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Solve these six common cob problems to give you the edge in the show ring this season
As part of this exclusive series for Horse & Hound subscribers on winter training for different types of show horse, cob experts reveal their troubleshooting tips to bring the best out of this popular type. Here is their advice on everything from running on the forehand to priming your cob for the ride judge
The hogged show cob is one of the most popular types of horses to both own and show, making training the cob well essential if you want to be competitive in the show ring. The heaviest stamp of ridden show horse, the cob is loved for its weight-carrying abilities, comfortable ride and versatility. Note, the show cob is a type, not a breed, and many people love them as they’re viewed as being calmer and more amenable in comparison to horses with more “blood”, although, of course, every horse is an individual and not all conform to the stereotype. Cobs are often of unknown breeding, although many have some Irish Draught bloodlines in them, and many top show ring stars have been found in weird and wonderful places. In show cob classes, a ride is required to assess the horse’s performance, and type and conformation is equally important for the second phase of the class.
According to the British Show Horse Association (BSHA), a cob is a short-legged animal which combines substance, bone and quality, and should be capable of carrying a substantial weight of rider. As well as key conformation elements, the cob should be a well-mannered and push-button mount suitable for nervous or elderly riders. The cob should have all the attributes of a good hunter, including low movement and be a comfortable ride.
A super example: the late multi-garlanded cob Our Cashel Blue.
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)
Cobs are shown in one of three divisions: lightweight, heavyweight or maxi. Only mares or geldings can be shown in affiliated classes.
Lightweight – minimum of eight and a half inches of bone, exceeding 148cm but not exceeding 155cm, capable of carrying up to 14 stone.
Heavyweight – minimum of nine inches of bone, exceeding 148cm but not exceeding 155cm, capable of carrying more than 14 stone.
Maxi – exceeding 155cm with a recommended height limit of 160cm. To be judged to the cob type.
Cobs are also seen in amateur, ladies’ side-saddle, novice and home-produced sections, as well as in working show horse classes. Some hogged cobs are successful in both weight and coloured classes. At some shows, usually at local or unaffiliated level, the lightweight, heavyweight and maxi cobs will come together in a single cob class.
Ensuring your cob is trained to the highest level is essential if you want to succeed in these uber-competitive classes. Owning a cob of a good type is not enough to stand at the top of the line and winter provides the perfect opportunity to refine your schooling and ringcraft ahead of the coming show season.
Training the cob for top performance in the ring
H&H speaks to some of the circuit’s top riders to find out how to solve some of the most common problems associated with show cobs.
1. Running on the forehand
Danielle Heath is a leading show horse producer who is based in Cheshire. She has won open cob classes at both Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) and the Royal International (RIHS) and she has also produced show cobs to the top in side-saddle ranks. Danielle maintains that cobs either have a naturally uphill way of going, or they tend to run on the forehand due to their build generally being quite heavy and downhill.
“If something runs on it can be so hard to get them back, which is why schooling needs to be correct from the very early stages,” Danielle says. “If a cob gets to know its strength early on, you often have nowhere to go – so I like to get on top of it as soon as you get on them. If necessary, I would temporarily use a stronger bit – like a three-ring happy mouth or a Tom Thumb – on a cob that goes on the forehand and is heavy in front, to help them learn to carry themselves and not lean on the rider’s hand.
A Tom Thumb bit can be helpful to prevent horses leaning
(Image credit: creditUnknown)
“Cobs, though, either have a natural way of going, or they don’t. Therefore, it’s very important that they’re done well early on, and are ridden in a combination of a suitable bit and noseband so they sit lighter from the beginning.”
2. Stuffy and sluggish
Keeping a show horse fit and not fat is essential, though cobs can be harder to keep in such a condition due to their size and stamp.
“The fitter a cob is the easier it is for them to give a good ride; if they’re unfit they can be very hard work,” Danielle says. “Plus, maintaining their fitness levels also keeps their shape so they don’t get fat, overloaded and barrel-like.
“If a cob is carrying too much weight in their neck, they can become strong through the bridle; often it might not be that they are unresponsive in the mouth, but they can’t flex and lack suppleness through the neck due to carrying too much bulk.
