Welsh section D cobs for trail riding?

[catbird321]

I am thinking about my next horse… the breed I am most drawn to are Welsh cobs.

The main thing I enjoy doing is trail riding. Right now my little grade quarterhorse is doing ok with that but he has some health problems and he’s getting older so I am thinking of the future. (I’ll keep him of course - he’s my Bud).

Most people I know who enjoy trail riding around here seem to prefer gaited horses. I have tried them and I do find the gaits nice, but I still come back to the cobs when I think of “my perfect horse”. But, is that sensible?

I see people doing dressage and jumping with Welsh cobs and ponies, but do you know anyone who uses them on trails? How do they like them?

I know some cobs have a reputation for bolting, and being obstinate and having “pony’tude” My own horse has done this and worse, he has some “pony’tude” himself so that’s not my worry.

I don’t want a spooky, high strung horse. I want a calm, confident, strong, but perhaps stubborn animal. Dominant: ok. Super smart and you have to stay one step ahead of them?: fine. BUT spooks at every damn little thing? NOT fine. Herd bound? NOT fine. (For me). :winkgrin:

I also want it to be surefooted, and to be able to do horse camping: nothing too intense: at most ride 20 miles in a day every day for a week…(of course I’d prepare/condition it first!) Smooth gaits are nice too. I’d like it to have a fast walk or be able to trot long distances so I’d be able to keep up with gaited horses on the trail - so I can ride with my friends. Does anyone you know do this with a Welsh cob? Maybe I should just look at gaited breeds but somehow they just don’t grab me. I am a pony person at heart.

Any thoughts? Thanks.

[goeslikestink]

any welsh pony loves to work they are made to work
like any horse they dont suffer fools lightly,

i have always had welsh cobs and the other sections at mo have one of each
but the welsh are versittle horses and ponies can turn there hooves to anything

the are bright, smart bold, and courageous, all have mine have competed and still compete in in ht, sj , x/c , trec, dressage, pc events rc events and a couple have driven, i have never ever had a problem with any of the welsh groups

but like isaid they dont suffer fools, by that i mean they like work and they like to know ehere they stand, they like people that are confident and assertive
as these little horses can push pass there limits and offer more than you think
they are excel at anything to include trial riding or hacking out or endurance
like isad they love to work

[CoolMeadows]

They are super smart and like some power play, but stupid spooky? Unlikely.

Mine could buck like no tomorrow and loved to grab the bit and take me waterskiing but he was always, always a blast and if I was really stern he’d pull it together and behave. I rode him out in the desert and he’d grab the bit and chase camels, to give you an idea of how not spooky he is! I have no clue what he planned to do if he ever caught one. I also evented him to Prelim, he was 8th in the country in the Jr Jumpers and did the AOs and open speeds.

They are short, but not little! Mine is 15.2, weighed 1320lbs on the scales when he was showing, wears an 82" blanket and has the biggest stride I’ve ridden. He is coming up on 27 and still sound and gorgeous - they are tough and hardy. He liked going out for hacks but now and then you’d feel his heart pounding and he’d start the dragon snorting. Airs above the ground followed shortly.

I could never do anything but laugh when he was naughty because it was so ridiculous to have this short, fat adorable pony-faced stuffed toy lookalike acting like such a bada$$. I think the laughing used to piss him off and he’d pull out the bigger moves lol. I’d get one to trail ride, they are nothing if not entertaining and lovable.

ETA: they can trot for days! They were bred for the big ground covering trot but you have to look at the individual. I’ve seen a few in the U.S. that have sewing machine trots.

[BaroquePony]

Hot blooded like an Anglo-Arab, personality of a Shetland Pony and packaged in the body of a Black Angus Bull :yes:

[butlerfamilyzoo]

Perfect description BaroquePony!

I do dressage, driving, and trail riding with my cob. Though i have to say she’s mostly done trail riding. I’ve had her for 4yrs, bought her as a 2yr old, started her myself, she’s never been away from me, i think i would go insane with depression.

