To hog or not to hog? Could my horse possibly be a show cob?

tabithakat64

tabithakat64

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My RI has suggested I hog Fudge and show him in some cob classes as well as do some dressage (When we are ready which may be never at this rate
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).
He's 14.3hh and I'm not sure how much bone he has as I haven't measured him yet.
I'm not convinced as I don't like him without feathers
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(I realise he needs to tone up and be cleaned up
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)
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(Yes, I know he's fat in this but It's the only one I have where his legs are trimmed)
 
Personally i wouldnt hog him, I'dpull it though! But thats just me, if you dont like him trimmed up then dont do it!
 
He's your horse so at the end of the day the choice is yours. OIf you don't like him without feathers don't hog him.

But I reckon he'd make a nice show cob...hog him!
 
dont hog him its ugly! a lady who used to be at my yard used to plait her horses mane to keep it clean and tidy (like a long plait done the whole mane....it wasnt as hard to do as it looked!)
 
The first pic made me think it wouldn't look so bad, although hogging isn't my thing. The I saw the second pic and thought, 'OOOOH NOOOOO!!!'

If you don't like trimming and hogging, don't do it. Can he not be shown with mane intact? Maybe at the lower/unaff levels? Sorry, no nowt about showing!
 
I've only ever shown at local level before and I could probably get away with not hogging for cob classes at smaller shows and odd coloured or driving type classes. But for cob classes at larger local shows he would need to be hogged.
 
It is a very personal thing. The main reason I hog my boy is he gets mild sweet itch but when he's muscled up he's good show quality with a hogged mane. Of course the feathers have to go as well, but he has pathetic excuses for feathers and just looks scruffy. I think your boy has good feathers and a good mane and presumably no sweet itch, so unless you have a burning desire for him to be hogged then don't do it. Also remember that once it's been done, it will take years to get a mane as long as that and it will never be of any quality either, so just be cautious.

If he was mine I'd be tempted to lose 4-6 inches off his tail, but apart from that I'd probably leave him au naturale (like my mare was). Just keep him trimmed up and tidy. I'll give you an example (all be it crude): when my mare (who died aged 15 last Friday) was a youngster, one of those idiots that were stabbing horses, attacked her. She wasn't in my ownership then and the last owner was not very knowledgeable (despite having bred her). She got a sarcoid and every year it would be very dark and as a palomino very very noticeable. In winter is was more mellow but still noticeable. Judges at shows HATED it. If she didn't have that she'd have been worth thousands more than she was. She never won a show and it was always because of the sarcoid on her rump. She was a perfect example in every other way (when in shape). Refused to hog her or cut feathers (except a trim) because she didn't need that. I was once told by one lady that shows quite seriously (a friend of ours who qualified for HOYs several times with her horse til she lost him to Cushings aged 12), said we should use makeup to cover it up during shows; while I knew this was a possibility and would work, I was also not serious about showing with her (she was more of a jumping horse really) and refused to hide something that was her. So, I think my point is that whatever you do with your horse the judges can still take objection to something and at the end of the day, unless you want to get really serious about showing then just keep your horse how you want to.
 
If they have a head of a duchess and a backside of a cook...hog em lol!

Its hard to tell from not seeing cob in real life as alot depends on looking at their heads without the forelock in the way and also having good old feel around the neck, hogged mane does not suit a week underdeveloped neck. Also you need a nice round muscular bum for the tail to look well shaved. As for legs, again I think certain amount of bone is needed, yes they can look a bit strange when first clipped out but give the legs a month and they will look better when the clip marks don't show and the hair has grown a little to make the legs look a little heavier bone wise.

My cob which I used to have, looked so much better hogged, he was only 14.1 and did not have a lot of bone to be honest but he did look like a mini maxi cob, and boy was he easier to keep clean and look after!...he was grey (as in white) and a dirt bag at that. His long mane was forever getting dirty and sweaty, looked beautiful when bathed but hogging was the way to go.

Anyway back to the original question, of course its personal preference, me personally would go for it, from the first picture I'm thinking it would work. Your cob has got a native looking head though so rather than a roman type head, but if you also strim over the ears (nothing worse than a hogged mane/forelock with fluffy ears) its spoils the whole effect. Not only that but you don't see many hogged duns. Not sure what you do with your cob or how advanced he is with his schooling but a bit of toning here and there and a bit more muscle on his second thigh and neck and I'm sure he will carry it off to a tea!