“All my cobs do lots of canter work; they’re in the field going up the hills most days. Our HOYS-winning heavyweight Bobbi Dazzler is a strong type and due to his stamp, he really thrives on being kept exceptional fit during the show season.”
Danielle Heath in the show ring with maxi cob Brookdale Limited Edition: “The fitter the cob is, the easier it is for them to give a good ride,” says Danielle.
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)
3. Lacking suppleness
Lynn Russell is one of the circuit’s most well-known cob producers. She has won HOYS and the RIHS on cobs and is known for her business Top Cobs as well as her ability to find stars of the future.
Cob specialist Lynn Russell aboard Jovian.
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)
Lynn says that cobs can become very solid in your hand if allowed to, so taking training back to basics is helpful.
“Because cobs are heavier animals they often don’t find it easy to bend and flex; they sit on your hand, especially on the inside rein,” she says. “I do a lot of walking, especially when they’re just backed. Just lots and lots of walking; on spiral circles, leg yielding in and out, on serpentines, while changing the rein. I will also walk over a pole, ride a sharp turn and double back over the pole to get that flexion. This helps enormously when we move through the paces.”
4. Overly strong
While every type of show horse should be forward and “look through the bridle”, some cobs can have a tendency to become strong in the hand.
“Cobs can be strong, and they’ve got to learn to respect the brakes, but this doesn’t come by the rider being savage with them,” Lynn says. “All of my cobs are responsive to voice commands – if any rider or judge says ‘woah’ they stop dead.
“I personally find riding a cob in a curb bridle, such as a pelham, helps. I might not be showing in the same bit or bridle, but I’d usually put my show cobs in a curb with two reins at home. It sits them up and helps them get used to it for the ring.”
5. Tension
Richard Telford is a Scottish show horse and native specialist who was cob of the year champion at HOYS in 2024 on heavyweight Taylor’s Hero. Horses can be tense for a variety of reasons, but Richard says that as a rider it’s your responsibility to not add to that tension with even more pressure.
“Tension comes from the mouth and the neck; if you’re holding a horse in a fixed outline and it can’t move its neck, it then can’t move it’s body,” Richard says. “The idea is to get the neck loose while keeping the contact and allowing them to move forward.
“Our maxi cob Clononey Mighty Mick, who was fourth at HOYS, was a real tense horse when he arrived. These types of horses invite you to hold onto them and you’ve got to train yourself to not pull when you feel like you need to. You’ve got to learn to hold with your seat, not by pulling them in the mouth. I think about it like a skid mechanism in a car – if you skid you automatically want to jump on the brake, but you must resist this reaction and pump the brake instead. It’s the same with the reins, give and take, give and take. If you just grab and hold tight the horse will run away from it.
Richard Telford rides champion heavyweight cob Taylors Hero. “Give and take,” he advises, to prevent the horse getting tense.
(Image credit: Peter Nixon)
“I ride loads of suppling exercises, concentrating on trying to control the horse with my seat and less with the reins. Try riding with your reins in one hand too, asking for transitions from walk to halt, trot to halt. Try stopping without using the reins, and then you’ll really see if you’re able to stop your horse using just your seat.”
6. The ride judge
When it comes to preparing your horse for the judge to ride, it’s worth getting experienced people you know and trust to help.
“Get other people to ride your horse if you can,” Richard advises. “Maybe someone who you regard as better than you, or who judges themselves so knows what the horse needs to be prepared for in the ring. This person can then advise you on what direction you need to go in.”
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Former H&H showing editor and deputy features editor
Born and raised in the Lake District, Alex has grown up on the showing scene. She has qualified and competed ponies at the Royal International, Horse of the Year Show and Olympia and has first-hand knowledge of the current issues in the showing world as well as the horses, ponies and riders who compete in the sport. Alex joined H&H in January 2018 as showing editor, cementing its place as the leading equestrian publication for both showing reports and current showing news in the UK. She moved on in October 2024 to pursue other opportunities, but continues to write for us on a freelance basis.
