Team three?

[BSharpRanch]

I am on my journey to doing a six-up and have been working with pair number three. This team consists of a black and white pinto gelding and his way younger half sister who is all black. Val was part of the lead team on this years four up so has experience. Night is just learning and tends to swing onto the hot side of the spectrum.

I've been ground driving them together in the round pen for a while now and Night seems to be getting it. She's not as reactive as she had been, but it is relative to the horse. Last night I decided it was time to do sone work in the small arena with them.

So with Val in the shafts and Night beside with just the reins in my hands, we headed around the arena. We had a couple hiccups, but with me remaining calm and Val remaining calm everything was fine and nobody got upset.

I used two sets of reins so "if" Night had a meltdown I could just let her go so there would be no wreck, which I didn't even need to worry about as she did really well for her first time out of the round pen AND first time in frobt of the cart!

Here's a picture from my phone, sorry it's a bit blurry but I was trying to hurry to take it.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

I enjoy hearing about your work. Can I ask a question? In the pictures it seems you have no pole between them but rather have one horse (Val?) in shafts and the other alongside. Am I seeing what I think? If that is the case are the 2 horses attached to each other in some way? Not questioning your methods, just trying to understand what different people do to train.

 

[happy appy]

She has one in a cart and the other beside. Both have single reins.

 

[BSharpRanch]

Since I have to train by myself I become inventive of ways to get the job accomplished. Since the mare gets reactive I cannot risk her injury by training her in the usual manner.

I did use pool noodles for the travois work, which as a spectator was funny, but as the trainer and pupil, were not. They would bump and she would kick, buck and try to run away, then when she could not "escape" she would run to my side and plant her head against me! And so we worked, each lesson a little tiny bit better then before, but not like it should be.

Thus why I will be driving her with her brother. The shafts bumped her a couple times with just a minor jump from her. She did stop once and the cart bumped her bum and she bolted forward, reached the end of the reins and stopped to look at me. With her brother's calmness and my calmness, I feel she will come a long ways doing her training this way.

So yes, only Val is actually working. Night is only wearing a harness and is not connected in any way at all, basiclly just being ground driven beside her brother.

If I had help, the other person would drive Val in the cart while I ground drove Night around, beside, in front of and behind the horse and cart.

But, doing it by myself I've had to become inventive!

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

I think your solution is pretty solid. For all intents and purposes she continues to be ground driven while the cart is nearly where it would be if she were hitched. Add to that the security she gets from her calmer brother and a handler who doesn't get excited every time she does and I think you have a very good chance of desensitizing her and turning her into a good driving horse. She may never be a horse who can be driven single and be sure of her steadiness but in a team she should be learning to take her cue from her team mate and not over react with your method. Different horses require different approaches IMO

 

[BSharpRanch]

I think, after seeing her attitude in the past two days being a bit better, I am pretty sure that she will, someday, be secure enough to drive single. She just needs time and work. I am in no hurry to get her into draft, I will "ground drive" her as long as she needs, even though I would like to have the six going by winter, I will take all the time this one needs.

 

[paintponylvr]

Nothing wrong with being inventive, I too, know about that,

.

I love hearing about your work with your horses, and this one is great - especially since you can turn her loose if there is a problem. You are good - I can do a lot, I love what I do, but I haven't mastered two separate sets of lines yet!

Please continue to share, I enjoy reading your "tails"! and seeing your many videos and pictures.

 

[BSharpRanch]

I rode with a double bridle when I did exhibitions with my big stallion, years ago, so I just drive as if I was riding with a double bridle!

 

[paintponylvr]

Hmmm. Never thought of that! I have ridden with a double rein - both with two bits (bradoon snaffle & curb) and with a Pelham style bit. Never thought about driving a pair that way.

Does your front pair have smaller lines? Like the curb rein on a double bridle?

I bet putting a different color of lines on the front pair could help with both running the lines and learning to handle them. Yes, I know, you can't show with them like that, LOL. I talked to the harness company that I purchased all my harness from about doing some different colored lines (and nose bands/brow bands...).

You have the smaller minis - what length are your leader lines with a 4-up? What length are your wheeler lines?

Do you run your lines thru rings on the headstalls of your wheelers or thru drop rings attached to the inner hame ring?

 

[BSharpRanch]

Okay, it posted sideways, sorry.

I use 3/4" reins for my four-up team, as they are easier to hold. I am not too sure of the length, but can measure when things cool down here.

I run the leader reins straight through the rein rings on the hames. I tried roger rings but they just muddied up the communication between myself and the horses. My wheel horses reins run through spreader rings. I also run my reins on the inside of the horses as I drive "draft" style. If you are driving carriage style then the reins run on the outside of the wheeler heads.

 

[BSharpRanch]

I will also add that I use the soft, rubber synthetic material for my reins. I will never use leather on the team for reins again. I had two sets break and thank goodness my team listens as it could have been an ugly wreck. So, never again.

 

[paintponylvr]

OMG, I don't even want to think of lines breaking. I use the betathane lines, but think mine are only 1/2" right now... Will have to measure myself. If they are 1/2", then I won't get the leader ones narrower, but will do the same size.

I downloaded your pic and put it upright to view it on my computer. Then blew it up to look at how you did your connection. Yes that was how I meant, but I thought that the leader lines would run thru the spreader not the wheeler lines. Does having the leader lines in the "solid" connection on the hames/collar hold the weight/length better?

My mini sized gelding "sprouted"!!! He grew from the last time that I measured him - he was only 37" at the withers then. Now he's 39.25" at the withers and since he's 4 and not fully mature yet, he may grow some more and finish at 40 to 41" by the time he's 6 or 7 yrs old. He's much more compact than our other shetlands (shorter back, shorter coupling). He's still wearing the mini sized work harness, headstall and collar as is his smaller partner, but I don't like the mini sized lines with him (too short for my equipment). I've found that I prefer ground driving with the longer lines (and I'm not sure how long any of my pair lines are either, LOL). I also had holes punched in my lines and had a 10' and 15' extender with buckles on each end made that will allow me to ground drive or drive from even further away - allowing for different farm equipment and wagon arrangements on my "wheeler" pair. Want to have the leader lines long enough right from the start to do a 4-up with the wagon. Need to figure out how to attach the double tree to the wagon tongue first, too. I use a steel neck yoke and double tree, but imagine that switching to wood would be better to lighten the load on the necks of the wheelers??

and here I thought I was done purchasing equipment - silly me!

 

[BSharpRanch]

I use the spreaders on the wheel team pair or four because when the lines cross over to the opposing collar they pull too far sideways (if that makes sense). On longer necked, bigger horses I don't think it's an issue, however these little minis just do not have much room between head and collar. (My wheelers are 33.5", leaders are 30.5" and 32".). I do not use the spreaders on the lead team because I want them a little closer to each other.

 

[paintponylvr]

AH, OK. Thank you.

 

[BSharpRanch]

My lead reins are 20 1/2 feet long.