Your Drive Day

[MajorClementine]

I'm about 3 days from Pistol!

Glad to hear you placed! Congratulations!

Maybe I'll drive out and drop him off for the summer.... I'd even pay you for your time/feed. Wish it were possible. He needs someone to understand him a little.

Love the pics of Peanut at the show. Doesn't he clean up all nice and shiny!

 

[Cayuse]

Too bad you couldn't arrange a convoy to get Pistol to Marsha.   You'd need a driver in the middle though.  Then it would be one day each.  I suppose two days if you count the

turn around time :-(    I fell in love with Pistol when you posted the picture of him in the trailer last year.

Have you moved him to your house yet?

Did your cart arrive?  

 

[jeanniecogan]

Peanut is a very much a surprise.  He is so handsome.  Nice to meet you too, Cayuse.

 

[Cayuse]

Peanut is a very much a surprise.  He is so handsome.  Nice to meet you too, Cayuse.

Thank you Jeannie,  That Peanut is FULL of surprises. ? Both good and bad.  

Remember the nursery rhyme about the "little girl with the curl in the middle of her forehead, when she was good she was very, very good and when she was bad, she was awful"?

That would be Peanut.  I have learned to embrace and enjoy his many selves, lol.

We had a lesson today.  Ground driving.  We worked on transitions again and keeping a steady contact.  He challenges me because he is so responsive he reacts faster than I do and I end up!dropping the contact on downward transitions.  We got it together though.  But I was pooped afterwards.  

I just want to take a minute and thank everyone here for always being so encouraging.  I appreciate everyone's advice and help.  You guys are the BEST!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Well, it wasn't a drive but we had an interesting walk this morning.  Outside our gate was a fat porcupine on the side of the road foraging.  He raised his quills when he saw us.  Buddy was excited, but he knows better than to mess with porcupines.  Dapper Dan gave him a second look.  We watched him for a while.  He has large feet, I suppose for climbing and digging, and sort of lifts them up and they flop down when he walked.  He found something to eat and sort of sat like a squirrel while he ate it.

We went on with our walk and on the way home I found a big long tow chain on the the side of the road.  I tried to drag it, but it was too heavy so I hooked it to Dapper Dan and he dragged it home.  Porcupine nowhere in sight when we returned.  I hope he is not up in our trees, gnawing.

With Buckly at the trainer, Dapper Dan and I spend more time together.

 

[MajorClementine]

Well, it wasn't a drive but we had an interesting walk this morning.  Outside our gate was a fat porcupine on the side of the road foraging.  He raised his quills when he saw us.  Buddy was excited, but he knows better than to mess with porcupines.  Dapper Dan gave him a second look.  We watched him for a while.  He has large feet, I suppose for climbing and digging, and sort of lifts them up and they flop down when he walked.  He found something to eat and sort of sat like a squirrel while he ate it.

We went on with our walk and on the way home I found a big long tow chain on the the side of the road.  I tried to drag it, but it was too heavy so I hooked it to Dapper Dan and he dragged it home.  Porcupine nowhere in sight when we returned.  I hope he is not up in our trees, gnawing.

With Buckly at the trainer, Dapper Dan and I spend more time together.

We've got porcupines here and dogs are not as smart as horses. Every time one of the dogs goes and tries to bite it and ends up with a face full of quills. And they don't learn after they've been quilled. They try again with the next one. We all carry pliers in our trucks/saddles/campers for this reason. Glad your horses are smarter than my dogs. Not that it's hard....

I love that you had DD drag the chain home. Don't you just love roadside finds? What a good boy he was to bring that heavy chain home for you. How did you hook it to him??

 

We had a lesson today.  Ground driving.  We worked on transitions again and keeping a steady contact.  He challenges me because he is so responsive he reacts faster than I do and I end up!dropping the contact on downward transitions.  We got it together though.  But I was pooped afterwards.  

I'm totally jealous of your lessons. I wish I had someone close that I could take lessons from. However, I have found a somewhat local mini/pony group. They are based 2.5 hours away from me but they are having a clinic this coming weekend. They are doing classes on halter, driving, obstacle, desensitizing, and several other things. I think I'm going to take my son and drive out. We won't take a horse this time but they hold these clinics twice a year. I am hoping to get my son into showing halter and then driving now that Candace has had her baby. He can work with her while I work with Perry. She's got such a pretty head (well I think so anyway) and I think my son would gain some confidence in the ring by doing halter before driving.

