Why cobs are fat

[blitznbobs]

I have often wondered why cobs are so difficult to keep weight off- well today 3 of my horses escaped from the field onto the yard - when i brought other fatty in i didnt shut the gate properly… the two warmbloods had a lovely time doing dressage diva moves, cutting up the grass verges and pirouetting around the place before i shook a bucket at them and they went in their stables with minimal persuasion. But little fatty was nowhere to be seen until i found her here



#hayshed

Ps yes she was out in the snow with no rug … and guess what she survived #shockhorror

 

[KittenInTheTree]

Clearly comfort eating away the trauma of witnessing those delicious grass verges being damaged, poor thing!

 

[hollyandivy123]

I have often wondered why cobs are so difficult to keep weight off- well today 3 of my horses escaped from the field onto the yard - when i brought other fatty in i didnt shut the gate properly… the two warmbloods had a lovely time doing dressage diva moves, cutting up the grass verges and pirouetting around the place before i shook a bucket at them and they went in their stables with minimal persuasion. But little fatty was nowhere to be seen until i found her here

View attachment 106358

#hayshed

Ps yes she was out in the snow with no rug … and guess what she survived #shockhorror

like how she is guarding the hay nets.....non shall pass!

 

[Cortez]

Cobs are endomorphs. They also tend to be extremely greedy.

 

[hollyandivy123]

Cobs are endomorphs. They also tend to extremely greedy.

i always look at them as the "Labrador" of the horse world..........also if they stop eating then its ring the vet time

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

There is your answer! The WBs were busy dancing and showing off their moves, cob is not prepared to waste her energy on such nonsense when she could be taking in more calories.
I used to have a Clydesdale mare who must have had cobs in her family tree, she would stand in the gateway when we opened up a new field refusing to let the dressage divas in until she had eaten down the nearest grass shoots because she knew they would just dance all over the grass, wasting it in her eyes.

 

[eahotson]

Cobs were the work horses of poor people They had to pack on the fat in the summer when time allowed because there would be very little in the winter.Most people wouldn't be able to afford much in the way of supplementary feed and they would have to work hard and for long hours.Those that couldn't survive on this regime died.

 

[tda]

They are very efficient ? never know when the next meal will arrive ?

 

[Sossigpoker]

Because they are genetically engineered to survive on minimal rations and therefore have a built in instinct to constantly forage for food. It's not greed , it's their in their genes,.they can't help it.
Then we keep them in paddocks with grass and give them nice hay - that they constantly feel the need to forage for- so it's no wonder they're fat.

 

[Bluewaves]

i always think i am the human equivalent of a cob. All my ancestors lived in poverty and only those who could deal with limited food survived so selectively breeding out any skinny model types. All my family are blessed with the same rounded physique and short legs.

We have to make up for it with our winning personalities! And cute hairy chins.

 

[oldie48]

My lovely vet told me that cobs were designed to live off what they could suck off stones and should never be allowed into a field with any grass in it. He was joking .......I think!

 

[Sossigpoker]

My lovely vet told me that cobs were designed to live off what they could suck off stones and should never be allowed into a field with any grass in it. He was joking .......I think!

He's not far off!

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

You will never find a more efficient food sniffer outer than a shetland or a cob! The only energy they expend is on finding the food. They don't waste much on eating it as they mostly just inhale it incase some meany human comes along and takes it away.

 

[Fransurrey]

You will never find a more efficient food sniffer outer than a shetland or a cob! The only energy they expend is on finding the food. They don't waste much on eating it as they mostly just inhale it incase some meany human comes along and takes it away.

Exmoor owners will disagree with you on that one.

 

[Fjord]

You will never find a more efficient food sniffer outer than a shetland or a cob! The only energy they expend is on finding the food. They don't waste much on eating it as they mostly just inhale it incase some meany human comes along and takes it away.

Exmoor owners will disagree with you on that one.

Add fjords to the list.

I once arrived at the yard to see my mare's stable door open and her not inside. Panic didn't last long when I saw she hadn't bothered to explore the open yard and get out onto the farm; she'd gone about 20 paces into the hay store and was happily stuffing her face. Any other horse on the yard would have created mayhem!

 

[eahotson]

i always think i am the human equivalent of a cob. All my ancestors lived in poverty and only those who could deal with limited food survived so selectively breeding out any skinny model types. All my family are blessed with the same rounded physique and short legs.

We have to make up for it with our winning personalities! And cute hairy chins.

Me too.

 

[Palindrome]

I reckon clover is what causes lots of problems for natives, and processed food and grains for us, I'd be much trimmer on a diet of boiled veggies.

 

[Gamebird]

Cobs were the work horses of poor people They had to pack on the fat in the summer when time allowed because there would be very little in the winter.Most people wouldn't be able to afford much in the way of supplementary feed and they would have to work hard and for long hours.Those that couldn't survive on this regime died.

Exactly this. Plus cover tens of miles each day pulling loads at a smart trot. Compare that to the all-you-can-eat buffet and occasional ambling hacks they live on now and the problem becomes apparent.

 

[hairycob]

I remember a friend got her first cob after always having warmbloods. She was fretting about how it might run around and damage itself when it arrived in it's new field. I kept telling her "it's a cob, it will put it's head down the minute it gets through the gate and not moves until that grass is gone". She didn't believe me. I was right.

 

[tristar]

i have a sort of cob, semi hairy legs, cob type, very lively, i treat him the same as the others, blood horses, all come into yards with access to stables at night, they all have periods of grazing all day, some with restricted access to lush areas, by electric fencing, the only difference is the cob has the shorter grass, but can graze 10 hours a day generally, i find the secret with all of them is as soon as they put on a few pounds is deal with it immediately, by no access to growing grass, just regular 4 hourly hay, they all stay the same weight nearly all the time, and fit

there are times like may/june a bit of extra effort to control the grazing time is essential


i dont generally find it works to leave them out 24 7, its a lot easier to micro manage the weight than to let any of them expand to much!

 

[eahotson]

i have a sort of cob, semi hairy legs, cob type, very lively, i treat him the same as the others, blood horses, all come into yards with access to stables at night, they all have periods of grazing all day, some with restricted access to lush areas, by electric fencing, the only difference is the cob has the shorter grass, but can graze 10 hours a day generally, i find the secret with all of them is as soon as they put on a few pounds is deal with it immediately, by no access to growing grass, just regular 4 hourly hay, they all stay the same weight nearly all the time, and fit

there are times like may/june a bit of extra effort to control the grazing time is essential


i dont generally find it works to leave them out 24 7, its a lot easier to micro manage the weight than to let any of them expand to much!

I have a welsh cob, retired now.He could pack it on a bit in the summer but always lost it very quickly as soon as the grass started to die back.He always entered Spring quite slim.

 

[Goldenstar]

They simply developed these type of working horses by not breeding from the mares than needed more food .
The old type of ID’s are the same only thrifty mares got used .
This type of small work horse worked slowly for most of the day they will hardly have been in their stables in daylight.
We let them live to well and do to little .
My cob has taken two years to get slim he was really obese if he was not a striking colour you would think it was not the same horse .