Safecobs/The Cob Company

[Mary Poppins]

I think that it is really unfair. All dealers have a quick turnaround on their horses and all dealers will assess the horses themselves as they don't know the background.

Dealers sell by reputation and over the last few years Lia has built up a strong, positive reputation. It actually seems very vindictive to me.

 

[Gimp]

I agree MP, but also disagree slightly... If they are building their customer base and whole company ethos on ' safe cobs' and having some grading system to give a buyer that extra confidence, I think that more time needs to be spent assessing and schooling a horse. Having a horse in for a few days before sale is not long enough given what the whole idea is about. I cant help but think some of it she is partly responsible for if she is actually aiming for that sort of market.

 

[flump1967]

Well I just thought the OP would like to see both pages and make up her own mind.
There have also been threads from numerous unhappy purchasers on mumsnet and also on other horse forums.

That is not to say some of the horses aren't good and suitable and are now with happy new owners.

I think it has been mostly the reaction from safecobs/cob company when unhappy buyers have approached the dealer for support/ swap/refund when things have gone badly wrong that has provoked such a backlash.

I also agree that it does appear that there is a much faster turnaround of horses in to being sold than years previously, and that a week or so does not seem long enough to fully assess a horse for a novice rider.

I have been to Safecobs once to look for a horse and personally would not buy from there but each to his own.

 

[candyflosspot]

I think it has been mostly the reaction from safecobs/cob company when unhappy buyers have approached the dealer for support/ swap/refund when things have gone badly wrong that has provoked such a backlash.

I also agree that it does appear that there is a much faster turnaround of horses in to being sold than years previously, and that a week or so does not seem long enough to fully assess a horse for a novice rider.

I agree with this.. a week isnt long enough to do anything except check the horse isnt unsound or crazy (and even then a week is pushing it). If i was going to buy one of the cobs advertised i would want to know that the horse had been there a minimum of 3 months . The company goes by the name of safe cobs so i would expect a (relatively ) bomb proof cob especially if i am paying £4k plus.
I also know that horses have their own mind and may possibly react to a situation given other external factors BUT i would expect the basics plus a bit more to have been introduced.

 

[Sunshine-x]

You can tell most horses in a week what they are like but you get the odd one that once they are settled in they try it on to see what they can get away with! I've only heard bad things about safecobs personally but you don't always hear the good do you!

 

[Gimp]

I could never agree a week is long enough to assess anything! be it cat, dog, horse, or human!

 

[Mary Poppins]

I would be interested to know how long the average dealer keeps a horse before advertising for sale. 3 months seems a very long time to me, how would dealers make any money if they all kept horses this long before selling?

 

[Gimp]

3 months does seem a long time span, but I would say there is a happy medium somewhere inbetween. The same goes for a buyer, they need to allow a settling in period to I guess. If horses are being moved around so quickly to places its no wonder they are still trying to find their feet.

 

[Trewsers]

That brings me to the point even some experienced horse people over look. The settling in period. I think it varies and I also think people can under estimate the scale of the behavioural changes that can happen. I remember a situation with a lady and her horse on a yard we were on. The horse came via a friend of a friend (not a dealer as such) but when she tried the horse he was a real gent - and did seem very apt for a beginner. But the horse was a sensitive soul and after the first two weeks he really came out of his shell and not in a good way! His behaviour was quite scary at times - when she phoned the old owner they were genuinely shocked. Anyways, she worked through those issues with the help of a RI. But you know, not one person even the RI thought to tell her he was just settling in! After six months he really was a good first horse - but I couldn't have blamed her if she'd all but given up at times, specially when everyone was egging her on to try and get her money back. The poor horse was just settling in and things like indoor schools were not something he was used to.

 

[Mary Poppins]

I tend to think that the way that the horse acts is very much based on the expertise and experience of the buyer. It doesn't surprise me that horses may behave in one way at a dealers yard when in full work with professionals riding, and then their behaviour changes once in a novice riders hands. People are so quick to blame the horse and often overlook the fact that they just are not knowledgeable enough to own a horse.

