Well-Suited Welsh Cobs

These do-it-all horses can work the farm and traverse the trails with equal ease.

By Josephine Roberts
Updated on October 8, 2021
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by Josephine Roberts

Nestled between England and the Irish Sea, my home country of Wales is famous for its picturesque hills and heavy rainfall. We also have a long history of farming, including several of our own livestock breeds. Welsh cattle and sheep are well-known for their hardiness, but the Welsh Cob and its ancestor, the Welsh Pony, have achieved the greatest worldwide recognition.

The Welsh Cob is a small, stocky animal with a high-stepping movement, similar in size to the American Quarter Horse, but heavier in the limb, with a focus more on strength than on speed. Historically, farmers used Welsh Cobs for endless tasks, from farm work during the week, to hunting on Saturday, to pulling the carriage to church on Sunday at a smart, spanking trot. Welsh Cobs were the perfect all-around equine, and they were easy keepers too. Larger draft breeds might’ve been better suited for heavy farm work, but they weren’t as efficient at the long-distance trips to market, and keeping a draft horse took good fodder and stabling, whereas a Welsh Cob could live comfortably outdoors year-round on fewer rations. Welsh Cobs are “good doers” (able to maintain healthy weight on little food), so much so that our lush spring and summer grass is often too much for them. Unless they’re worked extremely hard, they usually do best on wiry mountain grasses, which they can eat all day without becoming overweight.

welsh pony herd in a field

The toughness of the Welsh Cob comes from its native pony ancestors. Welsh Ponies are descended from the ancient Celtic ponies that roamed the British Isles well over a thousand years ago. As a result of their environment, these ponies evolved into hardy little animals, capable of thriving on the poor grazing found on the mountains and moorlands of Wales. Welsh Ponies have remained small in stature, and today, they make popular children’s ponies and show animals. The larger Welsh Cob has managed to retain not only the hardiness of its ancestors, but also the pretty head and beautiful floating movement that Welsh Ponies are so well-known for.

Today, Welsh Ponies and Cobs are classified as one breed, separated into four distinct types – referred to as “sections” in breed registries – that are determined by height and pedigree. Height requirements vary slightly between registries, but in the United States, Section A Welsh Mountain Ponies must be under 12.2 hands high; Section B Welsh Ponies must be under 14.2 hands; Section C Welsh Ponies of Cob Type must be under 13.2 hands; and Section D Welsh Cobs must exceeds 13.2 hands. (One hand equals 4 inches. For example, a horse that’s 13.2 hands is 13 hands and 2 inches at the withers, or 54 inches.) For the purpose of this article, we’ll refer to the Welsh Cob as a “breed type.”

person riding a horse in the middle of a herd of sheep
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