She is the BEST trail horse i’ve ever had. I’ve climbed waterfalls with her, no joke! I’ve put hundreds of trail miles on her, we have an occasional spook, and so long as no one clamps up on her, she’ll spook in place. She’s not a bolter unless you say go with your legs not meaning to. EXTREMELY loyal mare to her family, and jealous if her family members do not take her but take others… She remembers…

I can leave her in the pasture for 4 months and hop on just as if i rode/drove yesterday. She might start out a little tense, but i laugh and she mellows out.

All that being said, she’s not a beginner’s horse, borderline an intermediate horse, totally cool with an advanced rider, BUT she CAN NOT keep up with the gaited horses and we are always at the back of the pack and drifting further and further away. I bought my husband a percheron to trail ride with me so i knew he would be slow too, and my son’s pony is a large mini, those short legs can only go so fast. My cob i swear likes to go slow and enjoy the scenery, smell the flowers, etc… She loves to go camping, the first on the trailer with a smile, happy wherever she ends up. You would think with her huge stride and ginormous trot, she could keep up with anything, but she totally shifts into low gear and the turtles pass us by when trail riding!

For myself, i’ll only ride a welsh, of any section, i just find them my fit. Nice little work-a-holics with a bit of pony attitude and spunk! If you havent ridden one, try to find one to ride, take a lesson on, or make sure you ride before you buy. They are a different feel. Mine rides like she’s 17 hands (she’s only 13.3), no joke, she always takes people off guard if they try her. Her canter is a mess, and i think that tends to be a cob trait, they can be really unbalanced and wacko, not knowing what to do with all their power. It can be a slow learning curve. At 6yrs of age, we still do not have a “canter” we have a hand gallop that sometimes feels like i’m riding a motorcycle on a sharp turn and we might slide out and fall at any moment… I’m hoping she’ll get a canter by the time she’s 10…

[KonaPony]

My old pony was a welsh cob, I had her for her entire life and we never did anything but trail ride. We were both young and dumb and had a blast together. She (and the relatives of hers that I’d met) had plenty of 'tude so I had to regularly remind her who the boss was, but she was also super friendly and happy to get out and go. Not a beginner’s horse, she (and her relatives) needed strong riders, but she was dependable in her own way. She was short, but strong and tough as nails - I could go anywhere with her.

Her gaits were interesting, possibly because she was kind of a frankenpony in terms of conformation (we had no idea how that happened, her mother and father were both beautiful. She ended up… rather strange looking). Her walk was nice, it felt like a big horse’s walk, not a pony’s. Her trot was terribly uncomfortable but she could go forever at high speed that way… and she preferred not to canter (a flat out gallop was totally fine though :-P).

She could be very stubborn when she wanted to. Not high strung, but energetic and she had a tendency to be silly if she thought she could get away with it. Even so, when it REALLY mattered, somehow she could tell and was very dependable.

[tollertwins]

HA!

Some of the equitours are in Wales on cobs. They say that it isn’t so important how well you ride as much as how your endurance is on those. They go, and go, and go, and go…

And the terrain is pretty rugged.

[exvet]

We currently own 7 welsh cobs. We compete all but one who is retired in competitive trail in between our dressage competitions. I put a minimum of 5 miles on each cob (section C’s & D’s) every week. When work isn’t getting in the way I will put even more miles on them. One of my most sure footed, best with stamina, and sensible ones is a section C who I ride. The competitive trail venue we compete in is focused not so much on time and distance but on negotiating obstacles. My daughter competes on my PSG guy and he isn’t the bravest of souls. She doesn’t score very high because of his skeptical nature but no major bolts or dangerous antics at all - simply not real bold and at times has to sniff/taste test/etc before he’ll go through it. I think they are great for trail riding. I have two that I can put my husband on and not worry (he’s more of a weekend warrior sort). Even those of mine who are more sensitive pretty much just spook in place. I had one who was a confirmed bolter but has long since grown past that and is as solid as they come both in a group situation and on his own.

[exvet]

My cob i swear likes to go slow and enjoy the scenery, smell the flowers, etc…

BFZ - I had to laugh. I only now had time to go back and read the other’s responses.

