interested in cde4vse
- Thread starter gambler
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hobbyhorse23
Well-Known Member
Hi Gambler! You're in luck, there are many good mini drivers in the California area and plenty of opportunities to compete. You can certainly use a regular easy entry cart for training level and if you add steel or wooden wheels you can use it as far up the levels as you want to.
Please, please forgive me for not answering the rest of your questions in detail but I'm down with a heck of a cold today and I'm just not up to it. There have been several really great threads on the subject of under 30" minis in CDE recently, you could do a search here and see what comes up. The short answer is "Yes, depending on body type, attitude, suitability of equipment and conditioning." For how to condition him- drive him. A lot. And then drive some more.
You'll need to work him up to doing at least 9km at a trot with only one ten minute pause in the middle and given California he'll have to be tough enough to do it in deep sand. I'd suggest you contact Breanna Sheahan of Bakersfield/UC Davis as she's currently the foremost mini driver in Californian CDE's. Her forum name is Minihgal and she's very friendly. Tell her I sent you.
Have fun!
Leia
Please, please forgive me for not answering the rest of your questions in detail but I'm down with a heck of a cold today and I'm just not up to it. There have been several really great threads on the subject of under 30" minis in CDE recently, you could do a search here and see what comes up. The short answer is "Yes, depending on body type, attitude, suitability of equipment and conditioning." For how to condition him- drive him. A lot. And then drive some more.
Have fun!
Leia
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thanks for your reply. i hope someone will post a club near Paradise, Ca.is my 30" mini able to do cde? i heard an even smaller one went best condition. how do i get him conditioned? can i use a regular easy entry cart? is there a group in the chico/paradise ca area that does this? thanks again.
MiniHGal
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Hi there!
You are about 2 hours from me, currently. Because of the less widespread nature of driving as compared to riding, there are no clubs in your particular area. There are 5 driving clubs (ADS-based) in CA, the closest being Northern CA Driving Club. Very nice people, they have their meetings in the northern bay area and surrounding places (Woodland holds the annual Christmas Tea Drive).
There are plenty of things to do in this area (well, most are around me or an hourish south, but still close). I would suggest looking at the west coast driving calendar (mostly CA): http://www.carriagedrivingessentials.com/calendar.html from the carriage driving essentials website (Celine is great if you need to get anything). And here is NCDC's club page: http://www.acornnmr.com/ncdc/
I would suggest coming to the HDT's (Horse Driving Trials) at Debbi Packards'--Clay Station Horse Park. It is all flat, mostly hard-packed, and very friendly. The course is shorter than a full length CDE, with less hazards. Much more learning-based and quite casual. I would suggest volunteering or watching one first to get the general idea, then entering one.
There is also, I see, an ADT in Woodland, which is new. ADTs are a very shortened version of CDEs (Arena Driving Trials), consisting of a dressage test, a cones run (both same as normal CDE, though the cones might be fewer), and a couple of hazards. No marathon at all, so conditioning amount is less.
So, if you watch the first HDT at Debbi's in April, compete in the next HDT, you could be on track for competing in the CDE at her place in June! Voila!
Seriously though, height is not a limiting factor for a CDE horse, but you do have to consider terrain (depth and hills) and length more for a shorter horse. It also becomes more important to have nice conformation that is able to do the work as they get smaller. However, I drove a 30.5" horse for a while in CDE's, and we did very well. My current horse is 35", but she competes at the Intermediate level, much different than training level.
However, even if your horse has shortcomings that prevent him from completing a full length CDE, he can still most likely do the HDTs and ADTs. Almost any horse of any size can do those without too much strain.
I will probably be at most of the shows listed in CA, so let me know what ones you want to be at and I will give you a guided tour.
This goes for anyone else that wants to do CDEs in CA but doesn't know where to start.
And Leia, you embarrass me. Aww I hope you feel better soon. I'm sure Kody isn't too impressed with having a sick mommy.
Oh, ETA: You can certainly use an Easy Entry at training level, provided it is safe and fits your horse. Your harness must have breeching and no overcheck (sidecheck is allowed, but discouraged). After training level, the wheels have to be non-bicycle/non-pneumatic. So the normal EE wheels do not work. But you wouldn't have to worry about that for a while.
You are about 2 hours from me, currently. Because of the less widespread nature of driving as compared to riding, there are no clubs in your particular area. There are 5 driving clubs (ADS-based) in CA, the closest being Northern CA Driving Club. Very nice people, they have their meetings in the northern bay area and surrounding places (Woodland holds the annual Christmas Tea Drive).
