Well we have moved the horse to barn with arena

[Shortpig]

My Daughter and Erin hauled Ariel up to the stables with indoor arena. We will begin driving her and preparing her for the up and coming summer parades and driving in general. It is sooo hard to believe that this year she is 17yo.

Funny but my daughter and Ariel grew up together and have a sort of sibling rivalry thing going. Question is who will be the boss?

I plan to begin driving just for the fun of it. Who knows maybe this is the year that Ariel will show up at events for the first time. Once the girls start driving her out on the roads it's all open territory from then on.

This will hopefully be a great spring and summer and Ariel will get lots of work and build up those muscles and look great.

I'm pretty sure we will have questions going forward from here.

Wish us luck.

Marie

 

[RhineStone]

Funny but my daughter and Ariel grew up together and have a sort of sibling rivalry thing going. Question is who will be the boss?
I'm pretty sure we will have questions going forward from here.

Wish us luck.

Marie

Hi Marie!

We welcome lots of questions, and there is NO bad question! I have one suggestion in regards to your comments. Always make sure that the HUMAN is the boss! I guess that you probably said that tongue in cheek, but one of the biggest mistakes that new drivers/horse handlers make is letting the horse get it's way. It's not a fragile baby that you "baby", it's 300-400 lbs. of flesh and bone. Driving is MUCH more enjoyable with a horse that understands it's role as labor, and yours as management (from Jeff Morse, Morgan driving trainer). You don't have to be mean to accomplish that. We can discuss strategies if you (or anyone else) would like. My gelding who we worked with quite a bit on this concept last year is the most fun driving horse in the barn, because there is no "fight". He just does what he is told. He was more of a control freak before we worked on that. The younger mare that I have been working with is NOT the most fun horse, because she is constantly "bucking" the system, and trying to "take control". :arg! (When she gets it, she will be a great driving horse.) Considering your mare is 17, it also might not be the easiest training process if she decides that she was happy being a pasture pet/halter horse. On the other hand, I have had horses that were older but have had lots of halter work and have come along quite quickly in their driving training because they had manners already in hand and they appreciated the opportunity to do something different. It will be fun for you to see where she falls in the process! Again, YOU and YOUR DAUGHTER are the boss (probably in that order

).

Good Luck and let us know how it is going!

Myrna

 

[Shortpig]

Funny but my daughter and Ariel grew up together and have a sort of sibling rivalry thing going. Question is who will be the boss?
I'm pretty sure we will have questions going forward from here.

Wish us luck.

Marie

Considering your mare is 17, it also might not be the easiest training process if she decides that she was happy being a pasture pet/halter horse. On the other hand, I have had horses that were older but have had lots of halter work and have come along quite quickly in their driving training because they had manners already in hand and they appreciated the opportunity to do something different. It will be fun for you to see where she falls in the process! Again, YOU and YOUR DAUGHTER are the boss (probably in that order

).

Good Luck and let us know how it is going!

Myrna

Actually is a trained driving horse. It's just that little issue between the two of them. I personally have no issues driving her or handling her. My daughter walked her in hand thru a parade last year and she did great. They are looking forward to driving her thru this year.

Marie

 

[MiLo Minis]

Good luck! Looking forward to seeing lots of pictures of you and your daughter enjoying your drives!

 

[Shortpig]

I'm hoping it won't be long before my daughter is driving her out on the country roads and no longer in the arena.

She used to do that and enjoyed it. I was worried the day they were driving along a road when a motor cycle came up from behind them, then the motor cycle pulled right up beside them and sat there for a long time, Ariel was good as gold, never even flinched. Come to find out it was her friends Dad and was happy to see them out enjoying themselves. Once they get back into the normal way of life she will be able to have alot of fun with her, and so will I.

Susanne and Keith have offered to meet me at the barn so I will have someone there when I drive. That's an offer I plan to accept. I'm hoping after Susanne is healed up enough that they will bring Mingus up to the Arena for some driving and fun. We plan to be there for at least two to three months so lots of time to practice with our horses.

I'm considering taking my boy up the first of March so I can drive him and let my daughter and Erin enjoy Ariel.

I really look forward to hitching Jimmy up and driving him also. He's such a good boy in harness. He's the horse in my Avatar. Besides he's retired from breeding and needs to do his other job now.

Here is a picture of Ariel at a halter show

And not such a good pic but Team driving with her sister Jasmine years ago.

 

[Tatonkas Dream]

CONGRATS - we have had so much rain here over the last few months I've been thinking of boarding to have a covered arena... its got to be a great feeling

look forward to pics of all of you having fun!