Recent content by jventresca

In my opinion you should stay away from a nylon harness. Nylon is very tough and can cut your horse and you if you should have a disagreement. Since you like the super flex collar why not look into getting a harness from Chimacum? A good harness holds its value. A cheap harness is always...

Marsha - I'm wondering if you use a bucking strap with Buckly and if you drive him with or without blinders. I'm sure you didn't ruin him because you kept a hold of him. The horses that won't drive again after an accident are the ones that get away and manage to get rid of the carriage. I'm...

I usually start training for the lengthened trot on long lines. I say lengthened not extended because first you want the horse to get the idea of going faster with longer strides. They can do this best without pulling a carriage. Choose a verbal cue and remember to use it only for the...

http://www.frogmusic.com/drivingpairs/articles/pair-driving-101.html This is a link to a good site about pair driving. There's several photos of tandems as well, horses, ponies and minis. Cayuse - My impression of tandems with a single tree between them is "danger!" also. I'm sure an expert...

I envy you being able to move to Windsor. Sounds like heaven on earth!

Another attachment method for the lead horse are tandem keys and cockeyes. The tandem keys are short metal pieces that fit over the tongue of the breastcollar buckle. Cockeyes are on the lead horse's traces and have snaps that hooks into the tandem keys. I use a carabiner type snap that I put...

Tess, I would ask Melvin at Pequea if he recommends the carriage you're interested in for a single mini. He'll know the weight of the carriage and be able to give you more information about them.

Driving is more dangerous than non-driving people realize. You know from your experience with your mini bolting. A driving animal's most important quality is it's mind. Just my 2 cents!

Even if you're planning to drive your horses in a pair or team they'll need to be trained as singles first. (in my opinion) Silver Penney sells vehicles made by Pequea Carriage Shop. You can check out their website too. http://pequeacarriageshop.com/ They may be able to ship more reasonably...

How do you arrange your reins for a three abreast? Pair reins on the outside two with a coupling rein from the inside guy? What do the swingle tree set ups look like? Love your circus cart and chariot! You are living my dream!

I agree with Paintponylvr about color and pairs. I bought 3 matching long yearlings from the same sire. Trained them to drive single. Worked with 2 as a pair. They never gelled. One was a prima donna, didn't want to work with anyone else, thank you very much! The other boy I paired up with...

I keep a length of leather with my hole punch. I put the leather piece under whatever I'm putting the hole in. Then the punch can go all the way through the strap, making a clean cut. The leather piece protects the cutting edge from the "anvil" of the punch. A tack repair friend showed me...

31.5" What Knot's Prince Charming better known has Chappie is my smallest. He's also my first mini. He was 4 years old when I bought him. He's turning 25 this month! He does everything!

I'd prefer to see the back strap shorter so the hip strap is forward, closer to the point of the hip.

I have a Tadpole built by Russ Hardwick. It weighs about 185 lbs. It has both a pole and shafts. I bought it for using with a pair and didn't consider using it with a single until I had a young horse that I didn't quite trust without brakes. He drove very well in the Tadpole as a single and...