# to hog or not to hog: a cob or not a cob?



## Kallibear (6 May 2010)

I can't decide! Someone chose for me!

This is HRH Toby.

Last month, with all his fluff











Last week without fluff
















i've got loads of other photo's but none recent.

This summer will be a busy summer for him, with lots of common rides and quite a few shows too.

Last week he had his feathers off (nice feathers but not enough to be worth staying) and he's had his mane pulled and thinned to be plait-able

However his manes a bit of a pain as it's got a really thin patch from this rug rubbing and it's only plait-able on the wrong side (on the other it's spiky).

So - do I hog it all off or do I leave it? is he cobby enough to pull of the 'hogged cob' look? And could I get away with leaving his lovely forelock (it's long and beautifully sunbleached) and just plaiting it up?

He's in 'show condition (i.e slightly plump) but won't be gaining any more weight and may hopefully loose a little. He's pretty fit too. So he won't be getting any more 'cobby'


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## spike123 (6 May 2010)

I would say he is a cob type but I wouldn't hog.The reason I say that is if you look at his neck in the photos where he is plaited he has a slight ewe neck so hogging would actually draw more emphasis onto this and make his neck look even more upside down. If you plan to do showcob classes though you will have to hog him to be correct to type.


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## mainpower (6 May 2010)

I don't think he's ewe necked, but the 4th pic down is at an awkward angle that makes his neck look weak, the 1st pic looks like he's got a bit too much muscle underneath, but enough of a crest to make me say hog!  My horse is of a similar build, and I got fed up of the rug rubbing half his mane off that I hogged and I love it!  I'm not a fan of hogged with forelocks though


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## Moggie (6 May 2010)

I'd whip it all off but then I love hogged horses... even if they aren't "true show cobs" ... he looks smart and proud enough to pull it off! (Don't leave the forelock though, I think that would just look plain weird!)


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## QUICKFIRE (6 May 2010)

Hog him, he will look very smart, but dont do half a job take the forlock off too, if you don't like it after about six months it will have grown back again, and then it will be all one lenth and then you can train it over to the correct side for plaiting, nice boy.


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## LauraWheeler (6 May 2010)

I think he would look ok hogged. Lucy isn't a cob (she's a 13.2hh unreg welsh sec c) and she's hogged. I also left her forlock on as i don't think her heads cobby enough to look good without it.
Here are some pics of Lucy.


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## aimeejay (6 May 2010)

HOG! Tbh, I didnt really pay attention to his neck or anything. He's lovely, show pics if you hog


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## JoBo (6 May 2010)

I say hog too! I think it will suit him (plus its so much easier not having to plait, can you see why I hog Bodey? LOL)!


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## kezimac (6 May 2010)

hog!!!!!!

but take the forelock off too!!


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## L&M (7 May 2010)

Definitely 'cobby' enough to hog and would really suit him. I hogged my hunter last season, and the bliss of not having to plait on a cold winters morning!


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## Lucy_Nottingham (7 May 2010)

Hog it all!!! 

He will make a lovely LW show cob, but a bit more neck muscle will help show him off even more  

He is lvoely!!!


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## hondatyper (9 May 2010)

HOG!!!!!! He will look fab!! As others have said take forelock off too! Then don't forget to post new pics of him!


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## d4nny (9 May 2010)

Hog him! Pull his tail, get the clippers to his feathers-it'll save you bags of time on the morning of a show.
My hogged horse was always quicker to get ready then my mare who was plaited!


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## Kallibear (9 May 2010)

Better go get my clippers out then........ 

Honestly promise he's not truely ewe necked - he's just a right poser and when he's stressed his head comes up like a periscope - he likes to be able to see above peoples heads.

This is him being normal:







And to demonstrate what he mane should look like, au natural, before the rug rubbed it off:






It just seems so ....... drastic chopping it all off!!  Feathers are al ready off - done with scissors because clippers would take them too short and make him look all skinny legged and silly for a while 
(p.s not pulling his tail because a) he needs it (live out 24/) b) he'll hate it and c) why on earth would i want to make him look like he's got sweetitch?! Plaitings the way to go and it only takes 2mins to do )


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## Abbeygale (10 May 2010)

Deffo hog him - he will look gorgeous! 

