Wheee! Driving hours 2023

[Standards Equine]

Thank you both very much! I had a bit more pain yesterday but today seems better. It's like the second day after riding when you haven't been on a horse for quite a while, the second day you're going to feel it more.
This weekend is a fun-show type play day that my carriage driving club is hosting for members. I'm planning to take both the littles for some more practice and Falcor, the hackney, for exposure to a different environment. They have ground driving and hitched driving options so I'll be able to long line Falcor around. At least I hope to feel up to it! Currently too much sitting up or movement makes me uncomfortable...

 

[MaryFlora]

Baby yourself as long as you need!

Pretend you’re one of your horses, you know: haste makes waste, a walk before a trot, hold your horses, and at night tuck yourself into a soft bed.

 

[Standards Equine]

It's been so smoky up here, our Sunday fun show/event got cancelled so I got NO driving done with the littles and only a half hour with the Falcor Hackney pony in hand. Oh well...
Here's some more pictures from the Harvest Moon CDE!

 

[Cayuse]

Beautiful photos, looks like a perfect day!

 

[Cayuse]

One hour driving Peanut, 40 minutes ground driving this week.

 

[MaryFlora]

Great photos! Your littles look very calm and confident.

That, by the way, has to be the biggest teddy bear I’ve ever seen!

 

[Cayuse]

30 minutes driving Peanut yesterday, 20 ground driving the day before.

 

[Standards Equine]

FINALLY got out with Phillippe last night. Did a whole 30 minutes of meandering around. He's gotten quite out of shape, poor dude. The fall colours are just lovely; it was so nice to be out in the field and down the road.

I looked at my facebook memories yesterday and it said that 3 years ago, Phillippe had dragged his first piece of lumber behind him - the beginning of driving training. It's not been a smooth path with him. A year ago, I wasn't confident we were going to get to the place of driving off property or with respected lightness. However, this summer has blown me away! I've had more fun with him than I thought possible. I'm so glad he decided to participate and join in on this journey.

 

[MajorClementine]

Finally all caught up. Sorry it took me so long. We're getting closer on the house (supposed to be done 8 weeks ago) and I'm getting nervous that we're going to run out of time to get the critters set up before winter.

Can you guys do me a HUGE favor and list your driving time and which horse at the beginning of your post? I love going through and reading all the adventures but sometimes I have a hard time finding the total time and which horse in the post. If I can see the total time and horse first then I can just enjoy reading your adventures!

 

[Standards Equine]

@MajorClementine I sure will! And my apologies about making that more difficult than it needs to be!

Saturday Phillippe and Jasmine each drove for 45 minutes, but it was with guests of ours. It wasn't me!

I'm going to assist a friend of mine to teach his first driving clinic next weekend. He and his student came over to our place to get some hands-on practice with different animals. He's a big fan of my donkey. His student's mini is almost ready to hitch, but she hasn't had a lot of experience in a vehicle with the lines. Thankfully Jasmine and Phillippe are pretty dependable! They really enjoyed the experience; the littles were very polite and made me proud!!!
I sent them home with my trusty single tree on a tire rim to put her pony to before putting to their 2-wheel vehicle. It helped me loads in starting my misfits. Today he messaged me with a short video of the pony dragging the tire and expressing his gratitude in this tool. I love it when things work!

 

[HersheyMint]

@MajorClementine I sure will! And my apologies about making that more difficult than it needs to be!

Saturday Phillippe and Jasmine each drove for 45 minutes, but it was with guests of ours. It wasn't me!

I'm going to assist a friend of mine to teach his first driving clinic next weekend. He and his student came over to our place to get some hands-on practice with different animals. He's a big fan of my donkey. His student's mini is almost ready to hitch, but she hasn't had a lot of experience in a vehicle with the lines. Thankfully Jasmine and Phillippe are pretty dependable! They really enjoyed the experience; the littles were very polite and made me proud!!!
I sent them home with my trusty single tree on a tire rim to put her pony to before putting to their 2-wheel vehicle. It helped me loads in starting my misfits. Today he messaged me with a short video of the pony dragging the tire and expressing his gratitude in this tool. I love it when things work!

Oh, what a wonderful feeling for both of you. I love hearing when it all works out

 

[Standards Equine]

Phillippe and I wandered around the field for a half hour yesterday.

And absolutely nothing eventful happened!

 

[Standards Equine]

Out for 45 minutes with Phillippe last night.
I'm trying hard to get him back into work. He's so fat! But winter's coming and it gets so bloody cold. I can tell he's not cold. His coat has grown in thick and dense from shaving him this spring. He decided he didn't care about the whip at all last night. Normally I really don't use it harshly at all, just a tap here and there to remind him to go forward. Last night, it felt like smacking a down duvet. Like nothing went through that thick layer. Eventually we got ourselves sorted out to a respectful response to the verbal aids and then a short duration of trot or canter without any need for a reinforcement.
Ah donkeys...

