tandem team ambitions

[studiowvw]

Well, I am just starting to put Diesel into a program of training. He had a few days around Christmas of 2012 as a yearling, then a few days last fall of line driving with Lacey.

I have sold the other mini gelding I had - to a driving home.

Now on to Diesel! He's turning 3 in May.

My goal down the line with these two is as a team, both regular and tandem.

I've line driven them both ways, on either sides and up front/2nd. Still thinking about who should be up front in a tandem hitch.

This morning they told me

See pic - Lacey is in front and Diesel behind.

Tandem pair at liberty! LOL

 

[paintponylvr]

Fantastic!!

They will look awesome as a tandem. Can't wait to hear of your stories as you continue...

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

I don't know a lot about tandem but I believe because of the configuration you will want your best trained, most responsive/responsible horse in front, which is exactly what the picture shows.

I look forward to hearing about you adventures in driving 2.

 

[studiowvw]

Yes, we were watching commercial horses drive in tandem at a show last fall and someone said you want your most controllable horse out front. That would be Lacey.

 

[BSharpRanch]

I had a second cousin who sparkes my interest in driving, however at the time I was a dumb teenager and did not realize the resources at my finger tips! However I did pick up a few things from him. Like the strongest most reliable horse in the shafts. His reasoning was if tgings go south, as they sometimes do, you can stop your cart with your strong, well trained horse. If your green horse is in the shafts and your beat traines out front, there is no way for your good horse to stop a possible wreck.

Just one of the tid bits I remember from him.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Good luck with this! I tried it once with two of my horses, but do not have a good horse for the lead. I was beginning to get the hang of four reins, but had to give it up, due to realizing my lack of equine potential.

 

[studiowvw]

I will have to be pretty good at line driving tandem before I take it any further

 

[BSharpRanch]

It helps a lot if you have help once you "think" you may be ready to hitch the tandem. Help is a luxury at my house so I must be creative when I train. You can get in the cart and drive the wheel horse and lead horse, however do not attach you lead horse to begin with (why you will need help). You basicly will drive both horses as if hitched in tandem, however if things get a little scarey for anyone of the three players, the helper moves quietly in to remove the leader which is simple as there are NO attachments to worry about.

 

[Al B]

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Here is my Tandem. More fun to drive than a Porsche.

 

[BSharpRanch]

Nice turnout!

 

[studiowvw]

Whoa, I "went south" myself for a few weeks! Got a new border collie pup - finishing the fourth week of heck... highly entertaining, but time consuming. Sure wasn't any headspace for training minis!

However, I started working with Diesel again this week. 1st session yesterday, 2nd today.

Reactive, opinionated, not very cooperative - oh wait a minute, was that him or me? hee hee

He is not confident about being out with me, so I'm making that my priority. Already getting less reactiveness, more patience, more cooperation... oh, wait another minute, is that him or me?

Training horses is so interesting! I had to make a conscious decision to back up and isolate some basics. Like it's not all about training progress, the relationship comes first. And I don't let him eat grass unless I tell him he can (leadership). And when asking for a HQ yield, waiting for him to think gets me further ahead than upping the pressure. And building in a "stand" right from the beginning.

Great advice above, BSharp! Sounds like a good first step (some ways down the line).

Al B - nice pic - looks awesome!

 

[studiowvw]

Ok, preliminaries starting to look good - I think I will do a 7 day program with Diesel. Aims are getting understanding of the yields required for shafts/cart, and introducing the bit and full harness. He has only been wearing the halter and surcingle, no crupper yet.

He has a basic understanding of yielding his HQ to light pressure (simulating the feel of the shaft), steers and stops with a basic understanding too. He's now looking at me for direction most of the time, and the I-don't-wanna! stuff is about a tenth of what it was on Tuesday.

Today's training was way better than Tuesday. This is why a person can't give up after a disappointing session. Difficulties and tendencies may seem impossible to overcome. Yet if you scale back expectations and build on what you've accomplished each day, the difficulties start to fade out.

PS I bought a 20" reel mower to see if the minis could pull it and mow the lawn. I used it myself to try it out today - very impressive! Why have I been using a gas mower all these years??? It just chokes on sticks. Will have to rake up the sticks.

 

[Blue Birdie]

Congratulations and good luck with your tandem aspirations .. I too have been playing around with my two ,have had them hooked and ground driving a couple times in enclosed area !!! So far so good even got them out of a jack-knife .. I too have my steady eddy as wheel horse so hopefully will have a whoa when needed..

 

[studiowvw]

Sounds great!

Sure does look cool to see a tandem in action.