New to driving, advice on starting my 2 yr old mare?

[Cupcake]

I'm new to the driving part when it comes to horses and my mini is now at the age where she's eager to learn and tends to get bored without a "job". She'll be 2 this weekend so I'm thinking of starting at least the part of driving that doesn't involve a cart yet.

I've watched a few videos on YouTube regarding the training but since there are so many pros here I'd rather ask you

I've been doing groundwork with her, she whoa's perfectly, trots, canters and walks on command, changes direction, backs, yields hindquarters and leads well. I have attempted to ground drive her with a lead rope hooked up to each side of her nylon halter and she does good at times, other times she tends to swing her butt around to have me next to her so I think I will need to start that with someone leading her and me behind her first (?)

She's not easily spooked and desensitized to new objects very easy, she's curious and thinks she's way bigger than she is (about 31")

Any advice on where to get tack that's not too much in price (I plan on "upgrading later on, just need the basics to get started and don't plan on showing, I don't want to invest hundreds of $$$ as I just bought a new trailer and my hay storage is getting lower)?

Also is it too early to get her started in a bridle? What size/kind bit do you recommend?

What equipment is needed? There's so much put there it's overwhelming.

What size cart should I start looking for for later on when she's ready? I plan on getting a used one if I can find a decent one. What type of cart do you recommend?

Any proven techniques on how to get them started the best? Videos or books?

Sorry for all the questions and I'm sure they have been answered before but I haven't found anything in the search.

Thank you in advance for any advice you can give me )

 

[targetsmom]

I believe in keeping it simple so we start all of ours in a basic leather harness. I got mine from Star Lake for about $250 but Ozark Mt also has a similar one that is quite popular. I suggest getting breeching, which will be needed for "brakes" in backing or if you drive on anything other than dead flat ground. I start 2 year olds with bridles with blinders but not everyone does. There is a whole series of photos of our 4-Hers training 3 of our minis this past year. We started with two 2 year olds and a 12 year old former broodmare and the broodmare and her son (one of the now-3 year olds) have just been hooked. Photos are on FB (public) at https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.499310990107499.106469.100000858077660&type=3

You should be able to do the ground driving part if you feel confident, but I would highly recommend that you have help for actually hooking to the cart for the first time or two.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

Sounds to me like you are on the right track and I'm happy to hear you don't plan to hitch her at 2. Next year is plenty soon enough to actually hitch and drive IMO but you can do all the prep work for that day while you wait. First, does she lunge. I don't mean does she charge around a round pen, or even on a line, out of control but actually lunge under control. It sounds like she does if she can walk, trot, and canter and whoa on command. If she will lunge on a line the next step I do is to add a second line to the off side and (at a walk until they have this down and you are not fumbling the lines or tripping yourself) ask her to circle you. teach her to turn (to the outside) and whoa with those lines and then do the same thing at a trot. Those with a lot of experience with 2 lines will work up to a lope but I'm always satisfied to have good responses at a walk/trot. Once she's got that down it is time to gradually shift your position and get behind her. All this can be done in her halter at this point if you like. I do it all in the halter then once I am fully behind I will switch to the head stall. I prefer to start in an open headstall and like a mullen mouth snaffle (half cheek) for starting a horse. While I am still in the round pen (any enclosed space will work) with the halter I will introduce the horse to the bit. I always dip the bit in something sweet like molasses when I am starting out. Some people will buy fruit roll ups and wrap the bit with a small piece too, either way it will help the horse love the bit . I will slip the bridle on the horse over the halter and let them stand tied with it on while I groom them or let them wear it while we go for a walk. They get to continue this lesson until I feel they are comfortable wearing it and not trying to spit the bit out any longer. At that point they can begin to learn to actually drive in it. I will stand next to a horse and ask them to give to pressure on a rein attached to the bit and walk beside them and ask them to whoa off of a bit cue before I step back and begin to ground drive. If you are having trouble with your horse turning to face you it will help to use a surcingle and keep enough pressure on the outside rein ( the one opposite the direction she's trying to turn) to keep her nose pointed forward. if that makes any sense. You can do your ground driving with a headstall and surcingle but a saddle/crupper/ girth is best and if you will need a harness anyway why not just get one and use that instead of buying both. I'm sure others will offer more pointers and hints but trust your instincts, take it slowly (get one step solid before you try the next one) and you will do fine.

 

[Cupcake]

Thank you both! For the tack recommendation and the detailed driving training. I agree, I have nothing but time and will use it - having to work my gelding nearly every day already takes a lot of my energy so I'm in no rush. She does lunge well, but she's also still very young and FULL of energy so I do let her run it off after she behaves well for the groundwork. You can see that in this video from a couple of days ago

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=510328269015784&l=6755980822536528957

I'm also working on tying her for longer periods and patience as she's very impatient (up to 30 min. Currently) while I work with my gelding or around the stable so she's supervised.