Either way, he's nice.

Goooo on hog him!
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Our cob mare looks very similar in size/shape and feathers- her previous owner used to hog her and shave her feathers and to my mind she looked AWFUL!! My hubby keeps her mane and feathers neat but natural, we trim her beard for showing, and general neatness and TBH - she looks like a different horse, never had much time for her before, not being a cob fan.. but she looks so pretty and does well showing. I like your lad as he is, just neaten him up and show him in appropriate tack and he should do well
 
Normally I am all for a neat and tidy hogged cob and not wildly keen on excessive hairiness (yes I know I have natives but my Highlands don't have much feather compared to some)

However, looking at these pictures I think your horse is perfect just the way he is, apart from some neatening up, and you might come to regret trimming and clipping out the mane - it is that contrast in the mane that makes a dun horse stand out.

I would thin the mane a little though, neaten the tail and fully clip him out - you would then have a very smart small RC type horse.

He is lovely
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I would not hog him out - please don't take this personally but he has a lovely pony head and pony shape and not a cob head and bulk. At 14.3 he will be small compared to the 15.1 (who often look a lot larger) horses who often have a lot of draft in them. To qualify as a LW cob he needs 8" of bone.

Read this link

http://www.adhorse.com/breedinfo.php?b=showcobs

FMM has a lovely example of a show cob - again more chunkier and horse like than your chap.

What you could do is take some photos and take out the mane and feather, shorten the tail and see what you think.
I did this with Chancer to see what he would look like as a show cob rather than traditional and he suits hairy. He could get away as a LW cob as he is more horselike in his shape.

He would look very smart with hock length and pulled tail, trimmed off feather (did I really say that
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) and plaited mane and in local cob or cob classes you can get away with a plaited cob/hogged cob or traditional cob.

Or turn him out more like a section D and do some native type classes.

Whatever you do, he looks a lovely chap and I hope you have lots of fun with him.
 
i think he'd be a good show cob, but you're right a hogged mane would be better for it...

how have you trimmed his feathers in the last photo? some horses i would use clippers (carefully) a week or two before the show, where others i would use a good old fashioned pair of scissors and comb to get a better result.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I would not hog him out - please don't take this personally but he has a lovely pony head and pony shape and not a cob head and bulk. At 14.3 he will be small compared to the 15.1 (who often look a lot larger) horses who often have a lot of draft in them. To qualify as a LW cob he needs 8" of bone.

Read this link

http://www.adhorse.com/breedinfo.php?b=showcobs

FMM has a lovely example of a show cob - again more chunkier and horse like than your chap.

What you could do is take some photos and take out the mane and feather, shorten the tail and see what you think.
I did this with Chancer to see what he would look like as a show cob rather than traditional and he suits hairy. He could get away as a LW cob as he is more horselike in his shape.

He would look very smart with hock length and pulled tail, trimmed off feather (did I really say that
shocked.gif
) and plaited mane and in local cob or cob classes you can get away with a plaited cob/hogged cob or traditional cob.

Or turn him out more like a section D and do some native type classes.

Whatever you do, he looks a lovely chap and I hope you have lots of fun with him.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree with this, he looks lovey as a native type, but in a class with other show cobs he would look quite little in both height and build.
Im all for trimming but I think he looks nicer left natural, jut maybe a little tidy up!
I think his trimmed feathers havent been done particularly neatly or theyve grown out, as its under the fetlock it doesnt look very trimmed, hence the fat ankles look!!
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He is a lovely chap, I love duns, never come across a bad one yet!
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normally i am pro hogging. but i think he would be better just tidyied up a bit. I think you would do well doing cobs at local level but he isnt cobby enough to do county i wouldnt have thought - i'm no expert at all, just judging on the cobs i know that show. do you know anything of his breeding? i think he would do better left natural in a natives class, he looks a little welsh as someone else has said.
 
Keep Hairy -M&M style
small tidy up, tail a bit shorter, mane thinned but long then at local shows Horse or Pony of Cob Type, M&M Unregistered etc. Odd Coloured ( whne run to include Duns)
OR
Trim off feather, trim and pull tail, thin and shorten mane and dress 'Hunter Ppny Style' for Riding Club Horse/Pony, Cob Type. etc
 
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