Anyone else starting driving horses this fall...

[countryrose]

Glad I won't be alone this winter out there with the long lines!

I started the gelding who is three on the left last year and has been in cart 10 or so times. He did drive in one of the country pleasure non rated classes this year. Just needs more miles.

The gelding on the right is two and hope to start him soon. Weather has just been too hot to push it on him yet. Hope to get started and then go up couple times a month to trainer's indoor arena.

Someday hopefully they will drive as a team.

Good luck to all

 

[Anne]

Mya is just two and has just started ground driving, she is going very nicely,

I have really enjoyed starting her, she's going to be really nice in harness.

Billy Jean is three and has been hitched and driven, even had her first drive out on the road. She did really well and we will work on some "miles" and more fun for her.

Haley is just two and I'm letting her "carry a bit" and wear a surcingle for lunging, but we take our time she's a bit less mature than the other two.

I looked for an online picture and realized I better get a couple more current ones loaded. She's a pretty bay pinto with a blue eye.

With winter coming in Wisconsin this will be more than enough to keep me busy along with the eanlings that need time and everyone else!

 

[flflyingw]

Hi everybody

My Knick, 2yrs old, was professionally trained for the cart and was doing very well. She had to stop to go back to college and I don't know enough about driving to continue. I need a new cart as the used one I got just is not that safe for me and Knick. I wish I could just hitch him and drive him around the pasture. That would be so much fun for me but I don't want to mess up what she has done.

C spot your mini that is 26" is that big enough and can you get a harness to fit him correctly? I have a little 27" that I would just love to have trained. He is just so pretty and full of spirit and I think would be so much fun.

How many are going to take your minis in carts for the holidays? I want to do that so bad with Knick. Our new house will be finished this week or next so I will have more time.

FLFlyingW

 

[nootka]

Wellll...I have just recently gone from ground driving (three months worth of work, intensifying towards the last month) to getting in the cart w/my gelding, Mouse. Shari posted some pics of him on the other thread, but was only ground driving him in them. Was actually driving him today some!

I am going to work him more as the weather stays nice, and hope to get in a once every couple weeks' drive this Winter before good weather again next year.

Noone else old enough (or young enough) here that isn't already broke to drive so I'll wait patiently!

Good luck to all you aspiring drivers (and I hope to see susanne's/Mingus' name here!)

Liz M.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I hope to start my at present 2 1/2 year old show mare- unfortunately I still shan't be able to drive her next year as our rules are set at four years old (and I wrote them so I can't complain) but at least I shall have some fun with her next year.

Then somehow I have to prevent myself putting her in foal next year so I can drive her-

I really need a gelding but the colt I want to keep this year will be too small and the other one I do not really "click" with- If Ecco (my other Black) is not in foal this year she is in for a shock....and she is five years old so she could go straight in next year- if ready, of course.

All I need now is a show cart.

What we should do is try to post this thread regularly and see how many of us follow through- I am the first to admit I may not manage it till next Spring.

 

[dangerranger]

Me Me Me next!!! we have a pair of mares that I have just started ground driving. one is 5 and the other is 7. my plan is to have them in a parade next april. one Im shure will be ready, the other I may be pushing it a little. Ive just started looking for a driving coach or trainer. I would at least want to have them ground safe first so Im not wasting a lot of time before the actual driving starts. I too would like to see this again around DEC to see how many are folowing through. thanks all, DR.

 

[CKC]

Jane- That's a geat idea. We should do updated driving posts.

I might have to recruit Jill to come help me. LOL As I am getting bigger and bigger with my second child. I'll only do ground work. There will be plenty of cart time next year(after February).

I do need to contact my equine dentist before I can begin anything. Then I'll be ready.

Kim

 

[ibquackers20]

I have 4 to train , one is only a little over a year so she will be my last one.Then there is a 4 year old I bought a few weeks ago, he was green broke to drive last year and the last owner has driven him every couple days this year before I bought him. According to my trainer she said I bought a wreck because the last owner told me he took off on her and that she figured he might have had a sun burn and it was being eritated by the harness - she did have him hooked up a couple times before I brought him home but since it was only her he was not hooked up for long. Well I can not bring any part of the harness near him without him freeking out big time.So I am taking my time with him and it takes over 1 hour before he is calm enough to attach the harness. I do not ground drive him but I let him ware the head stall and saddle/sucingle for a while - He is still not use to me but with blinkers on he will follow me all over and hubby said it looks like we are dancing. lol

I will take it very slow with him till he gets to trust me and know I am no threat , plus he is very jumpy and spooks so I am also working on getting him use to many different loud sounds. It will be some time before he even sees a cart and not without a trainer by me to help.Bummer I really was hopping on driving this summer. Safty first. slow and easy.

I aslo have a 2 year old gelding and he is doing great with the ground work and ground driving - I take him ground driving down my service road so he gets use to different sounds, and yesterday a car drove by him on a gravel road - he did not flinch at all he just turned his ear towards me waiting for - your ok walk on by.He is so calm and a joy to work with , maybe my trainer will even get him introduced to the cart before it is winter - if not oh well we will continue to ground drive on nice days.

