169 replies to this topic

[Renolizzie]

I've had Tipsey for about 4 months now. She is coming along pretty well with ground work. Today my sister came over and helped me introduce the sulky shafts to her. I expected the confinement of the shafts beside her would be a problem, but she did fine. She is wary of new things, but once she is introduced to them, she handles them well.
She is my first shetland and my first mare. I'm having fun with her, but sometimes have doubts I will ever be in a cart behind her. We are going slowly. She is 4 years old and was barely handled before I got her.
She saw the chiropractor last week and had a few issues.
A problem for me as trainer is being too soft. My strongest point is being able to take an unhandled horse and socialize him into a pleasant companion animal. However, I am seriously considering sending Tipsey to a professional trainer, as I am not sure I am capable of getting her rock-solid in the cart. But I'll give us a little longer together to see how we progress before deciding.
Another thing we did today was change bits. She was getting her tongue over the french link, so I tried the myler comfort bit. I think it is going to work much better for her.
Here is Tipsey ground driving.
www.cassphoto.com/tipsey7-10.jpg

Tipsey looks great. I have been thinking about a Shetland if/when I get another horse since I definitely want a horse that can pull two of us [Hubby is not a small man] in the cart. Of course, I would like to make sure I am doing really good with the horse I have before getting another one:)

[paintponylvr]

I've had Tipsey for about 4 months now. She is coming along pretty well with ground work. Today my sister came over and helped me introduce the sulky shafts to her. I expected the confinement of the shafts beside her would be a problem, but she did fine. She is wary of new things, but once she is introduced to them, she handles them well.
She is my first shetland and my first mare. I'm having fun with her, but sometimes have doubts I will ever be in a cart behind her. We are going slowly. She is 4 years old and was barely handled before I got her.
She saw the chiropractor last week and had a few issues.
A problem for me as trainer is being too soft. My strongest point is being able to take an unhandled horse and socialize him into a pleasant companion animal. However, I am seriously considering sending Tipsey to a professional trainer, as I am not sure I am capable of getting her rock-solid in the cart. But I'll give us a little longer together to see how we progress before deciding.
Another thing we did today was change bits. She was getting her tongue over the french link, so I tried the myler comfort bit. I think it is going to work much better for her.
Here is Tipsey ground driving.
www.cassphoto.com/tipsey7-10.jpg

Wow - she is looking awesome!

Chin up, lady! If you've only had her for 4 months AND she was previously unhandled - you are coming along great. If you still feel that you need a trainer because you are "green" - then go for it - because then when she comes home you can just get in the cart and start adding miles. But otherwise, she's coming along well and you know exactly what you've done with her and where the pair of you are at.

[Knottymare]

I've been away for a year and a half... Looooooooong story, surgeries, broken bones, very sick... but I'm back and I'm happy to report that while Dolly was sitting around in the pasture, she must have been thinking about all the fun stuff we were talking about doing while I was doing her ground work...

Finally able to limp around a bit with my daughter in town to help, we warmed Dolly up and by Sunday, she was ready to actually put to the cart.

first, we just lead her around



Then we tooled around the pasture



Made some adjustments to the harness fittings and today we drove around our quiet little neighborhood while my daughter rode our big horse.

We aren't looking for fancy, just safe and fun and after the year I've had, finally getting in my cart was just amazing. We still have a ton to learn but at least we are making progress.

Now, I need to get a comfort fit breastcollar, some breaching, road wheels... and get ready for the trail!

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

WHOO HOOO!!!! Not only did I get my 5 year old driving but I actually got pictures of his very first time in harness. I can't tell you how excited I was to finally after all these months of waiting for him to grow up physically and mentally, hitch this guy and drive. He has a lot to learn yet, has to graduate into a closed bridle etc., but I am more than pleased with his progress. Please ignore the over weight driver with the terrible posture, didn't realize how bad it was until I saw the pictures ... yikes, I'm going to have to work on that.

[DOLINGERS MINIS]

I HAVE 15 MINI HORSES NOW AND I WANT TO LEARN TO TRAIN TO DRIVE ANY IDEAS ON WHERE I CAN GET STARTED

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

WHOO HOOO!!!! Not only did I get my 5 year old driving but I actually got pictures of his very first time in harness. I can't tell you how excited I was to finally after all these months of waiting for him to grow up physically and mentally, hitch this guy and drive. He has a lot to learn yet, has to graduate into a closed bridle etc., but I am more than pleased with his progress. Please ignore the over weight driver with the terrible posture, didn't realize how bad it was until I saw the pictures ... yikes, I'm going to have to work on that.

Just reread what I wrote and hope no one thinks I just decided one day he was going to be a driving horse and harnessed him up and drove him... These pictures are the culmination of months - no actually years- of carefully work preparing him for the day he would be between the shafts. In my excitement I may have not made that very clear.

