Nervous rescue cob finds her feet as a dressage diva

A twinkle-toed cob rescued from a life of cruelty and neglect is now wowing judges at dressage events.

When Honeydew first arrived at Blue Cross, she was in a pitiful state and frightened of people, having never experienced human kindness before.

The team at our Burford rehoming centre had to gradually get the piebald mare, who is about nine years old, used to being handled and build up her trust.

But she went on to make a remarkable turnaround and is now excelling in dressage in her new home with Sally-Ann Hammill, where she has been since last year.

Talented Honeydew even won a prestigious dressage class at Sunshine Tour Championships at Hickstead this year with an impressive score of 74.35 per cent.

Sally-Ann said: “I am totally delighted to have the loan of this loyal and talented little mare and am looking forward to moving up the dressage levels with her and going showing next year.”

Cobs are a type rather than a breed of horse. Like Honeydew, who is 14 hands tall, they are usually any size from 12 hands up to 16 hands, sturdily built and come in any colour.

They are hardy animals, designed for the UK’s temperate climate with good coats and a capacity to survive on poorer grazing.

While they are commonly assumed to be sedate and sensible, a fit cob can equally be forward going, fast, fiery and fun.

As Honeydew has proved, they will take most disciplines in their stride and are often capable jumpers.

Blue Cross has been inundated with cobs of all ages and sizes in recent years. Many have been rescued from lives of neglect and suffering and now deserve one-to-one care and attention from loving new owners.

Jenna Martyn, Rehoming Manager at Blue Cross Burford said: “We hope this will tempt horse lovers to give a charity cob a chance if they are looking for a new horse. So often under all that hair is a superstar in the making so please take a look at our rehoming page.”