Drivin' Mr Mitch

[dreamswept]

Just thought I'd share an update about how things have been going for me and the Haflinger wonderpony. I've been alternating between riding and driving him since I got an easy entry cart from my parents as a Christmas present, and have found I've actually been driving him rather more than I had planned. We only can drive in the pond arena since apparently it spooks other horses on the property, so we try to be considerate of that fact, and stick to the pond arena, usually at odd hours when there's less activity around.

I'm fond of my little EE cart. My dream carts are the Frey Sprint and a Wagner Pleasure cart, but those things start running into the thousands, and my horse didn't even cost as much as a base model for the Frey (heck, BOTH my horses didn't even cost as much) I've always had some issues with the 24" bike tires, their lack of height seemed to throw our line of draught off and the shafts poked up at a slight angle. So when the tires went flat last Monday, I ordered new wheels. 31" motorcycle-style with solid steel spokes (similar to one that a marathon carriage might have) and seat brackets that added an extra 2" in height. It's almost as good as having a Frey Sprint now! (Almost)

I am stoked. I'm starting to get serious about driving as I've got the only horse on the property that can and still drives. The big wheels really lift my cart up,and I'm no longer peering around my Haffie's butt to see what's coming up ahead of us. It's a much smoother ride with less bounce because the wheels glide right over the ruts and dips in the arena footing. And the best part is, our line of draught is much more alinged, and the shafts are more horizontal along Mitch's side. It was a great thing to get!










And tonight's drive. I didn't have my driving whip because my right wrist got a mild sprain. I can still hold the reins, but had to use voice commands. The pony, being the star that he is, did all the right things.

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