Why didn't anyone tell me driving was so much fun???

[Black Magic]

I'd like to take our black gedling Mag out on the Florida Greenway to do some driving in a new area. I wasn't sure how well he would take to seeing full size horses, so I thought I'd drive him around our 29 horse neighborhood. A friend jumped on her rather twitchy Arabian... (I have no clue how she rides this horse... I'm scared to death of this mare) and she came out to go around the block with me. Her daughter, (with my permisison) got on our QH mare to go with us too.

Now I have often ridden our QH mare with this Arabian mare, but our mare is scared to death of this girl, she's very hot and has no manners what so ever. She likes to cut horses off, and she likes to kick.. and fight with her owner, to the point, it's not pleasant to go riding with this mare.

Anyway, so here is our mini gelding, and he's trotting like the energizer bunny... and this Arabian mare tries to cut him off (where there is a turn in the road). I screamed, "HO", and he stopped on a dime. So when the mare did it again, I was speechless, and didn't get a "HO" out of my mouth. He just kept going, and did his horse grumble at her, and she backed up! This mare never trots for her owner, she either walks or cantors. Well, here our dear little black mini, just kept trotting along and she comes up on the side and starts trotting next to him, in a nice matched cadence... it was very odd to see her behave so well... Our QH mare was bringing up the rear and doing the same thing. I just got the worst case of the giggle... I couldn't stop. There was this little mini.... telling two mares... what they would do and when.

The owner of the mare was shocked, she had never seen her mare behave so well. Mag was raising his legs like a parade horse. When the friends stallion from down the street started screaming, no one answered him. I think Mag just threw his head back and trotted on. He would stay about a foot in front of the other horses.. and no one dared pass him. I just kept giggling...

Mag... trotted the entire time we were out riding. The two large horses were getting tired. and if he was.. he wasn't gonna show them.

I had no clue a mini could boss a large mean horse. I had no clue that driving was so much fun. I had no clue HOW TO STOP GIGGLING!

We did six miles... and I just loved every min. So how do I stop the giggle when he's acting like a full size stallion????

God Bless,

Lynn W

P.S. He only had two weeks of training, and everyone is telling me, he's the best trained horse in the neighborhood! Personally, I think.. he thinks he's a small car... he just loves driving in traffic! Who'd guess????

 

[wade3504]

You're addicted now like everyone else who starts to drive. The first time I drove was a friend's gelding and I have been hooked ever since. I've taken mine to shows and just this past weekend took him on some trails that we weren't even sure he was going to be able to make it through but he did great. Mine is like yours, the two big horses were so tired when we got back but mine was still ready to go. He can keep up with a big horses canter if he's trotting and pass them if I let him canter.

We should get together sometime to drive as I live in Florida too farther south. I'd love to do the Greenway as we have lost alot of trails down here and it's mostly road now where we can go

. I just sent my second gelding to Rich and Gayle Ray who are I think a bit north of the Ocala area to be trained to drive so my husband has a driving horse too.

Amanda

 

[hobbyhorse23]

I think the big horses are either shamed into good behavior or so shocked they just do what they're told! My boys are like that too, both big and little. The minis seem to hold some strange hypnotic power of fascination over the full sized horses.

Big horse drivers simply do not realize the endurance of the little guys. We are given these short, slow, easy marathons so as not to "exhaust" the "poor little VSE's"...and we hold them back the whole way with them raring to go at the end. Yup, time to share your story with them!

: :lol: Prove that the only thing miniature about a miniature horse is the outside.

Leia

 

[hairicane]

Two more Mini horse drivers here!!! We are just a little south of Ocala. We had 2 of our stallions trained to drive earlier this year and they are a blast. They just love to go out driving on the trails and yep ours can go and go and go. We have not seen them get tired yet. I was going to go to some of the organized drives the driving clubs put on so we can get out to see more places. If u guys know of a good place to go lets get together and have a drive of our own one weekend.

 

[shane]

WOW I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE SEEN THE LOOK ON THE ARABIANS FACE LOL :lol:

i bet you were as proud as punch of your guy

:

im sending mine away next week to be broke too harness and I CANT WAIT :aktion033:

 

[Jill]

I love it, too! It's my favorite "mini activity" other than just loving on them. I used to think it was pretty funny how some big horses at my former trainer's stable would be scared by the minis driving!!! The first horse I drove is my morgan, Rocket, and I'd much, much rather drive a mini than a biggie. Faster tacking up and much better view! PLUS, driving a mini is a thing you can do with friends (in the cart with you) who may not know how to ride or drive but would still like to do a horse kinda thing

: Like, my mom, she hasn't ridden since she was a kid but when I took her for her first cart ride, she could not stop giggling the entire time :bgrin