How much can a Mini actually take?

[Casey0Lee]

I am not new to horses or Mini's, but I am new to driving. I had a little driving experience with a friends family when I was much younger, but that is all. I do have some friends who are BIG into driving, both with their Mini's and their Morgans. They don't ride at all and have been drving (showing) for years. I will be seeking some help from them, but I'm curious... how much driving/work can a Mini actually handle? I have barrel horses, so I'm very aware that conditioning and getting them in shape is huge. I would never just hitch an out of shape horse up and expect them to do strenuous work.

We have friends that have Haffies. They don't do much riding either. They usually drive their Haffies along with us on some of our trail rides. We have some trails that are wide and nicely manicured and great for driving as well as riding. They have some hills, but nothing big. The trails are like a nice dirt road, without the gravel and with grass in the middle... like a lane.

Could a mini handle a trail ride provided it was properly conditioned or should they stay on the flat or in an arena/field setting? How much work can they actually handle?

Any info? I was just sitting here wondering how much I'll actually be able to drive her. I do a ton of trail riding, but driving would be so much more fun. I'm just not sure a Mini could handle it? I'm new to all this Mini driving business.

Thanks!

Also, I attached a photo of my mare. She is 35.25" tall.

 

[shorthorsemom]

Check out the hyperbike webpage photo gallery and youtubes of mini horses doing CDE marathon events. Properly conditioned there is so much you events you can do with your mini. Trail riding is one of many things you can do.

 

[Renolizzie]

I drive on a mix of road base [firm gravel], asphalt and packed sand/dirt. I worked up to 5 or 6 miles without my little mini looking worn out. I was tired but he looked okay. Wiseguy is about 31 1/2 inches. We aren't the fastest but we trot right along. I halt him to see how he is doing and I have him walk especially at the beginning and end of the drive and some time walking in the middle of the drive to make sure he is doing okay.

He is a surprisingly tough little guy. I did work up to that level and now I am sort of starting back at a couple of miles and we are going to work up to it again.

 

[Casey0Lee]

I drive on a mix of road base [firm gravel], asphalt and packed sand/dirt. I worked up to 5 or 6 miles without my little mini looking worn out. I was tired but he looked okay. Wiseguy is about 31 1/2 inches. We aren't the fastest but we trot right along. I halt him to see how he is doing and I have him walk especially at the beginning and end of the drive and some time walking in the middle of the drive to make sure he is doing okay.

He is a surprisingly tough little guy. I did work up to that level and now I am sort of starting back at a couple of miles and we are going to work up to it again.

Thanks! This is kind of what I was looking for. So, with proper conditioning, they can pretty much do anything a big horse can do?

 

[Diva's Girl]

Yes, Diva can actually go further and sometimes faster than some of the larger 11-13hh sized ponies at my driving club when she is well conditioned because she has a really ground covering gait and does not get winded or tired easily when she is conditioned. You will need to work them up slowly before taking on anything too dramatic but hills are fine as long as they are not too steep. Going on hills helps them build mussel and makes them engage their hindquarters if they don't like to on flat ground. Like renolizzy said, just make sure they have some walking time every once in a while to catch their breath if they need it and get a little rest before asking them to trot or canter again. I'm sure you know this already but if you walk them for a bit in the cart and warm them up before doing any hill work or trails in the beginning then walk them for a bit to cool them out after then it can help them not get sore. Have fun!

 

[Casey0Lee]

Yes, Diva can actually go further and sometimes faster than some of the larger 11-13hh sized ponies at my driving club when she is well conditioned because she has a really ground covering gait and does not get winded or tired easily when she is conditioned. You will need to work them up slowly before taking on anything too dramatic but hills are fine as long as they are not too steep. Going on hills helps them build mussel and makes them engage their hindquarters if they don't like to on flat ground. Like renolizzy said, just make sure they have some walking time every once in a while to catch their breath if they need it and get a little rest before asking them to trot or canter again. I'm sure you know this already but if you walk them for a bit in the cart and warm them up before doing any hill work or trails in the beginning then walk them for a bit to cool them out after then it can help them not get sore. Have fun!

Oh yes... I always warm up and walk out. That's been drilled into my head all my life, especially when I was working at the race track.

 

[shorthorsemom]

CDE horses properly conditioned can do quite a bit.

 

[susanne]

I drive a 38" mini/small pony, and he easily hauls my husband and me for quite a distance without any problems. With just one of us in the HyperBike, there is no stopping him.

Trail driving is so enjoyable for both you and your horse, and it's great that you already know people to enjoy it with. It sounds like your trails are wonderful. I would, however, be cautious regarding the hills. On a level, smooth track, a cart puts almost no weight on your horse's back, and the only real effort is in starting from a standstill. With hills, however, your horse has to haul you and the cart up that hill. Slight upgrades aren't a problem, and a short, steeper hill can be handled well, but a long, uphill climb can be quite taxing. Coming down a serious hill can be dicy, as he needs to hold the cart back and can easily slip on loose footing.

I would Be sure to condition your horse specifically on hills and carefully monitor his physical response and recovery time. Be sure to check out any trail in advance, just to be certain you don't get in over your (or your horse's) head.

You might also look into road boots, such as the Chimacum Comfy Fit leather road boots. My gelding, Mingus, hates gravel and is not shy about voicing his opinions. And be sure to pack along some water for him.

 

[Casey0Lee]

^^ I wouldn't take her up/down and big hills. I will stick with the easy trails

We do however, have a ton of nice little creeks to stop along for drinks for the horses. It makes it rather nice. I'm really looking fwd to driving her this summer!

 

[jeanniecogan]

I worry all the time about how much Charlie can take. he is 38 inches and still a stallion at 5 years old. so i figues he can do more than a gelding.

I am heavy, wighing in slightly over 200 pounds andmy lignite cart only weighs 70 pounds. Any comments will be welcome.

 

[Flying minis]

We started trail driving with ours just last year and love it. We have done some pretty good horse trails, if the trail allows two horses to ride side by side, we have been able to drive it. We have driven some trails with pretty big hills - but we WALK beside or behind the cart on those, and usually stop part way up to make sure the horses are ok. We haven't had any that "overfaced" our little ones. We also trail drive in our roadster carts (with solid tires on them). It makes it SOO easy to get in and out of the cart, and on small hills, we can even "stand up" inside the cart briefly if we need to lighten the load. Our minis have LOVED trail driving.

We typically drive gravel roads with quite a few hills, so our trail drives generally are not as strenuous as our conditioning drives. Our trail drives we mainly walk, while our conditioning drives we primarily trot. While our trail drives may have bigger hills, there are fewer of them. Overall, I've been amazed what our little ones can do on the trail. They've had no problem keeping up with the big horses that my friends ride : )

 

[Casey0Lee]

^^This is exactly the kind of info I was looking for! Thanks so much you guys!! I'm looking forward to this summer!! I may even have the option to acquire another horse that is broke to drive. It would be very neat to have a team in the future! We shall see!