Reins to Wheels

[NyborFarm]

For my college writing 2 research paper I'm doing line driving vs. strictly driving. My professor has granted me permission to create a Lil Beginnings topic as a source. I have plenty of book sources and am interesting in getting personal opinions. I prefer opinions that both support and deny my thesis statement.

My Thesis:

The driving miniature horse can excel both in and out of the show ring with regular sessions of long lining, then strictly driving.

To clarify some things before you reply. This if for the already broke driving horse and not those in training. CDE competitors are very welcome to add in your input (hence the out of the show ring part). Please express you opinions but please no flaming others! I need a varying array of opinions for a strong paper, not to have people bashing each other.

When you reply to this could you please leave a full name and how long you have been working with minis? I would like to add these into my paper and I need to give credit.

Thank you for you time and help!

Megan

 

[Kim]

I replied with 'mainly long lining', as to get ready and stay ready for the show ring I find that it's much more useful than driving. I will drive perhaps once every 5 or 6 sessions - the rest of the time I do ground work.

My name is Kim Locke and I think that this is my 17th or 18th year with minis. If you need any more information, please let me know!

Good luck with your paper!

 

[disneyhorse]

I do both long lining and driving alternating for my trained driving horses. Horses get tired of the same thing, and will start to pick up on bad habits if you don't change up their routine.

Long lining can improve agility, as there aren't shafts to bog them down. You can rock them back on their haunches when you reverse them to the outside of the circle, which builds muscle and improves agility.

Long lining allows a horse to drive (i.e. wear checkrein and bit and steer) without the stress of pulling a load. It's a different mindset and a different set of muscles.

Sometimes I ground drive around the neighborhood instead of hooking up, to save time and give my horse something different to do.

Andrea Rollins, eight years with miniatures

 

[MiniHGal]

I used to do mainly driving when I was at home, as I had a hard-packed arena and lots of places to go drive without wearing down hooves horribly. However, here, where I am boarding my mare, I alternate driving and ground driving. In the arena, it is very deep and sandy, and so, it is difficult for her to concentrate on dressage when she is pulling in deep sand, as well as elevate the forehand. The roads are gravelly, so I can only drive out when she has shoes on, so between sets or when she has torn them off, we stay in the arena and generally ground drive. I have also started serious work on collection, so it is helpful to not have the cart when I am asking her to do lateral work as a warm up and any collection is easier because it doesn't take quite as much muscle as with the cart. Our lateral work is progressing into shoulder in and lots of leg yields, so the cart is not exactly conducive to that.

However, because I have to condition her for 7-10k+ marathons, driving is of course better for that. I also enjoy going for drives and not having to walk all over... :bgrin Any extension work above the walk has to be done with the cart.

In conclusion...I like them both for separate reasons. I think a horse can excel with just driving; you can certainly teach all of the basics of dressage with the cart. It is where you get into the lateral work and the like where it is better to not have a cart attached. However, I don't think a driving horse can excel with just ground driving--you don't get as good condition (for obvious reasons), and the horse has to learn to work with the cart, and that takes time and practice, as the cart can alter their balance. So, middle ground: mostly driving with some ground driving for refinement and learning.

Breanna Sheahan, 7 years driving miniatures, 19 years with horses. Intermediate level CDE competitor.

 

[Bluerocket]

I only drive, not long line. Only long line until I can hitch the horse. I am not terribly coordinated and longlining takes much more coordination.

My name is Judith Jay. I have driven miniature horses since 1999. I am not a professional and have not driven in the miniature horse (AMHA/AMHR) show ring. I drive for pleasure, recreation and am currently training to drive CDE with my mini. I have shown in one CDE so far.

Our website is http://foxhollerfarm.com you can see photos of me driving my miniature horse gelding there.

see the ICDE page for photos of us at our first CDE.

if you need any additional info email me [email protected] or PM me.

JJay

 

[NyborFarm]

Thank you everyone for your replys so far! :saludando:

Bumping this up so more people can see it.

~Megan

 

[runamuk]

I am not sure exactly what you are trying to prove in your thesis. But my personal choice for training and exercising is ground driving/long lining. I don't do much driving at all actually. I have worked with miniature horses going on 15 years and prior to that did plenty of ground driving/long lining of riding horses. I enjoy the versatility of long lines for exercising a horse.

Rori McCrackin

I'm not anyone important really just been working in barns forever

:

 

[Diana]

Bumping this up for more replies.

Megan this is a great subject for you to do. You will have to share it with the 4-H club and the office after is it completed.

 

[NyborFarm]

Thanks everyone! :saludando:

Runamuck: the only reason I have to prove my thesis is because my college writing professor says thats how to do a reasearch paper. Though we (everyone I go to school with) thought that was what a thesis paper was.

:

Please keep the opinions comming ^_^

~Megan

 

[dreamlandnh]

I look forward to the results.

This is Karen Nass and I do both. I don't like them to get bored.

 

[NyborFarm]

bump

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