# Bobby the gypsy cob



## emmaluvsmango (Jul 10, 2008)

After years and years of waiting I have finally managed to buy my own horse.

He has just turned 2 and is sooo cheecky. He lives with two older mares one 16 and one 20 and also a 3 month old foal. Him and the foal have so much fun and she definatly brings out the baby in him, which i love becuase after all at 2 he is still a baby, its so easy to forget due to him chunkyness!

Since he has arrived we have done alsorts with him and he has been perfect. We plan to drive him when he is 3 and ride him when he is 4. He is more than ready mentally, he loves to go in the paddock and learn walk on and whoaa, he already knows what time i arrive each day, I love him to bits already.

Does anybody have any ideas for toys or game I can play to keep him entertained. We have only had him a few weeks and he needs lots of mental stimulation, we try to introduce him to lots of new things each day but he soon gets bored as nothing phases him. Weve played football with him and the foal which he loved!!!

Sorry for the giant pictures lol


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## Melx (Dec 23, 2009)

He is very very cute!!  Bet you are sooo pleased with him being your first horse! It will be nice if you are keeping him for good (not selling EVER) as you will grow up with him and this will give you such a great bond!!

Sorry I dont know of anything to occupy him really, have never had youngsters lol I always found a great one for horses which are stabled though is to hang up a sweed from the ceiling! Takes them ages to grab and really work out how to eat it properly without it spinning and it is very cheap so when they do work it out you can easily go and buy another :thumbup:


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## emmaluvsmango (Jul 10, 2008)

Yes I am so pleased with him , and I intend to keep him forever, he is already part of the family. I'm really hopeing we will have a good bond as you say. He is already coming straight over to me when he see's me enter the field which is a great start . 

Will definatly try the sweed im sure he will love it! I'm very lucky where I keep him as the horses will have turnout all winter aswell although we will be stabling them in the evenings. If he is getting a bit bored and the wether isnt too bad he will be able to stop out for the odd night as we have a nice cozy shelter. 

He knocks buckets over, throws brushes and gets over excited when the gypsys go past with pony and trap haha, Im going to have to start talking in an irish accent and he might like me even more! lol. Just trying to think of things to do with him. We took him for a walk at weekend and 3 large dogs came over he put his head down and smelled them all which was such a nice reaction.


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## Melx (Dec 23, 2009)

He sounds very cute!! Mine is like that and she is 13! lol has to fiddle with everything and is the biggest fidget going!!
All I will say it that teach him the manners while he is young, Because this will help with breaking him etc and also make him how he should be with no naughty traits and vices! 
It is brilliant that he is like that already, think even if you did want to sell him eventually he wouldnt go without a fight! lol :thumbup:


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## pamela Renfrew (Jun 9, 2010)

Wow.... What a gorgeous Big Chunky Boy...... Good luck..... and enjoy your time with him.... I tried to drive my boy a few years back as he is an Irish Pacer..... obviously something went horribly wrong on the race track or something as he starts off fine then goes absolutely mental...... I think because I knew nothing of driving I gave up... but would one day love to put him to a professional and get a second opinion....Have Fun....
You can buy balls that you can put treats into and he has to roll it around and work it out...how to get the treats out.... Pamx


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## Melx (Dec 23, 2009)

The balls are good if your horse is curious of everything! Mine has never had one but there is one in a bucket which has just been left on the yard by someone and eveyrtime I tie her up she manages to get it out and play with it, even though it is empty :lol:

I bought a lick last week and she LOVES it! Just kept it in the container and put it in her stable and although she stinks of only what I can describe as liqourice, She loves it and it keeps her entertained for hours!
The only down side is she now has a really sticky muzzle! lol 
There are lots of things just go and experiment! Let us know what things you have found! :thumbup:


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## emmaluvsmango (Jul 10, 2008)

aww yes your 13 year old sounds just like him, anything we put on him to get him used to he pulls off so we have to distract him.

He is such a quick learner, ive been teaching him back up today in his stable, he gets distracted quite easily as to be expected. He was so tired earlier after a good run with the foal, his bottom lip was going, major cute!! haha

He is quite happy for me to lean on him and pick up ( and hold up ) all his feet, we gave him a bath and he was brill, he was a little bargie at the stable door when Im leaving, think he gets a bit anxious as he isnt used to a stable, but he is getting better and I just leave him for very short periods. 

Thank you pamela, he is defo chunky! lol. What a shame that things didn't go to plan with the driving, I'm in quite a lucky situation really with lots of people around me who drive thier own horses, one who has broken to harness the other is a pulling horse. I would have limited knowledge other wise as the world of driving is fairly new to me. I actually only considered driving him as something to do while waiting until he is old enough to ride. My partner has never really been intrested in horses but is very intrested in the driving side of things so its nice to beable to get him involved. 

I hope you manage to get your irish pacer sorted, I bet he would look amazing!

