I haven't got back problems (touches wood quickly) and I can feel it in my back the day after clipping his legs.
 
dont forget when taking your height into consideration to look at where your height is distributed, ie longer in the leg etc. A full up cob even at 15.1 will take a lot of your leg "up"!
 
Looking on Horsequest (thanks for the tip) under "Show Cobs" there are a few that would definitely suit me down to the ground. There are some beautiful horses on there!

Yes, I had thought about hairiness, hence not looking for a traditional coloured, but I can get my lovely yard owner to clip for me. I doubt I will get anything bigger than 15.3hh, (for the best really as much bigger than that would be a Hunter type, not a cob), but even at 15.1hh, a really chunky one would not make me look too big.

Trying not to get too excited now!
 
My mum has a lot of problems with osteoarthritis, needs both knees replacing etc etc (and probably shouldn't have been riding! :P) but she took on a 6 y/o traditional coloured he was 15.1hh and at first he was a little b***er! More often than not, I'd end up riding him 'cause he was being such a plonker and he couldn't half throw his weight around :(
However, by the time my mum couldn't ride anymore he'd started to develop some really nice manners and he's now 9 and he's a really lovely cob who's very responsive and schools very well. He's even showing regularly (locally and at higher levels) with a 14 y/o girl - so I think your age limit of 7 and over is very realistic! :)
Good luck in your search, I'm sure you'll find your perfect cob! :)
 
Cheers Kellysheroes, sorry to hear about your Mum's poor old knees - arthritis is so painful. Yep, I figure by 7 years old they'll have got out and about enough that I won't have to start things from scratch - and I am putting a ceiling as high as 10, as some horses are just late maturers, or have quite low mileage for their age. Also, looking at my list I think I am looking for a schoolmaster really, and it's silly to ask for schoolmaster qualities in a 5yo, for example.
 
If you want to try a few cobs then there are loads at the equestrian centre where I have lessons in south derbyshire, not sure if that is too far for you, but a few people come from leicestershire. It is called Barleyfields if you want to look it up.

They have more cobs there than I have ever seen in one riding school! From about 13.2hh right up to about 16.1hh and some of them are really very talented.

They have cobs that will do everything there, from passage (seriously!) to jumping about 4ft. They are a variety of builds too, some are really wide and take up a lot of leg, some have big expressive paces, some pingy jumps and others ride like overgrown ponies. There are several I would happily take home with me, but sadly the owner knows that they are worth their weight in gold.

I think there is a cob for just about everyone! They can do anything and everything and are lots of different shapes and sizes.

I'm about your height and can ride a 15hh cob no trouble. I feel a bit big on a 14.2hh but more because of the lack of neck than the actual height!
 
Wow Katt, that place is seriously impressive! It is a bit far - though I will drive a long, long way to do passage on a cob!

I called a more local riding school and have booked a lesson - I have a feeling they thought I was a bit strange to own a horse and want a lesson on one of theirs, but I feel it's the right thing to do so that's the main thing.

The lesson is on the 28th, just 30 minutes in case my back goes "twang".

It might seem a bit cautious to do this, but it's something I really want to get right.
 
Have you tried looking on safe cobs? - http://www.safecobs.com/forsale/index.php

I've got arthritis and a bad back (recently had a car crash) and have a cob. He's abit of a plonker but I feel safe on him. He wasn't right for the previous owner so I had him relatively cheap although he was advertised for experienced riders.

Hope you find the right one soon!
 
Thanks for yet more advice overnight! As well as the riding school lesson (now booked), I remembered that the lady who lives next door to my yard has a lovely chunky cob mare, so if I ask her very nicely, hopefully she will let me have a sit on her too. Once I have done that, then it's time to get the whole process in action. You guys seem to recommend SafeCobs, and I've also been given Mysafecobs and Clip Clop as good contacts too, so I can then contact them and let them know what I'm looking for.

I think I'm looking for a good horse first, and a show horse second, but I do want something I can tidy up and put in a little local show ring, as I get a lot of enjoyment out of all that.

Well done you lovely HHO peeps, and if you have any more thoughts, keep 'em coming!
 
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