Training your horse to pull a tire.

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MiniHunterHorseFan

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My mom wanted me to post this because she is training her b&w paint to drive.

Could someone advise me on how to set up a tire so I can use it for my horse to practice pulling. I started my 2 1/2 year old ground driving which he does really good. So I just walked besides him with a leadrope with him pulling the cart and it was too much for him. He doesn't seem to mind me pulling the cart myself and leading him on the other side, but he is afraid with it behind him. He might be too young which is fine with me to wait. But now he had a bad experience and I don't want him to be terrified. Any advise would be appreciated.
 
I would not have him pull a tire. If he were to spook there is no way you could get him free from the tire. The cart is not too much for him to pull. A tire would be heavier. If you want to check how balanced a cart is have someone get into the cart when you are holding the shaft. It should float in your hand. Try just putting the shafts i the tugs, standing there and then taking the cart off. Do it until he is comfortable with it. Then start having him take a few steps. Soon he should be pulling the cart just fine.
 
Actually Clay Maier came up with a creative way to release the tire from a distance and with that safety release added I think pulling a tire is a good idea. I'm actually going to go back and make one for my finished driving horse so he can haul it while double-longeing and build up some muscle! Kody is very good at bending, balancing, handling the shafts, etc. What he needs is a lot of time just plain hauling weight until he builds up some strength. That's not something I'd worry about with a big horse but he's way too fine for even a regular cart not to be a burden on a marathon.

Here's a PDF file of Clay's tire plan. Tire

He has bags of sand that he sets in the tire to add weight if he needs to. If the horse starts to panic for any reason he only has to step on the trailing ripcord and the quick-release shackles immediately open, releasing the tire. His "Starting the Driving Horse" video is very good and shows you exactly how he uses it and how he prepares the horse for that step as well as how to move past it, I would highly recommend you buy it before working further with your horse.

For one who has had a bad experience like yours there's a couple of things you might try. First, let him follow that scary cart while someone else pulls it. If he sees that it moves away from him he may gain courage and become curious about it which is something you can reward. Secondly, put him back in an open bridle and work him that way for awhile with someone else walking the cart in various positions around your horse. He needs to be able to see what's making that scary noise and understand it won't hurt him! Do not attach him to the cart in any way until he's completely calm about having it around him. As you're discovering it's a lot harder to go back and reintroduce them to something they've decided is scary then to simply work your way up to it in the first place.

Leia
 
hobbyhorse23 said:
Actually Clay Maier came up with a creative way to release the tire from a distance and with that safety release added I think pulling a tire is a good idea. I'm actually going to go back and make one for my finished driving horse so he can haul it while double-longeing and build up some muscle! Kody is very good at bending, balancing, handling the shafts, etc. What he needs is a lot of time just plain hauling weight until he builds up some strength. That's not something I'd worry about with a big horse but he's way too fine for even a regular cart not to be a burden on a marathon.

Here's a PDF file of Clay's tire plan. Tire

He has bags of sand that he sets in the tire to add weight if he needs to. If the horse starts to panic for any reason he only has to step on the trailing ripcord and the quick-release shackles immediately open, releasing the tire. His "Starting the Driving Horse" video is very good and shows you exactly how he uses it and how he prepares the horse for that step as well as how to move past it, I would highly recommend you buy it before working further with your horse.

For one who has had a bad experience like yours there's a couple of things you might try. First, let him follow that scary cart while someone else pulls it. If he sees that it moves away from him he may gain courage and become curious about it which is something you can reward. Secondly, put him back in an open bridle and work him that way for awhile with someone else walking the cart in various positions around your horse. He needs to be able to see what's making that scary noise and understand it won't hurt him! Do not attach him to the cart in any way until he's completely calm about having it around him. As you're discovering it's a lot harder to go back and reintroduce them to something they've decided is scary then to simply work your way up to it in the first place.

Leia
Click to expand...
Thanks for that tire idea Leia! I have not used a tire as a drag ever since having a very scary experience with a panicstricken Belgian cross going mad in the paddock with a tire flying wildly around behind him! There was not a darn thing to be done till the horse got tired and gave up and meanwhile quite a bit of damage was done. A quick release would have been a blessing! I am going to give this a shot.
 
