Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2008 8:00 am Post subject: cob
I would like to start a thread about understanding the nature of 'cob' so many people I talk to seem to interpret it as chest volume and depth. There is so much more to it than that.
Pouchain for instance in L'Epagneul Breton points out it is cob as in swan not as in clay building material.
Can I invite contributions about the points to appreciate in 'cob'
The pictures of the prize winning show horses are reproduced with the kind and express permission of the CEB; from their 100 year anniversary book.
_________________ Guy, Ellie, Topaz, Catja and in memory Barley
Beauty from Structure
www.epagneulbreton.org.uk
Big Bottoms _________________ Jan
Merlin, hips 9/9=18 and Ghillie, hips 8/9=17
Pull [n or v] An equal and opposite force perpetrated on both ends of a lead that results in the inevitable tripping and falling of the human involved!!
Those horses are truly magnificant.
Cobbiness to me gives a suggestion of strength, energy, vitality and hardiness. The Manx, who should be cobby, is noted for their strength; the Breton, although a small dog, is extremely strong and very hard (physically). (It often occurs to me how akin the Manxie and the Breton are for they both share that collected gait!!) The bones are not flat and flinty, but full and round but in no way coarse. The squareness of the overall conformation also contributes to the cobbiness. The musculature over those rounded bones bulk up the sense of cobbiness. While the Breton is often called 'rustic', the cobbiness does not deter the appreciation of the beauty of the dog...the chiselled face draped with high set ears and THOSE eyes is exquisite. _________________ "...amitie, respect mutuel et amour..."
A number of UK dogs do not have this cobby look - lack of rounded ribcage, lack of rounded bottoms, lack of bone. _________________ Annie
Handle every situation like a dog, if you can't eat it or play with it, just pee on it and walk away
Absolutely Anne...I have owned Cob horses for many years.
I went to the Haras de St Lo to look at the Postier Breton( mail carriages), I would really like to own a Breton Cob, as I don't like skinny horses or dogs
Cob: rounded, powerful, broad chest, good bone, very broad croup, short loin, rounded body.
Curvy
But...retaining elegance with quality chiselled head, good lenght of leg. For those who have the Golden Oldies Calendar, have a good look at Puk des Pigenettes. Beautiful dog with that cobby body and long legs.
I can see Anne 's dogs from Germany have those legs!
That is my interpretation. Each year I take another good look at the Nationale at top specimens and that sticks in your mind.
Though there is rubbish too, the top dogs are, like Guy says, to die for...
My Brett was a son of Puk des Pigenettes - trouble was................ his legs grew , and grew , and grew - too long _________________ Annie
Handle every situation like a dog, if you can't eat it or play with it, just pee on it and walk away
Guy, please give us your interpretation of cob. It just shows you how UTTERLY TRULY versatile the Breton is (they never fail to impress with their contradictions!!!! i.e loving and kind at home; malicious and persistent in the field)...cob as opposed to racehorse/greyhound etc does not generally give an impression of speed; yet look how fast our cobby little dogs are. _________________ "...amitie, respect mutuel et amour..."
Cob is unashamed, unleashed, power.
Cob is in swan but not in clay.
Cob is where strength and function meet.
Cob is not brittle elegance.
Cob is 'all dog'.
Cob is curvaceous beauty– as in Hogarth's 'line of beauty'.
Cob is 'presence'
Cob is 'set in it's landscape' – of field and wood not town and boudoir.
Cob is balanced .
Whilst cob is a whole it is made of parts, to achieve full effect each of these must relate to the others in a harmonious and rational way; form after all follows function.
The essence of cob is power – power needs fuel, stained power lots of fuel so the first component of cob is chest – chest volume, fore chest, depth and width but it does not stop there
sustained power comes from muscle volume and tone – not that of a body builder or weight lifter but more a middle distance runner – back to Hogarth it is rounded muscle, defined but not bulging.
Muscles connect to a lever system. A lever system that can be geared to move large distances with great speed or short distances with great strength – you won't see a whippet dig like a dachshund. Cob is where most strength meets most speed
Cob joins the front of the dog with the back with the least waste but still lithe and alive.
Finally when you have put all these elements together apply 'Ockham's Razor' to pare away anything not absolutely necessary; you will end up with the absolute maximum within the absolute minimum.
Cob is balanced; define a size and all else follows – height dictates the chest which dictates the rump and the length; the size of bone follows with the space under relating to the volume above (just look at the paintings by Stubbs), strength of neck and size of head just have to follow.
Makes me think – add a tail and then? Will weight have to be taken off the rump and added to the shoulders or neck to keep the dog 'visually' balanced. If so then a heavier neck will need a heavier head.. Bigger shoulders and the dog's action will change as more power is delivered through the front end. Or keep the rump as it is and extend the neck? Whichever the tail's inertia is going to add sway to the rump where no sway existed...... hmmmm _________________ Guy, Ellie, Topaz, Catja and in memory Barley
Beauty from Structure
www.epagneulbreton.org.uk
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, and grew 