Training for Driving

[Mini Horse Lover]

Hey everyone!

I'm more of a performance person if you can't tell. I was wondering how to train a mini just for fun driving. Nothing national caliber. Just to drive around the farm.

Thanks!

 

[Katiean]

The first thing I would suggest is,If you have never driven before try to find someone to give you a few lessons first. You can't really train a horse to drive if you don't know how yourself. Once you know how to drive you can start by getting him used to the harness and then ground drive. Lots and lots of ground driving.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Slowly and sensibly!

No, seriously, I agree with Katiean 100%. Find someone with an experienced driving horse who can give you some lessons, then have that same person help you break the little one to drive. A driving horse needs to have an iron-clad "whoa," stand quietly when told, be desensitized to ropes around his legs and body, be familiar with and unafraid of a short whip, respond to voice commands for all gaits and speed within the gaits, and learn to ignore noise and the sight of something dragging behind him. You can do a lot of this yourself with your basic lunge line, a dressage whip, a couple of PVC pipes and a lot of patience and common sense but when you go to hitch the horse to the cart you need a professional's help to show you and your horse the right way to do it. Things can go pear-shaped in a hurry with a driving horse and you don't want him to have a bad experience. It's often difficult to put a horse who's had a bad accident back in the cart as they lose confidence and become convinced the cart will hurt them.

If you want an idea of what the process will entail, there's a couple good books you could look into. Doris Ganton's "Breaking the Driving Horse" has accurate clear diagrams and basic advice and is always a classic. Heike Bean's "Carriage Driving, a Logical Approach Through Dressage" is a Bible of carriage driving and covers all steps from starting baby on ground-work to driving finished multiples in competition with great logic and detail. The horse's welfare and comfort are always first for her! And there's a new book by one of our own forum members, Mindy Schroder, called "The Step by Step Guide to Training the Miniature Horse to Drive." I was privileged to help edit that one a few years ago and will be working with her on an improved second edition soon but it's a lovely little guide despite a couple of minor errors in the diagrams.

Leia

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Ground drive with your harness saddle. Sometimes it helps to put the reins through the tugs instead of the terrets. If your reins aren't long enough, tie some clothesline onto them. The horse doesn't understand, at first, why you are BEHIND him. If you feel he needs a little practice having shafts, you can make some PVC shafts for him to drag. I had mine drag evergreen trees. We have a lot of pesky junipers here, so I'd cut them for my hrose to drag. A good whoa is very important. It is nice if you can have a few lessons from someone, but don't be afraid to try by yourself. You will know your own horse and when he is ready to be in the cart.

I get behind mine when he's tied for grooming and have lessons in moving away from the whip cue. I tap on his side and ask him to move over. I ask him to move back and forth a few times. At first he doesn't understand, but if he's sensible he learns about moving away easily. If he isn't sensible he probably won't be good for driving anyway.

The first time you go out in the cart, it is a good idea to have someone walk along as a header. Some horses have a few lessons in ground driving and take to the cart. Some are not ever comfortable or reliable in the cart. You will know your own horse best.

All the driving books are great, but sometimes the information is too overwhelming and off-putting. Understanding what the parts of the harness do is helpful. You will probably need help getting the harness on, but you will also find that nearly everyone has a different technique. The harness does not come with instructions! You get this delightful-smelling pile of leather in a box. Sometimes the straps are buckled where they would never go, just because it makes shipping easier.

Dapper Dan and I learned on each other. I made mistakes, but we have been having fun together for many years. I've had some lessons since, and they help a lot, but if I had waited for professional help to get started, I might still be waiting! And think of all the fun I'd have missed.