But if you do - pull his tail as well - you don't have to do pulling as such, I use a coat thinning blade (can get them in pet smart used for dogs) or the mane & tail rakes (but the thinning blades get a much neater effect.  

If you worried about him looking like he's got sweet itch- don't hog him - most people associate hogged horses as having sweet itch - you just have to tell them otherwise - but a hogged mane and full tail will just look wierd!  

He's a very gorgeous boy xx


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## daydreambeliever (10 May 2010)

For the correct look, having to pull the tail of a horse that lives out 24/7 is what puts me off of hogging my boy, although i am tempted to hogg for the same rug-rubbing reasons. You could always make some false plaits from spare mane or tail strands and sew these in where he is gappy. i think he looks pretty good as he is with mane and tail plaits and clipped/trimmed feather.


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## EAST KENT (13 August 2010)

Off with it..and he has a lovely fat cob bottom to set off a neat pulled tail.Best tool for that is the doggie  Mars "coat king" comb,unbelievably easy to get a beautiful pulled tail.


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## ilovecobs (13 August 2010)

I wouldn't hog unless you plan on building the muscle on his bum and neck up a lot. But if you do youll find it great not plaiting up  You say he wont get much more cobby but by the looks of his bum it could get a lot rounder and fill out on the sides with a lot of schooling. As he is now i def wouldnt unless he had sweet itch or something. 

Disclaimer : Everything i say is based on opinion and my own experience, I may be totally and utterly wrong


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## ofcourseyoucan (13 August 2010)

he is fine plaited but would carry a hog well. a cob can be of full hair or fully hogged and trimmed. th latter is the easiest! and quickest in turnout terms if they have the conformation to carry it. yours does! and cobs dont need/ shoul;dnt be just FAT.!


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## MiJodsR2BlinkinTite (13 August 2010)

Wellll, I had the same debate with my old boy, then one day was clipping him and thought Oh why not, so with a flip of the clippers there was his mane, gone!!! - and I suddenly realised what a lovely neck had been hiding under that mane for all that time. He looked absolutely stunning! 

The one I've got is hogged because he's got sweet itch, so its much easier and cooler for him, especially in the summer. But ..... I'm lukin at him thinking, mmmmm, shall I let his mane grow this winter? He's a traditional cob and would have a lovely mane if it grew.

But back to your situation; I think your boy will look GORGEOUS hogged and I think youll be pleasantly surprised.

Go for it: just DO IT!!!!


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## EAST KENT (19 August 2010)

Don`t forget polo ponies are hogged too..look great,and they are def. not at all round.


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## FlorenceBassey (20 August 2010)

Hog but leave forlock on


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## flowerlady (20 August 2010)

Have wondered about doing JB as he has rubbed his mane on a tree with the flies he always does in summer.  

I just had to say I think he's lovely with or without being hogged.


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## trendybraincell (20 August 2010)

For what its worth I'm going against the grain...I don't think you should hog him! Am I right in thinking you're not sure of his breeding, and asked if he could be welsh? Personally I think you should keep him pulled enough that you can plait but leave the feathers...but thats just me


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## Theresa_F (20 August 2010)

He is too native to be hogged - looks like a good amount of welsh in him.  However, if you are not wanting to show, then hog away.

He looks like a larger version of the section C my niece rides.  He has a very scruffy mane and very hairy legs so does not look great natural, plus he is not a registered Welsh, so we show him trimmed and plaited as a hunter pony which really suits him.

Personally I think he looks very nice trimmed and plaited, far more then he would hogged.


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## Kaylum (21 August 2010)

Well this is a debate I also had with my YO.  To hog my lad or not.  She said she hated hogged manes but then she said as his hair was so wirey anything that looks smart is better than scruffy.  So I hogged him and I loved it.  Its personal choice tobehonest, and it can always grow back.


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## Cinnamontoast (21 August 2010)

It will grow back if you hog. It will help you decide if you do it. I couldn't decide but am now happy I did it cos it shows off my lad's neck nicely. Do what you like with the forelock unless you're showing. 

I got very bored of people telling me to take off the forelock without knowing that my horse wouldn't keep on flymasks etc at the time.

Mine's hogged but with full feathers-I'm not showing this year again so I couldn't care less how 'wrong' it is.


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## **Vanner** (22 August 2010)

I think he'd look really smart hogged.


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