Comments | equestrian: First Full Hook!

lantairvlea in equestrian

First Full Hook!

May 21, 2014 19:30

My filly I have broken to ride and been working on breaking to drive has reached another milestone! With the help of my driving instructor (plus one of her riding clients) we got her fully hooked up. She has been pretty unimpressed by the culmination of her training to this point. Of course after dragging tires and PVC pipes around the cart isn' ( Read more... )

draft horses, personal: horse update, training methods, driving

Comments 6

dreamswept May 22 2014, 03:32:41 UTC

Yay, rides and drives!

I need to drive mine more. Which might happen the longer this cough I have stays around. Might not be able to ride any faster than a walk.

lantairvlea May 22 2014, 13:03:07 UTC

Yep! I think I can officially say that now!

Sorry to hear you aren't feeling well. Driving is a nice option to have. Like wearing shorts or in the case of one of my clients a dress for added ventilation in the summer heat. While my collar and hames harnesses aren't any lighter than a saddle a breastcollar harness is lighter than any saddle you sling over.

windy_withers May 22 2014, 11:36:46 UTC

Huzzah!!! Love it! Nothing like that first hitch!

lantairvlea May 22 2014, 13:04:06 UTC

Agreed! So much built up to this point; I am very proud of her.

bella_cheval May 22 2014, 15:41:17 UTC

So much coolness! I haven't driven in so long, I was driving my friend's Hackney Pony for awhile to see if we could get him to slow down his walk a bit to show him in pleasure driving classes. I love it and kinda hope I can find someone to teach my 2 year old QH mare to drive. Good job!

lantairvlea May 22 2014, 21:52:35 UTC

Thanks! Driving is terribly addictive. It all started with our Belgian mare who was broke to drive and then I figured I better get some lessons and it just built from there. I think I have been driving for four or five years now.

There are a lot of things you can do with your mare in the meantime. If you have a harness get her used to wearing it (lungeing and eventually ground driving) and if not you can build something that at least feels similar with a surcingle, breastcollar, and crupper (breeching is a little harder to imitate with things lying about). PVC pipes make great false shafts and there are a number of other things you can do building up to the final point (the trainer will be thankful for thorough preparation!).