 

[Cortrasna]

It doesn't surprise me that horses may behave in one way at a dealers yard when in full work with professionals riding, and then their behaviour changes once in a novice riders hands.

True enough - but I imagine that Safecobs, by their own use of a grading system of suitability, very often ARE selling as suitable for a novice thereby giving the novice a false impression of how the horse might be when it has left their yard and is being cared for and ridden by the unsuspecting novice.

I actually know someone who did buy of them a supposedly 'safe for a novice' cob. Perfect when they tried it and were given all the right assurances. Within a week it was a true nightmare on the ground and ridden, dangerous to say the least, they persevered for a few weeks, expecting it might settle down - it did not. With a little snooping I was able to find out some of it's very recent past over here in Ireland before it was sold over to the UK- not a single thing they had been told about the horse was true, including its extremely suspect temperament and even difficult and unpredictable when ridden by a professional.

The real difficulties arose when they tried to get a refund or exchange - not a hope in hell from these supposedly reputable dealers of safe cobs.

 

[sjp1]

But what you have to bear in mind is that these people are charging top dollar for a very average horse, whose only plus points are that they are very calm and aimed at novice people.

Why would you pay over £3000 for a green horse that is none of the above, when you could pick it up for £1000 anywhere else.

I personally would expect a dealer to keep a horse for more than a week to decide its nature. Lets face it, we can all ride our horses into the ground if we have the time and actually don't have to work and it would be as calm as anything. Why would we want to pay a dealer a huge amount of money for a horse that actually doesn't have a fabulous laid back nature when we have to a) stick within its comfort zone or b) work it into the ground?

 

[squidsin]

It doesn't surprise me that horses may behave in one way at a dealers yard when in full work with professionals riding, and then their behaviour changes once in a novice riders hands.

True enough - but I imagine that Safecobs, by their own use of a grading system of suitability, very often ARE selling as suitable for a novice thereby giving the novice a false impression of how the horse might be when it has left their yard and is being cared for and ridden by the unsuspecting novice.

I actually know someone who did buy of them a supposedly 'safe for a novice' cob. Perfect when they tried it and were given all the right assurances. Within a week it was a true nightmare on the ground and ridden, dangerous to say the least, they persevered for a few weeks, expecting it might settle down - it did not. With a little snooping I was able to find out some of it's very recent past over here in Ireland before it was sold over to the UK- not a single thing they had been told about the horse was true, including its extremely suspect temperament and even difficult and unpredictable when ridden by a professional.

The real difficulties arose when they tried to get a refund or exchange - not a hope in hell from these supposedly reputable dealers of safe cobs.

God what a nightmare - a story I totally empathise with too!
I agree, Safecobs are meant to be selling tried and tested, professionally produced safe cobs suitable for novices. The safety aspect explains the high price tag, because it certainly isn't ability or talent, judging by the horses I've seen them selling. You can't tell if a horse is safe in a week. It sounds like they're doing what all the dodgy dealers are doing at the moment and capitalising on the market for unwanted cobs by buying them cheap, riding them hard and selling them on quickly.

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

I am sure you all know that I bought Ziggy as a Safecobs reject (from their Hacking Horses website). He had originally been offered at £4000, no doubt because (a) he is pretty and (b) he is sweet, but by the time I saw him he was on at £2000 because (a) he is a little stress head and (b) Lia couldn't stop him from running for home, whatever she did. I bought him for £1600.

She was honest with me about his anxiety and propensity to rush home, and she was surprised when I said I would buy him. Later she told me that she was anxious about my buying him because I was clearly a novice and she didn't think I would have what it took to deal with him. She was right, but I had (and have) good support and big cojones (and NR!!!) so we got through it. I would still have thought better of her if she had dissuaded me: but she was desperate to get rid of him - had had him 3 months - so kept her mouth shut.