I also have another 2 year old as well and started him on the basic yesterday and he really catches on fast.He did everything I asked him to - seems like he is a fast learner and before or just after this weekend I will introduce him to the harness. This guy was so scared of everything and including me or any strangers, and with all the time I spent with him you would think he was a different horse - so calm now and I can easily walk up to him and put his haulter on with out trouble. Can hardly wait till I see how he does on ground driving - My other 2 year old mentioned above is having a bit of trouble with the command easy (slow down)but is catching on, where this guy has had only one day with training and does easy (slow down)very well and speeds up as well when asked.So you never know I just might have 2 to drive early next summer / cool

As for the one that got into a wreck well I bought all 3 of my guys from the same person and I know that all 3 of my guys will make great driving horses eventually and that she did not take me with the 4 year old - just that I am new to driving/training and with the help of my trainer I can only get better and I am very happy with my recent purchases. It keeps me buisy and really helps to keep the tummy buldge away from me. lol

:

:

 

[Southern_Heart]

I have Spanky (gelding), the horse in my avatar at the trainers right now learning how to drive.

I will be glad when he comes home. I sure miss him. Then I have 2 others that will be going to the trainers to learn also.

Joyce

 

[Devon]

Im Going To start my Dapple Gray Mare Sweetgrass

:

 

[Bess Kelly]

I have 3 that have been driven......but, not since I've owned them :lol:

I'm hoping to get each of them back in harness, do some ground work and hook them up! Maybe by Spring we can have a nice drive

:

Then, 2 I'd like to work for halter obstacle. I is trained, needs refresher.....another has been through about 1/2 the "stuff", so hope to work him, too. Both of these are also among the 3 who drive.

Yeah, let's follow this up and see "who does it"...... :new_shocked: :bgrin I'm guilty as sin at putting this stuff off! Besides, I'll have 7 foals to halter break, wean, etc., this winter. Already thinking my time is too short for all the stuff on this list.

 

[jleonard]

I have on mare who is now 7 and I have been working on off and on for three years. Every year I say I'm going to get her trained, I'll reenforce her ground driving and get her in the cart once or twice, then I get busy with my other horses, and the poor girl gets shoved to the bottom of the list, but this year is really the year. I have had her is the cart three or four times in the last week and a half and she is doing great! We are working on her turns, as she sometimes forgets she has to move in the direction of her nose, but she is really getting there. She is so sweet and patient and willing to learn. Compared to my other horses she is a dream, she is so calm and doesn't freak over little things, she has a great head on her. She also learned some tricks over the summer. In just a few sessions she learned how to bow, lay down, and get up on a pedestal. I think the tricks have really helped her overall manners and obedience, they made her much more responsive and trusting. I have to get some pictures of her driving soon!

My other little girl who knows how to drive is going to learn some manners this fall. We just had a ring put in, and the sand is great for working her in. She is full of go and the sand slows her down and makes her focus more on pulling and on what I am telling her so that she is not constantly fighting to go faster like she did when I could only drive her on the road or the grass. She is going to learn that walking and standing still really are goord things!lol. I'm excited about the progress I'm going to be able to make with her now.

This is a fun way to see what everone else is up to! Best of luck to everyone!

 

[midnight star stables]

Nitro :saludando:

With a lot of work.. he will be in the ring :bgrin

 

[Feather1414]

Peanut will be in harness alright!

 

[whitney]

My little man Dusty will be finishing up his training this fall.

And if he and I click quick so will this little guy

 

[HGFarm]

I will probably be starting at least my leopard stallion this year, and my daughter just got a mare that she wants to break to drive too. I have a couple of mares I would love to, but it depends on how much time I have.....

 

[MiniHGal]

Well this should be fun come springtime! I agree, update posts would be awesome!! We want to see them from green to solid and lovin it!

I guess my guys are really already started, and will have most of the winter off...but by next summer they should earn the title of 'well trained'. Gabriel has been hitched 10 times now, I think, and Pippin 3. Taking it easy with both of them though, as Gabriel is 3 and a draft x(so still growing like a weed), and Pippin is 2 (stopped height growth but not quite mature).

Gabriel--he has a future as a Combined Driving horse, riding horse, and anything else we can think of to throw at him--the All rounder horse. And my dad has expressed an interest in taking him packing in a few years, so he might do that too. Gabriel didn't know what he was in for when he came to live with us....

And Pippin--since he is only 26.5" tall...I don't really know how much he can handle--we will see. But he likes to drive, and does very well on flat, hard surfaces. I would like to put him in a few CDEs, some places where I know the footing will be good. Eh, you never know, he might do quite well.

He is the short red one:

That is all of my own horses...and I don't really have time for outside horses...so those are my two! Some nice horses on this thread--I will be excited to watch them progress!!

 

[GREENWOODMINIS]

:saludando: Beautiful horses everyone...I am excited SO to see all these future driving horses :aktion033: :aktion033:

I love the idea of everyone checking in on the progress of their driving horses...I will take pictures soon of mine so, you can check them out

: So...PLEASE lets see yours too!!! It will be FUN :new_shocked: :new_shocked:

We seem to have our very own driving club....right here on the forum

: So, lets get out there and do it :aktion033: :aktion033:

Congratulations again on all those fantastic furture drivers :saludando:

Best wishes,

lis

 

[Reble]

: Hubby has started breaking our gelding to drive this year, but with showing and him working 12 hour days, just not enough hours in a day.

This will be our second mini horse driving and hope to make them a pair.

 

[shoeboxstables]

I started out 33.5" mare at the end of july, and she's going fantastic!! I could not be more pleased with her progress. This horse was absolutely aweful when we bought her, barn sour, buddy sour, and very stubborn. We never would have expected her to be the sweetest, most docile horse on the farm!! Here she is at the beginning of this year:

And shorlty after being hithed for the first time (very overweight mind you!!)

This saturday will be her first driving show, just a small schooling show in south jersey. We're really excited!! Hopefully I'll get some new pictures then!