Of ours, we have Cosmo who is at the front, will do almost anything to be AT THE FRONT except jig. She doesn’t act stupid or do anything obnoxious but she can and will move out to make sure she is IN THE FRONT. She is an alpha mare of course. Then we have Monty…ah Monty…he is always, no matter who the rider is - riding in the drag position (for those who don’t move cattle that is at the back of the herd, eating dust). So I would have to say that it totally depends on the cob as to how fast or slow they move…but don’t be mistaken 'cause they are deliberate movers even if it’s like my Merlin who is deliberate in saying - only if you make me He will move out with one of the most ground covering walks I’ve seen, huge overstride, lovely swinging back but that’s only if you tell him he has to and by goodness you mean it. I don’t have to nag, just impress upon him what the expectations are. In this case, I am the alpha mare :winkgrin: They do have great stamina even in the desert heat though I will add that I spend a lot of time on conditioning work to make sure they can handle it. When we compete at trail, most people assume we have Morgans (plus my son rides an Arab). Their reaction is priceless when you tell the QH/Arab/gaited only people that they are Welsh. When we hit an obstacle that required stepping your horse’s front feet into a square made of 2 x 4 that was only 1 foot by 1 foot (in order to demonstrate a 360 on the forehand), and the judge realized your size 4 welsh cob’s two front hooves were NOT going to fit in THAT square at the same time…they suddenly realize…hey that’s not a Morgan is it? :winkgrin: No but you bet your backside that it’s sound, hearty, and able to handle most any terrain.

[BaroquePony]

Posted by exvet:

and the judge realized your size 4 welsh cob’s two front hooves were NOT going to fit in THAT square at the same time

:lol:

[catbird321]

I love this thread, and I love some of your descriptions: esp BaroquePony’s:

“Hot blooded like an Anglo-Arab, personality of a Shetland Pony and packaged in the body of a Black Angus Bull”!

Thanks to everyone who responded! I very much appreciate the input.

[exvet]

Here’s a qu took 3 welsh cobs (section D’s) and one of our Arabs and met our friends with their Trakhener and a welsh cob I sold two years ago to go trail riding. It was the first time the welsh cob (Gallod Dyfring) I sold had been trail riding. It was the first time my stallion (Pro A Resolute) had been out trail riding with horses outside of his own herd. We ended up going about 8 miles in beautiful weather. A great time was had by all. Here are the pictures…wanna ask us again how Welsh section D’s do for trail riding ?

Getting ready for the trail (welsh cob in front, arab in back)
[IMG]http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o253/ldarling_photos/2010/gettingready.jpg)

Just how much dust can a welsh cob hide in it’s hair? (both pictured are section D’s)
[IMG]http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o253/ldarling_photos/2010/Justhowmuchdust.jpg)

First time away from home and group trail ride (Gallod Dyfrig)
[IMG]http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o253/ldarling_photos/2010/FredandMarcheta.jpg)

The whole posse sans the photog who was my husband on our cob mare.
[IMG]http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o253/ldarling_photos/2010/theposse.jpg)

The middle linebackers (aka welsh cobs)
[IMG]http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o253/ldarling_photos/2010/welshcobs.jpg)

The secret to making a welsh cob a good trail horse? FEED them (look at my daughter in the back)
[IMG]http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o253/ldarling_photos/2010/thesecret.jpg)

and my son’s embarassment on his beloved Arab who puts up with the Arabs on “roids”
[IMG]http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o253/ldarling_photos/2010/laughing.jpg)

Oh well suffice it to say we had a blast and there are more trail riding welsh cobs where those came from :winkgrin:

[Thomas_1]

![]('ve got them too. If you have a look at my web site then you’ll see a selection.

They developed to be the genuine all round farmers horse. Robust enough to live in the Welsh mountains. Strong enough to take a cart of fodder out for the sheep and cattle. Flashy enough for the lady of the house to harness and drive to church. Stamina and athletic enough to take the farmer for a day’s hunting and jump safely on challenging Welsh high hill land.

As such they’re bred to be good reliable all round horses. Testament to that is that mine are all ride and drive.

