lw cob hw cob mw cob???

[horselover!!!]

i often hear people describing cobs as lightweight middleweight and heavyweight does this actauly mean they can take more weight or why is this so? also could anyone tel me what 'bone' and 'substance' are?!?!?!

[jenny2502]

I think they're mainly called lw mw hw in terms of how heavy they are and how much they can carry, but also they need to be clasified as one or the other for showing classes sometimes. mine weights 420kg (i think) and can carry about 14-15 stone and he is mw. hope this helps, i have showed for 2 years now and i have seen lw and hw and mine is definatly not either. as for bone this mainly means the cannon bones and bone in the leg the right length of bone catagory puts the horses value up because they can do more eg dressage, thats what i read anyway. dont know about substance something to do with how much breed in them?

[Julie]

I believe it's to do with the circumference of the bone that defines the weight (ie the thickness). The more bone they have, the more body weight they can carry and the more weight they can carry in terms of rider. As all show cobs are around the same height, it can be quite confusing.

When I worked for a show producer we often had the debate about whether a horse was a small hunter or a lightweight cob - mane on and plaited or mane off? Sometimes they looked too plain to be a hunter but when you took the mane off they looked wrong and didn't sit well in the cob classes.

I do get annoyed when you see a cob that is just plain fat being shown in a heavyweight class when they don't have enough bone to support it - guaranteed joint problems in later life.

[darkhorse]

This is an interesting topic to discuss. Bone is measured directly below the knee and gives you a guide to what sort of weight a horse should be up to.
In showing terms, a lightweight cob should be able to carry up to 14 stone and a heavyweight 14 stone and over.
There is a huge difference in the quality of bone in a show cob with good flat bone as opposed to a hacking or leisure cob who may be a little 'plain' below the knee and round its joints.
Think of years gone by when most people rode quality hunters and hacks and cobs were basically work horses used around the farm and by tradesmen.
There is an old saying 'an ounce of blood equals a pound of bone', meaning that a quality hunter with substance and bone would in theory be up to as much weight as a heavier set horse.
In modern times, however, many people are heavier than they were in those times and this is where the cob is so useful and comes into its own, coupled with the fact they usually have have very laid back temperaments and are easy to keep.

[Julie]

Listen to the expert, darkhorse knows what she's talking about. I happen to know she has shown cobs and hunters to a very high level

[Charles]

Great question and really satisfying answers. Thanks so much! I notice on safecobs site that the size of the horse always appears to fit it's Visual size/Girth! Charles.