I don't think I would want to get that close to a flying tire to hit the quick release. But then thats just me.
default_biggrin.png
 
Perhaps I'm asssuming much, but being very familiar with this type of training aparatus, you could probably make the release rope as long as you wanted. Certainly long enough to keep you away from the tire or drag.

Of course if the tire is flying, there are things that went wrong preceeding this event imo..................

Bb

Graham Carriage Works
 
My apologies, I hadn't read the part about the Belgian. Guess I didn't expect that on a mini forum.

That must have been a scary sight.

Bb
 
Carriage said:
Perhaps I'm asssuming much, but being very familiar with this type of training aparatus, you could probably make the release rope as long as you wanted. Certainly long enough to keep you away from the tire or drag.

Of course if the tire is flying, there are things that went wrong preceeding this event imo..................
Click to expand...
Exactly Bob.
default_yes.gif
The one Clay used in the video trailed far behind the tire so it was very easy to reach out and step on it at the first sign of trouble. I agree with you though- the horse should be completely desensitized to the tire long before being attached to it. They should be comfortable having it dragged around them while they're tied at their grooming station, following it as someone pulls it ahead of them across different surfaces, seeing it pulled in the right position behind them by someone else, walking and trotting with it following them, and they should also be accustomed to the feel of traces against their legs and sides. If all those pieces are in place the horse should react fairly calmly to the first hitching but you can still step on that ripcord and let the tire quietly drop away at the first sign of unease so they learn there is nothing to fear. That helps to prevent simple unease from escalating to FearTrappedPanicCan'tGetAway!! feelings in your young horse. Driving is all about building confidence. Confidence in you, confidence in themselves, confidence in their job.

Heck, I'm quite happy if my green horse wants to paw at that tire and bite at it as they follow it around. Good for them! I will actually reward that at first as it reinforces that there is nothing to be afraid of in that object. I would also train a timid horse to target the tire or cart, i.e. to bump it with their nose or keep their nose on it as it moves for treats. This turns the cart into something they can manipulate for an enjoyable reward instead of a scary thing. Once the fear is gone they are usually eager to learn.

Leia
 
hobbyhorse23 said:
Carriage said:
Perhaps I'm asssuming much, but being very familiar with this type of training aparatus, you could probably make the release rope as long as you wanted. Certainly long enough to keep you away from the tire or drag.

Of course if the tire is flying, there are things that went wrong preceeding this event imo..................
Click to expand...
Exactly Bob.
default_yes.gif
The one Clay used in the video trailed far behind the tire so it was very easy to reach out and step on it at the first sign of trouble. I agree with you though- the horse should be completely desensitized to the tire long before being attached to it. They should be comfortable having it dragged around them while they're tied at their grooming station, following it as someone pulls it ahead of them across different surfaces, seeing it pulled in the right position behind them by someone else, walking and trotting with it following them, and they should also be accustomed to the feel of traces against their legs and sides. If all those pieces are in place the horse should react fairly calmly to the first hitching but you can still step on that ripcord and let the tire quietly drop away at the first sign of unease so they learn there is nothing to fear. That helps to prevent simple unease from escalating to FearTrappedPanicCan'tGetAway!! feelings in your young horse. Driving is all about building confidence. Confidence in you, confidence in themselves, confidence in their job.

Heck, I'm quite happy if my green horse wants to paw at that tire and bite at it as they follow it around. Good for them! I will actually reward that at first as it reinforces that there is nothing to be afraid of in that object. I would also train a timid horse to target the tire or cart, i.e. to bump it with their nose or keep their nose on it as it moves for treats. This turns the cart into something they can manipulate for an enjoyable reward instead of a scary thing. Once the fear is gone they are usually eager to learn.

Leia
Click to expand...
Believe me Leia, they can learn to live with that tire and even love that tire as a playtoy but when it starts chasing them it doesn't take much for things to get out of hand. I did all the desensitizing first and I know from experience that this quick release thing is a very good idea - wouldn't ever try one again without it. I had plenty that dealt with it just fine but that "one" horse is going to put you off them right quick! When you said "should" react calmly you got it right.
 
I agree MiLo, it's easy for things to get out of hand! Horses are, after all, flight animals.

Leia
 
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