And trust me, you don’t drive horses that go spooking and bolting!

They’re easy keepers… rather I should say, they’re built and designed to convert food efficiently and will, if given the opportunity eat anything and everything in their path.

What they need though is meagre forage grazing. Mine tend to be on restricted diet from May to April every year They winter out. They’re survivors and tend to prioritise looking after themselves. Which is great because if you’re with them that means you’ll pretty much be safe too.

They’ve good powerful action at trot. Safe and sure footed with power and drive at canter. Rather than being good at burst of speed, they’ll keep going all day.

They’re the sort of horse that doesn’t mind living out from Monday to Friday and then just being ridden at the weekend. They don’t get silly if you do that like some breeds can.

They’ve a tendency to become bossy or stubborn if they think you’re not doing the job of leading. As such when they’re young and you’re first training them you just make sure you set the boundaries and don’t give them an inch or they’ll take a mile. for example: don’t make them go back or stand still as you enter their stable and you’ll likely get trampled as they decide you’re not up to the job and they exit out!

[IMG]http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a205/classic_carriages/driving/welshD-1.jpg)

[IMG]http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a205/classic_carriages/driving/DSCF0003.jpg)

[IMG]http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a205/classic_carriages/driving/welshsectionD.jpg)

[IMG]http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a205/classic_carriages/driving/whatsthis.jpg)

[IMG]http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a205/classic_carriages/driving/DSCF0001-4.jpg)

[sophie]

[URL:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v94/minitutu/horse%20treks/surlechemin.jpg?t=1289773234]Alps

[Somermist]

OP, get one, you will never be sorry!

[sophie]

I’ve been on Welsh cobs for three 2 week treks (between 25 and 40 km a day) and they did just fine. They had no real experience either, being used for ring work and jumping mostly.

Here is one at a high pass in the Alps, as you can see he was very stressed by the whole thing, lol

And the other one I rode (bay, in front) just before entering a long tunnel in Switzerland.

Both horses did great. Very sure footed, sturdy, didn’t mind having all our stuff on their backs either.

[Thomas_1]

[QUOTE=sophie;5222929]

Here is one at a high pass in the Alps, as you can see he was very stressed by the whole thing, lol[/QUOTE]
:lol:That’s a classic Welsh cob pose!

relaxed… eat grass
stressed… eat grass
cantering… eat grass

[CoolMeadows]

Oh yes, they are definitely air ferns and will eat anything! Mine has a penchant for trying to steal burgers or chicken sandwiches. This was Mr. Cool on a regimen of 6 days a week 1.5+hour workouts including cross country gallops, as little hay as we could get away with, and a multivitamin. And yes, before the helmet police come out I always wear one now. Also, yes, we were hacking around the showgrounds in a halter. I think these horses would walk through fire for their person.

Thomas1, if you see one like mine over there for sale, I would like another.

[csuebele]

Our pony has a lot of Welsh Cob in him although he’s registered as a sport horse. He’s 14.1 and mostly great on the trails. He’s my daughter’s horse, but she recently got a larger one, so I’m riding him now on the trials, and I’m a novice rider. He likes to take me through bushes, but I’m learning how to control that. I weight about 165 pounds, so he does struggle going up some of the steep hills around here. I often feel sorry for him on some of them and dismount. He is very careful about going down hills as he doesn’t want to slip. He used to get a bit spooky whey we first got him, but he’s much better now. He does get a little excited on occasion, the last time was when we came across a couple walking their pig on the horse trail. He had never seen a pig before and was very curious, but a bit nervous. He fits the description many have posted above about being very smart and wanting to lead you.

[catbird321]

I love this thread. Thanks for all the pictures! Just looking at pictures of them makes me happy. I don’t know why? They just appeal to me on some fundamental level. Bossy and stubborn sounds good to me: what kind of insane person thinks that? LOL. But I do.

As it turns out my own little bossy, stubborn grade QH pony is feeling better (thank God) after lots of massage therapy over the weekend…I hope to keep him going as long as I can.

When it’s time I can’t ride him anymore I hope a Welsh Cob will be what I get next. I think they are the coolest.