Driving through a gate

[sdust]

I live on 37 acres within a subdivision of 17 lots, lots of hills but not that much driving area. So my neighbor put in a gate at the entrance of the "Ranch" that allows us to head into hundreds of acres of BLM. (Yes is it heaven up here (Colorado) and I only get to live here May - Dec right now, then I am a Okie). The problem that I have with the gate is it is 4 foot wide, great for riding through but driving? My mini, Trey, is well broke and very good with taking direction. I pull my cart through a 4 foot gate and it does fit. Trey will go through a small space being lead. So my question is can anyone drive through this size of a gate and if so any tips? If this is not a good idea then I guess I will have to unhook him ........

The main entrance is a cattle guard so this gate is the only way. Thanks Guys!

 

[shorthorsemom]

Practice with cones is a great indication as to how you can handle a gate.. If you squash cones, then you better not be driving through the gate. I practice in my lessons with small cones barely wider than my wheels. I do offset cones, straight on cones, multiple sets etc. My trainer says that cone practice is good for teaching you where your wheels are and how to avoid trees and posts etc. Kind of like parallel parking with learning to drive a car. If you aren't good at it... Don't park on the street in the city.

 

[Matthijs]

We have a trail here in town and both wheels of my HyperBike rub the posts to get on it. My horse id rather hot and always get kinda stressed to go through. Sometimes one wheel gets hung up and we have to make a sharp turn in the gate to get through.

Last week Tina and I switched carts, her cart, a pacific smartcart is like 4" narrower so it was easy for me to get through. Tina's horse is not as hot, so she also just rode through.

Just like driving a car, do not look at the gate. you will run into it!!! that is the law!!! Always look where you are going, I know that is the hardest part, every time I have to scramble through is because I do not trust myself and do look.

So for me it means that rubbing both wheels is challenging and four inches is a ride in the park. but it really depends on your horse, your confidence and the relation you have with your horse

Good luck, and yes do practice. cones are a good start I think but after that I would try maybe wooden boxes or plastic barrels as they have vertical walls and provide a real challenge.

Keep us posted...

 

[sdust]

Thanks so very much. I can not believe that I didn't think of cones being important. Trey is very good with cones. We can drive in and around cones, set close with tennis balls on top, without problems. With that visual then I believe that I can be more confident in trying the gate. Matthijs, thanks so much for the picture. I will let you know how the gate drive through goes. Debbie

 

[MiLo Minis]

This isn't something to try with a green driving horse but if your horse has had plenty of practice with cones he should be able to handle it. The hard part is that when you hit a cone all that happens is you dislodge the ball or knock the movable cone down but gates don't move. Your horse needs to be a calm and experienced driver or you are going to run into serious, cart damaging (possibly horse and driver damaging too!) trouble if you get a wheel hung up on the side of the gate stopping him cold.

The things to remember are: What Matthijs said is very true - look at 'em and you'll hit 'em! Look straight through the center of the gate and just in front of it, one stride out, give with your hands. Don't throw your contact away but release any pressure on the reins allowing your horse to center himself if you have him off center at all. Horses will instinctively center themselves when passing between 2 objects if given the chance. With cones of course you want to be going as fast as you can but with the solid gate take it at a very slow or moderate gait in case of trouble.

Lots of practice at home with objects that move BEFORE attempting a solid gate! Good luck and I hope you make it through and out onto your trail!!! If you do end up having to stop and lead him through be sure to unhitch because if he hangs up while he is being led with the cart attached that could be a really nasty scene. Those few minutes spent unhitching and rehitching will be minutes WELL spent.

 

[susanne]

Our favorite trail (a rails-to-trails linearr park) put in stauncheons to keep cars and ATVs out. For the section we drive most frequently, these are close, but drivable. I point Mingus at them and let him center himself...no problem. On another area where we don't drive as frequentl, the posts are simply too close together, so we simply lead the horses through and hitch them on the other side. The HyperBike was carried through, while Keith took the EE around the gate and through the weeds.

