Riding Mary the Percheron!

[ihorse]

My mom is a nurse and has a patient with a PMU Percheron mare from Canada named Mary, and her baby, Charlie, who is about three years old now. He also has a little Morgan gelding named Stony. We went out to visit the ponies today, and I actually got to ride Mary around in the pasture a little bit! I had never ridden a draft horse before, let alone

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[vanraf]

the video didnt work (facebook privacy settings, probably) but the pictures are great! you look like a little peanut up there! lol

[ihorse]

Whoops, my bad! Does it work for you now? I've never uploaded videos to facebook until a few days ago, and YouTube doesn't like my internet. :P

I certainly FELT like a little peanut on her! I felt like one of those little kids just learning how to ride that can't make their horse do anything because they're so tiny! Hahaha. :)

[flax]

Unless that guy in the second photo is SERIOUSLY tall, she's probably not over 18hh (maybe 18 on the nose, since that's six feet), but she's a cutie, and her face is very refined for a draft, wow!

Isn't it a weird switch from "regular" to "ridiculously huge" horse? I ride mostly drafts/draft crosses now and when I ride anything smaller I marvel at how much less time grooming (especially feet!) takes, haha.

(oh, and your videos are still private, although I have no idea how you fix that.)

[ihorse]

Yeah, Ryan is very tall, at least 6'5". I'm 5'4" and my forehead barely came up to her nose when she was standing normally. She does have a very pretty face. I bet she's even prettier when she's all shed out! :)

It is TOTALLY weird to switch between different sized horses! Even just after riding my trainers 16-16.2hh warmbloods, my 15.2 Appendix mare felt TINY when I rode her. I'm insanely jealous that you ride drafts all the time.

I tried one other thing, so hopefully the videos will work, if not I'll upload them to another site.

My mom brought up that it would be SO funny to bring my miniature pony and take pictures with the drafts and the mini side by side. He's black, too, so it would be insanely cute! :)

[kudosirony]

When I drive to the equine vet clinic, there's a place that has draft horses (never stopped to really look; imagine they're shires), miniature ponies, and white geese. Incredibly funny image whenever I drive past.

(although a part of me does worry about the geese getting stepped on by the big fellas)

[ihorse]

Hahaha, the geese cracks me up! :D They're probably smart enough to keep their distance from the horses feet, but maybe not? Haha.

[pekover]

I used to ride Percherons - Their job was pulling wagons, so they didn't have riding tack at all, but I'd jump on to take them to the pastures, or to go on hacks, and it was AWESOME. I think they're my favourite draft breed - that huge neck, arching into what is often quite a refined, almost Arab-y head.

Did you get to canter on yours? The ones I knew were trained to pull, so they weren't much for cantering, but the one that would was great - like riding a ship on the ocean, or something, a huge, powerful, roll.

Anyway, I just wanted to share the Percheron-joy!

[ihorse]

Aw, sounds like a lot of fun! I didn't try to canter Mary because she was already a little bit difficult for me to steer and stop. She needs a little bit more refined training, but she makes a great trail horse for her owners! :) I was also a little reluctant to canter because she was already tripping some at the trot in the bumpy pasture we were riding in. If I ever ride her again, though I might work up the courage to canter her! Haha. :)

Percherons are probably one of my favorite draft breeds, too, after Belgians. :)

[ilikerivers]

Ahh, this comm has been full of Clumper wonder horses today, it makes me super thrilled. :)

I have a Clydie Arab and he is gorgeous but a lot smaller than that mare! I have the worst time buying tack for him though.