Baby Perry is much more friendly these days. It's the grain. He knows we are the givers of the pan of grain. Hey, whatever works. He really does need a playmate though. He's going to have to settle for a grumpy gelding because that's all I've got. I'll put him in with one of my geldings. Probably Smokey since he's been sharing a fence line with Perry since he was born. They know each other pretty well. That's a couple moths away though.

Paddocks are mowed (had to get rid of the foxtail) and ready for the minis to come up this week. We had a big storm blow in over the weekend so I figured I'd let the minis stay at the barn for the weekend. Really high winds and I don't have wind shelters for them up here. But, after tomorrow, they'll just have to weather the storms up here. 

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Glad you are getting your horses.  That will be fun.  Enjoy the clinic.  I've got to a couple in my state.  They are always 2+ hours away for me also. 

 

[Cayuse]

MC hope you and your son have fun at the clinic.  I have never been to one as a participant.  I get nervous!   

I think it would be great if your son could show Candace.  And maybe you can show Perry?  

 

[MajorClementine]

MC hope you and your son have fun at the clinic.  I have never been to one as a participant.  I get nervous!   

I think it would be great if your son could show Candace.  And maybe you can show Perry?  

I would love to show Perry but it would have to be an open show as he's not registered. Trying to figure out who she may have been exposed to was a bit of a joke. Which is another reason I'll most likely keep him for life. Good thing he's cute ?

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I would love to show Perry but it would have to be an open show as he's not registered. Trying to figure out who she may have been exposed to was a bit of a joke. Which is another reason I'll most likely keep him for life. Good thing he's cute ?

Well, if Perry is anything like his mother, you will have a good one.  I was told that Buckly's sire is a good driving horse, so I was hoping for the best.

The chain we drug home is about 30' long with a hook on each end.  I just looped the chain around Dapper Dan's neck with the hook.  Husband was excited to add another chain to his stash.  I have found cattle whips on the road.  One I traded for a bale of alfalfa.  Found a nice pocket knife one time.  I have tried putting an ad on the radio for stuff, but no one ever called, so now it is finders keepers.

 

[MajorClementine]

We moved the horses up to the house last night and everyone settled in really quick. Which is great considering only 2 of the 4 have lived here before. Everyone even got along with the neighbors horses whom they share a fence line with.

I had an hour to kill today so I got Clementine out. I was going to hitch her but we've had so much growth around here over the winter that I thought it better to ground drive her. I live right at the junction of Center and Main Streets here and they are BUSY in the summer. We used to drive on the shoulder of Main Street when we got to that road but now we have to drive in the narrow (single file only) bike path along the road between the parked cars and the moving traffic. I'd hate to have her hitched if she decided to pitch a fit about that new development. She didn't love the bright white lines we had to stay between but settled in. She was hard to get going at one point when she saw all the parked cars in our way. She's used to that shoulder being clear passage. She just stood and looked and looked. Didn't try to turn back just didn't want to go forward. Once I got her moving it was no big deal.

The only problem we had was making the right turn off of Main Street back onto Center Street to go home. We moved out of the bike lane and into the right hand turn lane and cars were still trying to squeeze around us. For crying out loud! We're turning right too. I see them do this to bicycles as well. I always try to stay out of the lane of traffic UNLESS I need to make a turn or go around a large obstacle. Then I move into traffic when it is safe (with my slow moving vehicle sign on my cart or myself) and take my turn just like bicycles do. Luckily for me Clementine is sassy and doesn't let things like a car cutting too close bother her.

 

[Cayuse]

Happy to hear you got out and about with Clem. Nice that she has reverted back to her former happy self!

Peanut and I had a lesson yesterday.  We ground drove and then hitched him.  Still working on me (it all begins and ends with me according to the instructor, glad to know I'm so important ?, she is right though, fix yourself and the horse will follow).  I am getting the hang of keeping my chest open, my elbows down, and steering from the shoulders in a pull back, not sideways or whateverways the old body feels like doing.  When I steer correctly, he is more flexible and stays more "together".