I like the idea of the "double lunge line" so I'll start with that and thank you for the bit suggestion especially on how to make it a likable object! I will also use this advice for my gelding, he hated the bit although it was "only" a French link snaffle and I've switched him to the bitless which we both love but will eventually have to use a bit when I start showing him in dressage.

I also once she's good and ready plan on making a PVC bar type "hitch" (I'm unfamiliar with the correct names for things

) so she can start pulling something light like my muck bucket which has two wheels and makes a fair amount of rattling noise but is very light weight and then move on to a ground pole through my sand arena etc to get her used to things behind her.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

I would advise you to think very hard about what you hitch your horse to while she is still very green. Not to say don't get her used to rattly things but why not drag it yourself first while you ground drive her? I have seen more than one green horse terrified in the name of desensitizing and then the 'trainer' says they are not mentally fit to be a driving horse. If you can drive her while things are being dragged past around and behind her you will do more good IMO than attaching something scary that she can not escape. I never attach anything (including the cart when they get that far) without getting them used to the sound of it being dragged along beside etc. Remember each new thing you introduce can be far more frightening to your horse than it might seem possible. Some horses can calmly pull bags of cans and a tarp but as soon as the cart makes a small noise they are worried so introduce even what you think is boring slowly.

The first horse I ever trained to drive was a half arab gelding and he was solid as a rock for me with the cart and with a 'stone boat' (a flat, wheel-less drag used for picking roots or rocks in our neck of the woods) but one day someone decided to put some bags of plastic bottles on the stone boat to move them (they'd been stored in the barn awaiting recycling) and the odd squeaky sound of plastic rubbing together sent him into a panic. It was not a pretty scene altho no one was hurt it took me months of careful work to convince him it was safe to pull anything. He did eventually become a very steady driver but we would have gotten there quicker if no one had made assumptions about what he would and wouldn't react to.

Just want to add , what a lovely colour she is.She should look really sharp in harness

 

[Al B]

Where Tx are you located? From the picture on facebook it looks like the Hill Country.

 

[Cupcake]

Oh no, I wasn't planning on hitching her to anything until all the prior training is done and she's solid, baby steps first, I was talking about once she's used to stuff behind her, being pulled by a person.

Thank you for the compliment, it's amazing to see the difference from a year ago, she's now a pretty deep grey silver dapple pinto - last year she looked more like a mountain goat when I brought her home (pic on the left - the one on the right is from over a month later after clipping her)

I would advise you to think very hard about what you hitch your horse to while she is still very green. Not to say don't get her used to rattly things but why not drag it yourself first while you ground drive her? I have seen more than one green horse terrified in the name of desensitizing and then the 'trainer' says they are not mentally fit to be a driving horse. If you can drive her while things are being dragged past around and behind her you will do more good IMO than attaching something scary that she can not escape. I never attach anything (including the cart when they get that far) without getting them used to the sound of it being dragged along beside etc. Remember each new thing you introduce can be far more frightening to your horse than it might seem possible. Some horses can calmly pull bags of cans and a tarp but as soon as the cart makes a small noise they are worried so introduce even what you think is boring slowly.

The first horse I ever trained to drive was a half arab gelding and he was solid as a rock for me with the cart and with a 'stone boat' (a flat, wheel-less drag used for picking roots or rocks in our neck of the woods) but one day someone decided to put some bags of plastic bottles on the stone boat to move them (they'd been stored in the barn awaiting recycling) and the odd squeaky sound of plastic rubbing together sent him into a panic. It was not a pretty scene altho no one was hurt it took me months of careful work to convince him it was safe to pull anything. He did eventually become a very steady driver but we would have gotten there quicker if no one had made assumptions about what he would and wouldn't react to.

Just want to add , what a lovely colour she is.She should look really sharp in harness

 

[Cupcake]

Where Tx are you located? From the picture on facebook it looks like the Hill Country.

I'm outside city limits in Lampasas county

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I would strongly advise you against hitching her to anything at all until next year. It is amazing just how volatile a young animal can become in two seconds flat, even when it appears to be absolutely ready for something! I would concentrate on getting her used to everything except shafts or a cart of any sort, and I would not bit her either, or put blinders on her. Do all the silly stuff this summer, get her going willingly and having fun, give her the winter to think about it and you will be amazed at how much hse has learned over the winter just by sitting and thinking about it! People don't think horses think too deeply but,. IME, they do, especially about things as mind blowing as harness training!