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

Dolingers minis, if you have never driven before please find an instructor, someone who has experience driving and get some instruction before trying this on your own. It is a lot more difficult than it may appear to turn out a safe driving horse and when you haven't any background yourself it may be impossible. If you can, send one of your horses to a trainer with some knowledge (not everyone who claims to be a 'trainer' knows much so look for horses they've trained and see how they behave) In the meantime there are many good books out there that will help you learn a bit. Good luck, driving is a great deal of fun when you and your horse are safe and happy.

[paintponylvr]

I haven't kept up on this thread - and we have two getting a little closer to actually hitching.

Flower spent about 60 days with a freind of mine (fellow pony driver - Vicki) and got all the way to pulling a drag. However, I wasn't happy with some of her responses, so when she came back home she went out in the pasture for more grow up time (the other day Vicki helped me measure a group of ponies for harness and Flower was one we did. She commented on how much she'd calmed down and matured and figured we may have her ready to hitch later this fall). Here is a pic of her with me ground driving last fall almost a year ago as a 2 yr old, you can see she's still gapping at the mouth when any pressure or general contact is applied to driving lines -



and here is a pic of her earlier this spring before I brought her home (6 miles from our homes) -



We spend a lot of time with the driving lines not in the turrets but coming directly to our hands. This makes for easier circle or lounge driving - which I needed all last year and the first part of this year with my "good" knee having gotten wrenched and spending time in the knee brace. I just couldn't keep up with even the smallest mini shetland I own while straight line driving while I gimped thru the work out...LOL. I'm just now starting to ground drive my youngsters this year with them doing more straight line work with the lines thru the turrets.

Vicki asked if she could take on another for me - knowing that I was going to get Cassie going and wanted to see if I could have her ready to hitch and here Cassie is the 3rd time she was wearing blinders while in work harness. We are having problems with fitting this harness to her, so we are working with a couple of folk on that and have more adjusting to do. Also, I may have to get a custom made collar for her (found a couple of shops that do that - ouch - a little pricey!!) - but the 14" collars are too large and the 13"s are too small... She will be working, therefore Iwant her in a collar that fits... She is double registered AMHR/ASPC and her double reigstered 2011 filly will be showing at AMHR Nationals this year in the Futurity with Herron Stables for us.



I really like having freinds whom I "swap out" ponies and horses with!! It gives them some time with another person in another setting. It sure has helped this past year with my bummed out knee. While I kept up with chores, that was about all I've managed to do other than some driving of my green pair and getting the 3 abreast hitch going. Neither Vicki nor I are professional trainers and when it's really hot or exceptionally cold, we both often "wimp out" - especially in the past year when both of us have had some physical/health problems we've dealt with... So it takes us longer to get our beasties going - but we do eventually get there and when we think they are ready - they usually are!

Thanks for letting me share.

[Knottymare]

I really like having freinds whom I "swap out" ponies and horses with!! It gives them some time with another person in another setting. It sure has helped this past year with my bummed out knee. While I kept up with chores, that was about all I've managed to do other than some driving of my green pair and getting the 3 abreast hitch going. Neither Vicki nor I are professional trainers and when it's really hot or exceptionally cold, we both often "wimp out" - especially in the past year when both of us have had some physical/health problems we've dealt with... So it takes us longer to get our beasties going - but we do eventually get there and when we think they are ready - they usually are!

Thanks for letting me share.

Wow, great pix. How fun to see the difference between the youngster and the more mature mare. She's a beauty.

I can really relate to working them with a bum knee. I have that along with a recently broken ankle to deal with. Mine sat for 18 months between ground driving and hitching - that 18 months did a great thing. It allowed my mare to digest everything and when we came back to it, she was ready as could be to get going.

I am finding that getting out on the road every other day is great. The alternate day is just brushing, smooching, eating cookies and mowing the lawn. Tough life.

Well done and lucky you for having a friend you can partner with!

[hippocampe]

Here Icon's & my way to try learning to drive...
Like Dolinger's Minis I havn't any experience with driving. I've been riding for long years, but never have been interested in driving. That changed with the minis.

I started "mixed ground traning" with the longe on a circle untill Icon became really good and reactive to my orders, some clicker trainig to learn new things or to accept uncomfortable things like the girth on a positive way and just have fun, etc... I had no driving projects at that time



After this I started with the long reins... never done before, either Icon nor me. I have nobody to help me, at least nobody with competence. My teachers are books and patience... Possible that I don't do everything right, but I try to do it safe for the horse and me




Icon is every time very clever, volontary to learn, well it's great to work with him... and so came the idea to go a little bit farther... the idea of driving.

....

I ordered different books about driving, a harness and a cart. I still have not received my cart, but I still have enough preparation-work to do with Icon, before we can even think about hooking up the cart. My training-plan is a mix of what is explained in my different books

Icon had to get accustomed and comfortable with his harness...



...even in movement...



...