Honestly…you will not really know for either of you until you do it. Just put one foot in front of the other…keep working and learning. Sounds like he is a nice young horse. Don’t be too concerned about what level you may or may not end up. Sounds like this horse has a lot he can teach you now and that is all that’s really important.
When I put up the pictures, I have a video of his changes I can include as well.
Not picking, OP. Just interesting that they advertised it and didn’t show it. Changes don’t matter right now. Learning from your horse and trainers is what matters.
OP, your new horse is cute. I say what does it matter if he can jump GP heights or not? I really don’t understand everyone’s obsession to have a “GP level” horse. A lot of the times those horses are kind of cray, and not to be ridden by the average rider (or even cannot be ridden by the average rider). My vote is therefore to not really worry about it, unless you want to resell, and just have fun with your horse!
Also, I’m curious what your definition of “GP” is. I know the regional “GP’s” in my area range anywhere from 1.20-1.60 (at the big recognized shows). Having a beast who could do 1.20 versus having one who can do 1.60 is something very, very different.
GP horse? Who knows. He looks very cute and athletic in his video. One thing that jumped out at me is he doesn’t look super careful - he is barely cantering over the jumps. The good news is he looks very brave, and it is hard to find both careful and brave. That is what makes the $$$$ horse. I would pick brave over careful any day.
Enjoy him and make him up slowly with lots of help along the way. If he is even 25% as nice as you think he is, you certainly don’t want to ruin him by overfacing or overpounding him. As others have said, sometimes their bodies develop faster than their minds. Don’t jump big jumps just because he can until he has solid miles at the lower jumps, both at home and at shows.
Nicole Cobb of Oregon is a wonderful rider and trainer. She travels here a couple times a year (when we’re lucky) to clinic.
Sorry, I’m confused I guess, you bought your horse from the Cobbs?
Yah. I bought Nino from Greg. Where are you at?
[QUOTE=fishjumper;8138134]
I bought Nino in Oregon, where he was bred. I am not totally sure, but I believe he was bred at Cornerstone stables. His registered name is Pez Volante if you want to look it up.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aUGp4CQSCic
I found a video- this is him about a week out of the pasture when he was for sale. He looks a lot better now, so I will post a picture if him now.[/QUOTE]
Wait, just so I’m clear- there is a sale video of him, without changes, doing 2’3ish jumps, but when you tried him, he had changes and was doing 6’ courses? How much time was there between the video and when you tried him? Who was riding him over the 6’ courses?
Whatever he ends up doing in the future, I think he is pretty cute. I think maybe you should retitle your original post. You don’t need HELP!!! 
Just enjoy your new horse.
I’m still waiting for the 6’ and 7’ jump videos.
The video you posted, he does look cute! He seems quiet enough it looks like he could be an eq/medal horse. Plus he jumped those piles of rocks, he might even do the derbies!
He’s listed as still owned by Tayler Cobb. It also says his sire/dam are unknown in the USEF registry… and he’s a Thoroughbred cross? Other google hits come back that he’s 16.1.
Cute horse, regardless.
When I got him he was not doing changes. He had to be taught those. And i am quite sure Tayler does not own hin any more.
Ok so your trainer has or has not done GP? Because you say she doesn’t but trains horses at that level but then you say she has competed at that level.
“My trainer doues not compete at that level though she has trained riders to that level.” “And my trainer rode in GP when she was young.”
Like others said, if your trainer supposedly knows what would make a GP horse because she has had them then that is the better advice than people here, most of whom (no offense to anyone because I’m one of those people!) probably haven’t ridden at that level. That seems kind of like asking your peewee football coach if you would make an NFL player instead of asking your neighbor who is an NFL coach.
[QUOTE=Star’s Ascent;8138705]
Ok so your trainer has or has not done GP? Because you say she doesn’t but trains horses at that level but then you say she has competed at that level.
“My trainer doues not compete at that level though she has trained riders to that level.” “And my trainer rode in GP when she was young.”
Like others said, if your trainer supposedly knows what would make a GP horse because she has had them then that is the better advice than people here, most of whom (no offense to anyone because I’m one of those people!) probably haven’t ridden at that level. That seems kind of like asking your peewee football coach if you would make an NFL player instead of asking your neighbor who is an NFL coach.[/QUOTE]
More like asking your neighbor who coaches middle school football over your college football coach who has supposedly coached NFL.
I want to make sure I have all this straight. You said you bought him from the barn he was born and raised at. In the same post you say he was jumping 6’ courses at the barn he was at before you got him. So which barn was he at then? Was he returned to the barn that bred him? Because you also said that you bought him from the barn owner because he was broke and needed money. You bought him from the Cobbs. So the Cobb’s were broke and needed money? He is 8 now, he sat in pasture for 4 years. and it was roughly 6 mo later that you started riding him. So you have also been watching him for 4.5 yrs? You described him as cocky but the horse in the video for having just come out of pasture doesn’t look like a cocky horse. Granted it’s just a couple minutes in time but a good time to be cocky is when you are pulled out of pasture and asked to do something for the first time in 4 yrs. Just trying to get the facts straight here since there seem to be varying story lines going on here.
What I ment by he was jumping the big courses at the barn he was at before I got him was that he was purchased by me when we moved, so we are at a new barn. And it was my old trainer who rode in GPs, my current trainer has trained riders in them though. I have known him for almost 5 years now. And he gets cocky when he is fresh or fit. He was neither in the video. He is quite careful when he focuses, and as he can be careful and brave he gets cocky from that. He was also ridden hard repeatedly before the video.
The free jumping video “is not compatable”. With this website. I can try to refilm it soon, but the soonest I can do it is Sunday. But I will get one up here.
[QUOTE=fishjumper;8138789]
The free jumping video “is not compatable”. With this website. I can try to refilm it soon, but the soonest I can do it is Sunday. But I will get one up here.[/QUOTE]
I would like to see some more of his old jumping videos!
We can wait.
And more webs are weaved.
Upload the video to youtube and post the link
Having ridden a GP level horse, and having ridden a GP level horse over a GP course, are two very different things.
Cute horse, from that video he definitely needs more conditioning as he is letting his hind end trail behind (from what I see). I would say he does look more like a TB cross than WB but who knows.
