It sounds like the important part is having enough helpers to be able to walk the cart around without attaching it first, and that it's okay to be ground-driving in that circumstance?
No, we just lead the horse with a halter and lead or a blinder bridle and halter and lead. The purpose of this lesson is to get the horse used to the bumping of the shafts in the tugs and the shafts bumping them in a turn. If the horse doesn't like it, you can just let the shafts slip out of the tugs and the horse is free of "that thing". If we were to line drive while doing this lesson, we would have less control, nevermind that the horse has to think about being directed by the bit as well. We want them just to accept the cart at that point and not complicate the lesson.
I have to say there is a side to some of the ADS stuff, the side that is so dismissive of minis ( and I know sometimes people bring it on themselves) that makes me not want to be involved with any of it. I don't need to feel looked down upon or second rate by anyone.
That is why we NEED good drivers to drive minis in an accepted way with good equipment to show people how they ARE "real" driving horses.
There are people that are doing that, and we have made great strides. People look twice when the best dressage score in an entire CDE comes from a mini (not mine... he's a bit limited by his driver....
....I like the principles of dressage, just not doing it....boring....
) The other thing that is helping is VSE drivers reaching out to other drivers. That could be offering to let them drive your horse, like the NW is doing at the Oct. ADS meeting, and discussing the features and benefits of minis with whoever will listen. We have multiple friends that have driven Morgans, Arabs, Haflingers, Fjords, Sport Ponies, etc. that now LOVE to drive their minis because they are so much easier to take to the shows (less of everything except ability and heart!). The best thing to do is let your big horse friends drive obstacles with a mini and see how they can negotiate them SO easily!
If you want to be accepted driving a real driving horse, then handle and drive them like they are real horses, not tinker toys or pets. Perception is a lot of the problem and the solution. I was reinforced with that when I gave a driving clinic a few weeks ago. All of the 4-Hers had simple, uncomfortable pipe carts (both big and little horses) with cheap harnesses that didn't fit, and their average horses were going less than brilliantly (which in some cases was directly correlated to the cheap equipment). The leadership said that driving just wouldn't catch on in their county. Well...I can see why. The rest of the members are watching the drivers bounce around in those carts with their less than fancy horses. Why would I want to do that, too when I can ride my fancy QH with a big silver saddle? If people could be exposed to what driving could be, then they would more likely to want to participate, too! That is how we got started in the carriage shows, we went to watch and decided we wanted to do that, too! If people see mini drivers doing less than acceptable stuff with their horses, they sure don't want to be lumped into that group! Again, perception is the problem and the solution. We need good mini drivers to help move the up the acceptance level!
Preliminary results of the new ADS survey are coming in and right now minis are the 4th most popular breed! One director was surprised at that, I suppose because the numbers of competitive VSE drivers is not booming throughout the country. But people need to realize that since minis can't really be rode, driving is pretty much a given if people want to do something with their minis. We're a "captive audience"!
Now let's get out there and drive those horses correctly!
Myrna