Her horses are dear. I think she is quite hard on them. I feel lucky to have got Ziggy anyway, because I love him, and I would send other people to Lia, but cautiously.

The other Safecobs I think are quite another kettle of fish, they seem absolutely tops.

 

[bluejean]

Thanks guys, have checked out the "other" page and am horrified, to say the least.

 

[Mary Poppins]

I think there is no such thing as a safe cob anyway. My own horse would be described as a one star horse suitable for a novice. But he would become a complete nappy nightmare if he had no boundaries. If a complete novice owned him and didnt set these boundaries I could imagine him walking all over them literally, and going exactly where he pleased and when with a rider. Ben only remains such a good boy becauae I have regular lessons, good support and understand that he has a very stubborn side to his personality. And even then he still has his moments as i found out when he span with me last week.

I worry about people looking for that straightforward completely safe cob suitable for someone without experience because there is no such thing.

 

[Gimp]

perhaps safe cobs shouldnt claim as such then !

 

[Trewsers]

Well horses aren't machines and all that - maybe there ought to be a middle ground so to speak where they are not sold as completely and utterly bombroof but somewhere in between? When I was looking for a first horse I still had no real idea how unpredictable they can be.

 

[Trewsers]

I am sure you all know that I bought Ziggy as a Safecobs reject (from their Hacking Horses website). He had originally been offered at £4000, no doubt because (a) he is pretty and (b) he is sweet, but by the time I saw him he was on at £2000 because (a) he is a little stress head and (b) Lia couldn't stop him from running for home, whatever she did. I bought him for £1600.

She was honest with me about his anxiety and propensity to rush home, and she was surprised when I said I would buy him. Later she told me that she was anxious about my buying him because I was clearly a novice and she didn't think I would have what it took to deal with him. She was right, but I had (and have) good support and big cojones (and NR!!!) so we got through it. I would still have thought better of her if she had dissuaded me: but she was desperate to get rid of him - had had him 3 months - so kept her mouth shut.

Her horses are dear. I think she is quite hard on them. I feel lucky to have got Ziggy anyway, because I love him, and I would send other people to Lia, but cautiously.

The other Safecobs I think are quite another kettle of fish, they seem absolutely tops.

How do you mean she is hard on them? Do you mean she works them hard? (Just noseying!!)
Also, who are the other Safecobs? I thought there was only one? Sorry for all the question - this thread has piqued my nosey factor!!

 

[candyflosspot]

3 months does seem a long time span, but I would say there is a happy medium somewhere inbetween. The same goes for a buyer, they need to allow a settling in period to I guess. If horses are being moved around so quickly to places its no wonder they are still trying to find their feet.

I would be interested to know how long the average dealer keeps a horse before advertising for sale. 3 months seems a very long time to me, how would dealers make any money if they all kept horses this long before selling?

but i dont think that safe cobs are your average dealer - they advertise their cobs as being being very well trained. How much training can take place in a couple of weeks?a month? There website states that they give their horses time to develop - A few weeks isnt enough time to justify the astronomical prices they charge. Like i mentioned earlier if i am shelling out £4.5k plus for a cob that is adverised as being schooled, trained etc i expect that the horse to be at a certain level - infact i would be wanting a RS horse for that kind of money.

If a horse has only been at the dealers for a month and hasnt had as much schooling then no problem but the price should reflect this - IMO this isnt something they are doing though . A majority of the cobs they have for sale are advertised as one star but are still just under £4k - its a lot of money to spend on a horse thats true character that may not have had enough chance to come through ( if the horse has only been at a yard for a couple of weeks )

I dont know i am explaining myself very well....

Each cob is an individual and very much valued for the security and confidence he gives to his rider. This is achieved through building trust, correct education and balanced training. The Cob Company horses and ponies are given time to develop and grow into responsible and sensible rides.