We tryed a lick but he tryed to chew it, so until he learns its for licking then we have to be careful with that lol. The balls sound great I will definatly invest in one, anything to keep him happy ... then i will go home and have beans on toast for tea haha


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## Foxkennedy (Sep 9, 2010)

Hiya, completely knew to this site but just saw your post and wanted to say congratulations to finding such a gorgeous big boy!! I wondered if you had heard of Parelli groundwork which we have used with our horses - its great as it is based on the games horses play with themselves so as a well as having fun you are establishing your relationship from the start. If not have a google of it and see if you cvan find any enthusiasts locally who can help you on your way as I am sure you and Bobby would love it. I hope life treats you both well and you have many lovely times together, cheers Clare


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## Melx (Dec 23, 2009)

emmaluvsmango said:


> aww yes your 13 year old sounds just like him, anything we put on him to get him used to he pulls off so we have to distract him.
> 
> He is such a quick learner, ive been teaching him back up today in his stable, he gets distracted quite easily as to be expected. He was so tired earlier after a good run with the foal, his bottom lip was going, major cute!! haha
> 
> ...


He sounds sooo adorable!! lol I dont think it will take him long to get into a routine with the stable! Mine is a bit of a nightmare because she likes to go out and come in at the same times EVERYDAY! lol if I dont she gets sooo cranky and just finds her own way in by snapping the electric fencing!! :scared: Bit annoying but keeps me on my toes time wise! lol 
Just put distractions in his stable so that he is busy concentrating on things when you leave, as soon as he gets it into his head that everyday you will be back he will be fine!
When we move yards Star freaks out when I leave her in her stable the first night but then as soon as she realises I am back the next day its like she is trying to say "O ok... I havnt been sold and your still here with me so its all good and I can chill!!" lol!
He will soon get into a routine with you and you shouold have no problems at all because by wht you are saying he is a very quick learner and a very loyal horse :thumbup:


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## Valanita (Apr 13, 2010)

He is lovely, a proper cob, Emma. My advice is just to handle him as often as you can, show him different things, maybe take him out for walks too, leading him, with another steady horse if you can, also being lead. Or if off roads on his own, but take someone else with you.


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## Caz2010 (Sep 12, 2010)

emmaluvsmango said:


> Does anybody have any ideas for toys or game I can play to keep him entertained. We have only had him a few weeks and he needs lots of mental stimulation, we try to introduce him to lots of new things each day but he soon gets bored as nothing phases him. Weve played football with him and the foal which he loved!!!


What a lovely boy, he is stunning, you have every right to be very proud of him.

No a few ideas of things to keep him entertained - all the following have been used by me over the years with my gang when they were foals or with horses Ive had on long term box rest so they are very well tried and tested 

A big Swede is great hung up as they have to work out how to eat it and its cheap.

Apples in the water butt is another cheap and good way of entertaining.

A football as you already mentioned is a good one.

A kids Space Hopper, it is larger then a football and has a handle that they can grab, when my lads were babies it amused them for hours chucking it in the air and at me if I wasnt paying attention! 

Hiding Carrots in the haynet - hide chunks of carrot throughout the haynet they all have loved that one!

Equine Decahedron - thats a 20 sided ball you fill with treats, pony nuts or I used carrots, they have to figure out how to get the treats out by turning it over with their nose or in a couple of mines cases booting it all over the stable! :lol:

There are so many others methods I have used over the years but thats a few to get you started


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## beth 123 (Sep 16, 2010)

hiya ,, ive just got a gypsy cob type of horse hes 2 and a half still a stally and getting extreamly cheaky but hes so full of charecter and i love him soo much i also need something o entertain him he seems to enjoy playing with the dogs i totaly agree where your coming from with not selling him theyre such amazing horses xx


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## emmaluvsmango (Jul 10, 2008)

Thank you everyone for all the lovely comments about bobby. 
Foxkennedy, I hadn't heard of parelli groud work but it sounds very intresting, I will definatly look into that. 
Melx, that must be difficult with your mare having to be so strict on time, the things we do for our animals . 
Valanita, that sounds like very good advice. We have already introduced him to a light weight driving harness, just so he can get the feel of it on him. We have also taken him out onto the main road as this is the only road around there, he was perfect! I couldn't ask for more from a 2 year old. 
He will now walk and stand on command with and without lead rope. 
Caz2010, I love the idea of the apple in the water, he is going to love that!!! 
Beth123, have just had a look at your public profile and your lad is gorgeous, would love to hear more about him. What do you plan to do with him? Ride/drive etc? Im thinking of showing bobby in hand while waiting for him to grow up a bit 

I feel I have bonded with bobby so much this week its a lovely feeling. 
Just like to finish with a couple of videos of him I just love him movements. Just to mention the 3 month old foal welsh D x will be for sale once she is old enough. Mum was a broad mare rescued in march with baby in belly.

Apologies for the terrible camera work at the begining of the video, it was on my phone and i never inteaded to upload it lol

happy horses

Bobby cantering

Thank you for reading emma


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## Caz2010 (Sep 12, 2010)

emmaluvsmango said:


> I feel I have bonded with bobby so much this week its a lovely feeling.
> Just like to finish with a couple of videos of him I just love him movements.


:thumbup: Great stuff - it IS the most amazing feeling when you finally feel you have that bond.

 Love the video of his canter, I bet that is so comfy to sit to, hes got a lovely action.


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## beth 123 (Sep 16, 2010)

Heloo and thank you bobby's stunning too and im hoping to show danny hopefully he will start jumping as soon as possible and i can do show jumping on him but hes still a stally atm and im debating whether to get a mare and put her to him so i have a foal from Danny while ive still got chance  xx


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## Valanita (Apr 13, 2010)

He really is a lovely cob, Emma. It was nice to see him in the video moving too & your other horses.:thumbup:


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