 

[JMS Miniatures]

Another suggestion is to go thru 2 poles on the ground. Try to go thru them as straight as you can. Then make it harder and make them closer. Kind of like how they use 2 poles and you have to make your wheel go thru them in obstacle. But this way it can help you to keep going straight. Cones with balls on top is good too, espeically if you can make it an obstacle course like. I probably need to do more of this myself.

 

[Matthijs]

This is actually a very interesting, the more I think about it I realize we have these well broke horses, thank you Lori for pointing that out. ( our horses actually broke us, that is a fact )

Now what to do if you don't have this broke to death horse!!!

I am sure that if my horse gets stopped by the gate it will just stop and back out if asked for. My point here is how to make these kind of situations safe and fun as to scary and dangerous!!

I do believe in "setting up" situations like that could help you and your horse get through without losing your shirt. I have driven into the barn isle and into a stall with the HyperBike, knowing I had to back out, no problem. That is for my horse......

Thoughts ideas????

PS I am not trying highjack this thread am I?

 

[shorthorsemom]

This isn't something to try with a green driving horse but if your horse has had plenty of practice with cones he should be able to handle it. The hard part is that when you hit a cone all that happens is you dislodge the ball or knock the movable cone down but gates don't move. Your horse needs to be a calm and experienced driver or you are going to run into serious, cart damaging (possibly horse and driver damaging too!) trouble if you get a wheel hung up on the side of the gate stopping him cold.

The things to remember are: What Matthijs said is very true - look at 'em and you'll hit 'em! Look straight through the center of the gate and just in front of it, one stride out, give with your hands. Don't throw your contact away but release any pressure on the reins allowing your horse to center himself if you have him off center at all. Horses will instinctively center themselves when passing between 2 objects if given the chance. With cones of course you want to be going as fast as you can but with the solid gate take it at a very slow or moderate gait in case of trouble.

Lots of practice at home with objects that move BEFORE attempting a solid gate!

Yup, I practice at EVERY lesson, and I can testify to the "look at the cone and you will hit it" It happens every time. My instructor has me go through cones at an angle, straight on, she offsets two or three sets so I have to make multiple adjustments and she is teaching me where we reach the point of no return on being able to make a change. Practice practice.. I have been working quite a while, but am still too green to attempt going through a tight opening that does not move when you hit it (ie...close fence posts)... I do go through a gate several times during my lesson, but the opening has good clearance on each side of my cart. Baby steps... we rush nothing. It is worth the time to build the skills.

PS... knock on wood, but I am getting to the point where I don't hit any cones unless I am specifically told to do so by my instructor for practice. I felt very proud when my last lesson I was going through some really tight cone configurations and not tapping any... It felt great.

 

[sdust]

Wow, lots to thinks about, THANKS! Matthijs... you are not high jacking this thread ... I love all the insights. Just reading the thoughts and opinions of everyone makes me feel more comfortable. Yesterday I did drive through the gate with the neighbor who was on horseback and Trey DID GREAT! Right through the center. We went across the road to the beginnings of the trail head and came back and drove through again. Coming back through, Trey did stop in the middle of the opening and did a little trotting in place, very cute but I could tell he was nervous. However, I talked him through and he got going again and did fine. I was so very excited. I now will try tke other training things mentioned here and built confidence in myself and Trey. I did find that I looked down a couple of times at my wheel on my left just to make sure I did not clip the post. However, I think that not looking would be wiser. I ride a motorcycle and know that where your eyes goes, so do you.... You would think that I could apply it to driving a cart without being told. Hehe. Thanks again and keep us not just learning the new, but reminding us what we know. Debbie

 

[dannigirl]

You will be amazed at what your horse will drive through, under or around when they totally trust you. Dave drove one of ours inside a nursing home, around a banquet table, between the table and a piano (that was being played) and people were moving chairs for them to get past. Dave stayed calm so the horse did also. Can't do that with every horse, but have done that sort of thing with several well broke ones.