IMO
A Cob is possibly the most incredible kind of horse you could ride, I look after a Cob stallion at work who is not only a CHPAS champion show cob, a HOYS qualified show cob but is also a Grade B Show Jumper, and I also have lot of experience with them at college. You need never sell a cob they will carry you through anything regardless of your height, im nearly 6ft but can still ride these horses over fences in dressage tests and hack out do what ever i want and not look ridiculous.

Both the stallion i look after and the cob at college will rise to the challenge of any rider, , stick me on him and he could jump the earth for me and still be happy or stick a lesser rider on and he is happy plodding around the lanes, he is impeccable mannered although handled in a chifney this is only for safety reasons due to he is a stallion and still has those primal urges. the cob at college would do anything for me from jumping to lateral work and then you could stick a learner rider on and he would behave him self and do as much or as little as you ask.

cobs are fantastic why do you think riding schools have so many? they are versatile can be handled and ridden by a huge variety or riders in all shapes and sizes, and you can pick up a good one from £2000.

i do not like the criollo i find them in the vast majority to be ugly horse with appalling conformation and bad feet, and they all seem to be in awful condition, i dont want to see a horse fat but to have no top line and then to go and do a 16km ride on a horse that is 4years old and is defiantly not in the condition to do so is shocking horse management and is not fair on the horse, he may do it now but what about in five six or even two years time. and yes people might comment on how well behave a criollo stallion is but i look after a grade a show jumper who you can stand not even paying attention to at a high powered high energy show and he will stand calm as a lamb until you need him to fire up and jump a course of fences with a tiny lady on who isn't much taller then 5ft.

i would personally never get a horse from the states if i want a horse its the UK or Ireland, and then maybe if i am going high powered Dressage and showjumping maybe france or germany, but nothing further, i wouldnt put a horse through that i find it to be unfair. yes high level competition horses do it all thier life but they get special one on one care by professionals at the top of thier game not a bunhc of horse transporters that know probably very little about horses.

hi all, i have a foot in both camps being the owner of an imported quarter horse who was an impulse purchase and a lovely 3 yr old bred in the uk. i think its good to see so many quarter horse youngsters for sale in the uk so that the breed can increase and give more choice and quality to everyone. the only drawback is finding the correct trainer who suits both horse and owner (western) but that will improve with time too. i always said a couple of years ago that i would not import a horse from usa but we just fell in love with him and he is super, so it was worthwhile.
rosie

Gem wrote:


i do not like the criollo i find them in the vast majority to be ugly horse with appalling conformation and bad feet, and they all seem to be in awful condition, i dont want to see a horse fat but to have no top line and then to go and do a 16km ride on a horse that is 4years old and is defiantly not in the condition to do so is shocking horse management and is not fair on the horse, he may do it now but what about in five six or even two years time. and yes people might comment on how well behave a criollo stallion

O.K as this is a direct comment refering to our stallion I will comment - you are a college student studying horse management I suggest you aquire a little humility and accept you are not an expert on all things horse!! Your post is rude and sailing rather close to the wind of liable, when commenting on someone elses business and livelihood. The day my partner or I take advice on horse management from a mere student will be a cold day in hell. Grow up.

A four year old stallion should be more than capable of doing 16km - which is after all no more than a short hack. I wouldn't stand a stallion at stud that wasn't in fact capable. As a VET (you know studied for seven years, to enable them to pass a professional opinion) saw him both before and after the ride and his heart rate was lower on his return it is fair to say the horse was not overly taxed by the experience. He also completed a dressage test in the morning, working in a correct and balanced outline therefore I find your comments about his lack of topline rather interesting (he was placed third with 68% by a well respected judge). If you read anything about Criollos you will find they are both famous for their endurance and their longlivity. Your comments about both their conformation and feet are interesting - many farriers have commented on the wonderful feet both ours have and one retired farrier commented how he had "never seen a horse move as correct and straight as our criollo mare"

Ah well what I guess I am saying is that I'd rather take the word of experienced farriers and vets and my own experience with horses worth many many millions than yours!!

Post edited by: laura, at: 2008/04/19 19:39

Gemma or is it appy snot?? just stop digging right now,,
it is'nt big or clever, remember college wont
teach you commom sense just PC guff,
health and safety
and text book horse care,
you need to get out more....
please consider peoples feelings
before comenting on there choice
of breed or method of getting one,
try to understand the meaning of
choice and the freedom we enjoy
to pursue our hobbies ....

Post edited by: Roland, at: 2008/04/19 22:00

I just CANT believe what a load of s**t Gemma has wrote...
I too have an imported stallion- from America (appaloosa)
He is 100% FPD(foundation pedigree desegnated) and has been granted Grade A status from BApS (British Appaloosa Society) - 5 generation PURE appaloosa x appaloosa breeding.........and is LOUD leopard. Now you find me one of those over here will you?
His pedigree goes back to the Nez Perce indians horses.....(not many of those in England lm afraid )
Like Roland said- it is up to the person just WHERE & WHOME he buys stock from-and the main reason one imports into this country- is to IMPROVE(please look up in the dictonary dear if you dont understand the meaning of the word!)
I too find you extreamley rude in your comments- and due to our many imports-they have vastley improved our English stock- breeding back to true type!
You wouldnt import a horse from the states- not surprized- as your into cobs- they have imported most of them from over here & Ireland!
Oh and by the way- our stallion was now "cheap" to buy & import either- and niether will he be at stud to cover "any old thing". Like l said- imports are mainley brought into this country to IMPROVE stock over here!

Post edited by: Atira, at: 2008/04/19 22:59

deary me Gem, offensive or what? IMO anybody riding a cob can't help but look ridiculous...

sorry to the rest of you cob owners...!

I'd change your college if I were you, you shouldn't be learning to generalize a breed so drastically... I've seen some pretty rotten cobs too, and just for the record and having worked at BHS riding schools in the past I can tell you that cobs are chosen cause they are cheap, not because they are safe for novices. In fact, I would NEVER put a novice on your average cob. But 9 out of 10 QH's... you bet. (I dunno enough about appy's and criollos, so can't comment, but I think their probably safer too!)

Do us all a favor, and yourself, go for a ride on a real good horse, you know, manners, power steering, brakes etc. And quit the downright savage c**p. We don't need it. Other boards might enjoy it, but we don't.

(hi every body! still miss ya! xx )