Driving Training-Triple Play!
Yesterday I had a lwsson with Sue and Bud. Bud was most excellent, much better than the dingbat he pretended to be last week. I started him off before handing the reins over to Sue. She'a still getting used to the feel of him and she hasn't driven or ridden in a few years. Bud had a couple cerfupples, but I think it was Sue's response more than the object that goobered him. The first time wasn't too terrible, but she handed the reins over so she could settle. The second time I snatched them because we were in danger of running Bud into someone's gate. It didn't take much for me to put him back together. I think in time Sue will work through her stiffness and nerves and really enjoy him. She is already really pleased with him and realizes that it is more her right now than him. He's in a pretty good place if I do say so myself.
This morning I took Zetahra to Horseshoe and harnessed her up. She was feeling a bit fresh to start, but she worked our of it. I also worked her around the scary end of the arena with the generator and such. After that I grabbed the singletree and hitched her up to it. She didn't stand terribly well, but in her defence another horse passed by and she was distracted.
I set the reins in one hand with an "emergency line" attached to her halter so I wouldn't injure her mouth if she took poorly to it. I started holding the singletree off the ground, but not putting pressure on the collar. I turned her and let it rub her hocks, hip, and cannons on both sides before experimenting with dropping it and ketting it drag. The footing at Horseshoe muffles the noise quite nicely whereas my home footing amplifies the rattle quite a bit. I'll have to play with it at home a bit before adding the tire. She wasn't phased one bit. I then played with putting some weight in the traces and getting her to step into it, which she handled quite nicely. I'll have to go through the Parelli/Bowers DVD again and look at some of the other stuff I thought might be useful before introducing the cart. I admit I was disappointed in the video because they nevwr really put the horse to. I'm sure they're setring up for a second DVD, but come on! How do you manage a video about driving without ever actually driving the horse?
Anyway, Zetahra continues to do well and progress. I don't know if I'll get her put to the cart come June, but maybe I'll at least have her to the tire, which I think was my goal anyway.
I had driving training with Charm-N today. We hitched up and drove straight out. She walked off nicely and only vaugely eyeballed the goats, llamas, and alpacas. We headed down a side road and came across quite the test of Charm-N's steadiness. There were two guys trimming a tree. One of them was in a cherry-picker. At least one of them had a chainsaw. Not only that but the cherry-picker guy was moving up and down as we passed. Charm-N understandably got a little up, her neck disappearing into the recesses of her collar and she picked up a trot, but it was all rather quiet and calm and after we passed a little waya down she dropped nicely to the walk again.
The other spot was some dogs running out and against the fence, but she just took one or two quick steps and not much more than that.
I think a few more times around Michelle's neighborhood and I'll have her come out and we'll hitch her up to the carriage and cruise oir neighborhood. I would like Chris to be able to drive his own horse. I need to drag him with Charm-N down to Horseshoe and have him try her out a bit. I do miss Jed, but Charm-N is coming along rather nicely and should be a nice pleasure drive. Who knows, maybe I'll do a little competing with her, but I don't have any visions of granduer. She's nice, but not super flashy or anything. If I can figure oit how to get her consistently bending and put a leg/whip yield on her we'll be doing good.
And then I had to take both of the harnesses out of the trailer and drag them back to the tack shed. I wondered for a moment why I like driving so much when it comes with sich heavy, unwieldy equipment. Then I remind myself that there are lighter harnesses that are mich less cumbersome, but they're not as versatile and not good for dragging things on the ground. That and I'm in love with collar and hames, even if they weigh a ton. Admittedly Kitt/Z's harness is mich lighter than Charm-N and Ruby's, bit it is still a beaat compared to yoir typical pleasure harness.
This morning I took Zetahra to Horseshoe and harnessed her up. She was feeling a bit fresh to start, but she worked our of it. I also worked her around the scary end of the arena with the generator and such. After that I grabbed the singletree and hitched her up to it. She didn't stand terribly well, but in her defence another horse passed by and she was distracted.
I set the reins in one hand with an "emergency line" attached to her halter so I wouldn't injure her mouth if she took poorly to it. I started holding the singletree off the ground, but not putting pressure on the collar. I turned her and let it rub her hocks, hip, and cannons on both sides before experimenting with dropping it and ketting it drag. The footing at Horseshoe muffles the noise quite nicely whereas my home footing amplifies the rattle quite a bit. I'll have to play with it at home a bit before adding the tire. She wasn't phased one bit. I then played with putting some weight in the traces and getting her to step into it, which she handled quite nicely. I'll have to go through the Parelli/Bowers DVD again and look at some of the other stuff I thought might be useful before introducing the cart. I admit I was disappointed in the video because they nevwr really put the horse to. I'm sure they're setring up for a second DVD, but come on! How do you manage a video about driving without ever actually driving the horse?
Anyway, Zetahra continues to do well and progress. I don't know if I'll get her put to the cart come June, but maybe I'll at least have her to the tire, which I think was my goal anyway.
I had driving training with Charm-N today. We hitched up and drove straight out. She walked off nicely and only vaugely eyeballed the goats, llamas, and alpacas. We headed down a side road and came across quite the test of Charm-N's steadiness. There were two guys trimming a tree. One of them was in a cherry-picker. At least one of them had a chainsaw. Not only that but the cherry-picker guy was moving up and down as we passed. Charm-N understandably got a little up, her neck disappearing into the recesses of her collar and she picked up a trot, but it was all rather quiet and calm and after we passed a little waya down she dropped nicely to the walk again.
The other spot was some dogs running out and against the fence, but she just took one or two quick steps and not much more than that.
I think a few more times around Michelle's neighborhood and I'll have her come out and we'll hitch her up to the carriage and cruise oir neighborhood. I would like Chris to be able to drive his own horse. I need to drag him with Charm-N down to Horseshoe and have him try her out a bit. I do miss Jed, but Charm-N is coming along rather nicely and should be a nice pleasure drive. Who knows, maybe I'll do a little competing with her, but I don't have any visions of granduer. She's nice, but not super flashy or anything. If I can figure oit how to get her consistently bending and put a leg/whip yield on her we'll be doing good.
And then I had to take both of the harnesses out of the trailer and drag them back to the tack shed. I wondered for a moment why I like driving so much when it comes with sich heavy, unwieldy equipment. Then I remind myself that there are lighter harnesses that are mich less cumbersome, but they're not as versatile and not good for dragging things on the ground. That and I'm in love with collar and hames, even if they weigh a ton. Admittedly Kitt/Z's harness is mich lighter than Charm-N and Ruby's, bit it is still a beaat compared to yoir typical pleasure harness.