There are plenty of things to do in this area (well, most are around me or an hourish south, but still close). I would suggest looking at the west coast driving calendar (mostly CA): http://www.carriagedrivingessentials.com/calendar.html from the carriage driving essentials website (Celine is great if you need to get anything). And here is NCDC's club page: http://www.acornnmr.com/ncdc/
I would suggest coming to the HDT's (Horse Driving Trials) at Debbi Packards'--Clay Station Horse Park. It is all flat, mostly hard-packed, and very friendly. The course is shorter than a full length CDE, with less hazards. Much more learning-based and quite casual. I would suggest volunteering or watching one first to get the general idea, then entering one.
There is also, I see, an ADT in Woodland, which is new. ADTs are a very shortened version of CDEs (Arena Driving Trials), consisting of a dressage test, a cones run (both same as normal CDE, though the cones might be fewer), and a couple of hazards. No marathon at all, so conditioning amount is less.
So, if you watch the first HDT at Debbi's in April, compete in the next HDT, you could be on track for competing in the CDE at her place in June! Voila!
Seriously though, height is not a limiting factor for a CDE horse, but you do have to consider terrain (depth and hills) and length more for a shorter horse. It also becomes more important to have nice conformation that is able to do the work as they get smaller. However, I drove a 30.5" horse for a while in CDE's, and we did very well. My current horse is 35", but she competes at the Intermediate level, much different than training level.
However, even if your horse has shortcomings that prevent him from completing a full length CDE, he can still most likely do the HDTs and ADTs. Almost any horse of any size can do those without too much strain.
I will probably be at most of the shows listed in CA, so let me know what ones you want to be at and I will give you a guided tour.
This goes for anyone else that wants to do CDEs in CA but doesn't know where to start.
And Leia, you embarrass me. Aww I hope you feel better soon. I'm sure Kody isn't too impressed with having a sick mommy.
Oh, ETA: You can certainly use an Easy Entry at training level, provided it is safe and fits your horse. Your harness must have breeching and no overcheck (sidecheck is allowed, but discouraged). After training level, the wheels have to be non-bicycle/non-pneumatic. So the normal EE wheels do not work. But you wouldn't have to worry about that for a while.
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hobbyhorse23
Well-Known Member
Kody was wondering where the heck his mommy disappeared to since she hadn't been out to the barn for two and a half days! Yuck, that was a nasty one. Thankfully I'm feeling better today.
As to being the foremost, well...you're the only Intermediate level VSE driver in your state, and one of only a few nation-wide! Therefore the highest ranked in your area without much question.
Leia
Hi there!
You are about 2 hours from me, currently. Because of the less widespread nature of driving as compared to riding, there are no clubs in your particular area. There are 5 driving clubs (ADS-based) in CA, the closest being Northern CA Driving Club. Very nice people, they have their meetings in the northern bay area and surrounding places (Woodland holds the annual Christmas Tea Drive).
There are plenty of things to do in this area (well, most are around me or an hourish south, but still close). I would suggest looking at the west coast driving calendar (mostly CA): http://www.carriagedrivingessentials.com/calendar.html from the carriage driving essentials website (Celine is great if you need to get anything). And here is NCDC's club page: http://www.acornnmr.com/ncdc/
I would suggest coming to the HDT's (Horse Driving Trials) at Debbi Packards'--Clay Station Horse Park. It is all flat, mostly hard-packed, and very friendly. The course is shorter than a full length CDE, with less hazards. Much more learning-based and quite casual. I would suggest volunteering or watching one first to get the general idea, then entering one.
There is also, I see, an ADT in Woodland, which is new. ADTs are a very shortened version of CDEs (Arena Driving Trials), consisting of a dressage test, a cones run (both same as normal CDE, though the cones might be fewer), and a couple of hazards. No marathon at all, so conditioning amount is less.
So, if you watch the first HDT at Debbi's in April, compete in the next HDT, you could be on track for competing in the CDE at her place in June! Voila!
Seriously though, height is not a limiting factor for a CDE horse, but you do have to consider terrain (depth and hills) and length more for a shorter horse. It also becomes more important to have nice conformation that is able to do the work as they get smaller. However, I drove a 30.5" horse for a while in CDE's, and we did very well. My current horse is 35", but she competes at the Intermediate level, much different than training level.
However, even if your horse has shortcomings that prevent him from completing a full length CDE, he can still most likely do the HDTs and ADTs. Almost any horse of any size can do those without too much strain.
I will probably be at most of the shows listed in CA, so let me know what ones you want to be at and I will give you a guided tour.
And Leia, you embarrass me. Aww I hope you feel better soon. I'm sure Kody isn't too impressed with having a sick mommy.
Oh, ETA: You can certainly use an Easy Entry at training level, provided it is safe and fits your horse. Your harness must have breeching and no overcheck (sidecheck is allowed, but discouraged). After training level, the wheels have to be non-bicycle/non-pneumatic. So the normal EE wheels do not work. But you wouldn't have to worry about that for a while.