 

[HersheyMint]

Phillippe and I wandered around the field for a half hour yesterday.

And absolutely nothing eventful happened!

that could be a good thing

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Out for 45 minutes with Phillippe last night.
I'm trying hard to get him back into work. He's so fat! But winter's coming and it gets so bloody cold. I can tell he's not cold. His coat has grown in thick and dense from shaving him this spring. He decided he didn't care about the whip at all last night. Normally I really don't use it harshly at all, just a tap here and there to remind him to go forward. Last night, it felt like smacking a down duvet. Like nothing went through that thick layer. Eventually we got ourselves sorted out to a respectful response to the verbal aids and then a short duration of trot or canter without any need for a reinforcement.
Ah donkeys...

Your posts are great for people thinking of getting a donkey.

 

[Standards Equine]

@Marsha Cassada it is ABSURD up here, people are CRAZY for donkeys! And yes, several have grand ideas of training for driving. Driving is only just growing in popularity up here. Because of the large financial investment it requires, complicated by the fact it's not easy to acquire good equipment, people are slow to get into it. You don't see it very commonly.
And I will tell everyone who will listen how DIFFICULT the road has been with him. Jasmine pony was a walk in the park compared to training him! They are just not the same as horses. Not at all. Fun now? Yes! Absolutely, but I need to always remember that he's not a horse, and I have to be fair and reasonable with my expectation to donkey standards.
I'm assisting a friend of mine in teaching his first driving clinic this weekend. I'm taking all 3 of my driving animals to demo. I'm sure the donkey will be most popular. But he will also be the most challenging.

 

[HersheyMint]

@Marsha Cassada it is ABSURD up here, people are CRAZY for donkeys! And yes, several have grand ideas of training for driving. Driving is only just growing in popularity up here. Because of the large financial investment it requires, complicated by the fact it's not easy to acquire good equipment, people are slow to get into it. You don't see it very commonly.
And I will tell everyone who will listen how DIFFICULT the road has been with him. Jasmine pony was a walk in the park compared to training him! They are just not the same as horses. Not at all. Fun now? Yes! Absolutely, but I need to always remember that he's not a horse, and I have to be fair and reasonable with my expectation to donkey standards.
I'm assisting a friend of mine in teaching his first driving clinic this weekend. I'm taking all 3 of my driving animals to demo. I'm sure the donkey will be most popular. But he will also be the most challenging.

Please get back with us and tell us how the clinic went. I hope you have lots of fun

 

[Marsha Cassada]

75 minutes for Billy. We went 2.93 miles.
Stopped to visit with a neighbor so he had to tolerate standing for 10 minutes. No pesky puppy with us and I anticipated a calm drive on this gorgeous October morning. We took the rough pasture route, which he did beautifully, even charging confidently through a weedy ditch. Almost home and he did a major sideways bolt. I thought all was okay, but when I got home I found the girth strap broken. The balance of the saddle in the shafts kept all in place with no catastrophe. Couldn't figure out what spooked him, as we passed many scary things along the way with not a bat of his eye.
So, must find a saddle repair shop before we can drive with the sulky again.

 

[HersheyMint]

75 minutes for Billy. We went 2.93 miles.
Stopped to visit with a neighbor so he had to tolerate standing for 10 minutes. No pesky puppy with us and I anticipated a calm drive on this gorgeous October morning. We took the rough pasture route, which he did beautifully, even charging confidently through a weedy ditch. Almost home and he did a major sideways bolt. I thought all was okay, but when I got home I found the girth strap broken. The balance of the saddle in the shafts kept all in place with no catastrophe. Couldn't figure out what spooked him, as we passed many scary things along the way with not a bat of his eye.
So, must find a saddle repair shop before we can drive with the sulky again.

A nice drive. You must be proud of Billy

 

[Cayuse]

75 minutes for Billy. We went 2.93 miles.
Stopped to visit with a neighbor so he had to tolerate standing for 10 minutes. No pesky puppy with us and I anticipated a calm drive on this gorgeous October morning. We took the rough pasture route, which he did beautifully, even charging confidently through a weedy ditch. Almost home and he did a major sideways bolt. I thought all was okay, but when I got home I found the girth strap broken. The balance of the saddle in the shafts kept all in place with no catastrophe. Couldn't figure out what spooked him, as we passed many scary things along the way with not a bat of his eye.
So, must find a saddle repair shop before we can drive with the sulky again.

Maybe the girth broke and that spooked him?