When I used to ride, I had an mare that was very crooked and to teach her to bend and give on a circle, my old instructor had me move the inside hand slightly towards the opposite hip while using inside leg.  Well, the inside hand to the hip didn't translate well to steering while driving, lol.  I was not doing it intentionally, it was just habit.  

I have been doing exercises with his hind legs after he works and is stretched out.  They do seem to be helping his flexibility.

Oh, I harnessed up my welsh pony today and ground drove him.  For the first time in six years.  He was a good man (surprised, but good ?). 

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I read your post with interest, Cayuse, about the trainer.  I had forgotten about the shoulders and elbows.  I will pay attention next time I'm out to see if that lesson is second nature now or if I need to work on it.  

 

[Cayuse]

I read your post with interest, Cayuse, about the trainer.  I had forgotten about the shoulders and elbows.  I will pay attention next time I'm out to see if that lesson is second nature now or if I need to work on it.  

This instructor is really big about soft but dropped elbows.  They have to be "just right" like the Three Bears bowl of porridge.  Not dropped and clamped to your side, not loose and floppy, but relaxed at your side.

Peanut is having an slight attitude issue.  He has become a bit more pushy and mouthy.  She noticed it too and we both thought it was a bit of a "push back" from him because his life is now a bit more regimented.  I expected nothing less from him, he questions everything like a kid testing the boundaries.  In fact, I was warned of that when I bought him, his prior owner said "he'll test you every step of the way, that one!"  But  once he has his little "moment" usually all is right with the world.  In the midst of his "moment" I have learned to keep his feet busy and to breathe,  if I breathe deep and let it out he softens. It might  sound weird but I think there is some connection to us breathing out the tension and the horse being in tune to that.    Sometime I can even see him let out a big breath too!  Good boy!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

If we are breathing, we are not holding our breath.  I also need to make sure I am not clenching my teeth.  They are so aware of subtle body language.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Dapper Dan was very lethargic today.  It might have been the high humidity.  Temperature was mild, but it was very humid.  I am wondering if he might have slipped in the mud and pulled something--we've had rain the last two nights.  When in the cart, his tail hangs perfectly straight down when he is trotting.  When his stifle hurts, his tail moves back and forth.  Today his tail was moving a little.  We did mostly walking.  Once we're a mile from home, we have a mile to get back!  He doesn't have Buckly to frolic with, so hopefully he hasn't hurt himself.

 

[Cayuse]

Marsha , I hope that DD is feeling better by now and ready to roll when you get home from the tractor show.  You are right about horses being so sensitive to our body language,  today I had my lesson and Peanut was responding to the slightest shift of my upper body, I lean forward or even think about leaning forward and he slows to a walk. The lesson went pretty good.  He spooked a couple of times at my husband who was rummaging in the shed. Every time we progress, he throws a little more at me so I have to take another step forward in learning.  I flattened the cones twice ? but we were coming in at them from tight angles (good excuse, anyways).  We worked on a little of everything, transitions and keeping his walk lively and l learned how to use the whip  on the outside shoulder to correct him when he take a corner and pops a shoulder to the outside.  That will take some getting used to, my dexterity is not the best.  Learning to use a driving whip with a dropped lash is a little challenging.

We were taking a break in the shade for a minute and I noticed while we were talking all three of us (peanut, me and the instructor) let out a big relaxed sigh at the same time. Then we were done! I was pooped.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

No driving here for a few days.  It is 115 as I write.  I think a high pressure dome has settled over us. Eeeek. 

 

[Cayuse]

That is hot!  I have not driven in almost two weeks, I guess.  My father-in-law passed away and my mom was in the hospital for a week, both at the same time.  It has been rough going. I took Peanut out for a ground driving session a few days ago, but just wasn't into it.  My instructor is on vacation so maybe when she returns I will get back into the swing.  I paid in advance for a few lessons so that should motivate me.

We did take the welsh pony to a show and that was a break from it all.  I can't exactly say I had fun, but it was a diversion.  He was a good boy and HE had lots of fun

 

[Cayuse]

We took Cappy to a show yesterday.  Decided to go at the last minute.  At lunch break I was able to ground drive him in the ring which was nice.  He was so good.  A friend offered to let me use her cart so I could drive him, but I had not driven him for awhile so I decided "discretion was the better part of valor" and didn't. But I wish I had.