# Iggy working now



## paintponylvr (Jul 27, 2013)

Iggy, All That Style N Class, is our 98 silver homozygous tobi stallion that I've owned since 2007. He was started ground driving, long lining as a youngster before his breeder sold him, but neither of his previous owners got him hitched or actually driving. To be honest - I've lagged too - pulling him out and working with him for a shot time in harness (in 07, I didn't have any that fit him at all and it was always a hodge-podge of equipment). Was working him - ground driving - as a pair with our little mare that he's sired 3 foals with for us, last fall. Then got to working with other ponies or not working at all, and "forgot about him".

Last nite, I pulled him out and groomed him (he hasn't bred any mares this year, and really enjoyed the attention since he's not been off pasture other than for hoof trims in months). Then I put a work harness on him and started ground driving him. Hmmmm.... then he went to work. The first couple of pulls, he had a hard time with - he doesn't really like the blinders and when asked to stop, he runs backwards. When first asked to start again, he wants to hop up and down(not rearing straight up, but not stepping off at a walk quietly either - he does get it - this is only at the beginning of any work). By the 3rd "pull", we both had it figured out and he started smoothing out, responding more favorably to EVERY command and finally understood that being asked to "whoa" - didn't mean running backwards.

A few more times, and I have no doubt now that he will be ready to hitch. We (he and I) still need to do some work on bending and turning - he wants to over bend to the right and then not go at all where his head is pointing. I haven't had to "fix" this with the younger ponies, but figure we need some more work straight ground driving, maybe in the round pen, without blinders for a bit.

I was thrilled! To do this when he hasn't even been harnessed since January was pretty fantastic, to me!

Standing quietly now while I hook up the next "log". I'm not directly behind him, but to the right if he were to buck or kick straight back...







Pulling up to the burn pile. It's growing!!!






We've got it figured out. Hard to believe that all this area was completely underwater - several times since beginning of June - most recently the 8th of July - when I was to be leaving for Congress. Even when taking these pics/doing this work, if you stepped in that pretty green grass, you'd sink a little and then your footprints will fill with water... Never had this much ground saturation here since we moved in in January 2004.






It is so exciting to get the "ole man" going!!! Plan on continuing to work with him too and get him all the way to being hitched. He's a good boy and will be one that nothing bothers once he understands what's expected.


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## Peggy Porter (Aug 5, 2013)

I can't believe so many people have seen this and no one has commented! Paula, I love to read how you actually work with your ponies. I only pleasure and trail drive right now, but if and when I get my own farm I'll be sure to attempt some actual work. Please continue to post!


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## paintponylvr (Aug 5, 2013)

Not a problem! I seem to like doing these little "short notes" - that sometimes become as big as rather large short stories!

I did do another post and added to it - that we'd gotten another 3 yr old started. SHe's not ready to hitch to anything - was fitted with a pleasure harness on Saturday and wore it around and then was actually ground driven. She needs some basic work but then appears she will move along pretty quick to ground driving while pulling and then on to being hitched. Unless, her personality changes, she's one I consider easy and smart. She will be fun when she's going as well as willing!

Also working with the 3 - 2 yr olds that I brought home from the trainers' that were fitting and showing them in halter. I will get them started the way that I know - depends on finances and time as to whether they will go back out next year to finish harness training and conditioning and go into the ring in harness as 3 yr olds. I'd love to get at least one in the ring in harness for the Classic Futurity, but the pony (s) may not be ready. I want solid trained ponies - not pushing for just the ring. If one or more look to be ready, and it works, they will show...

Love the carts in your Avatar!!


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## paintponylvr (Aug 5, 2013)

Iggy worked again on Friday afternoon. Larry (hubby of 25 yrs) had gotten two large tree limbs trimmed up and cut. Iggy and I pulled them to the burn pile and added them to it. So - Iggy has worked 2x single; his 3 yr old son, Cupid, has worked once single; Cupid and Iggy have worked once as a pair (no pics - that was WORK for me - could have gone better!) and a pair of mares - Cassie and Bell - worked as a pair - all working on the area where 2 different trees had been dropped and also the top portion (several large limbs) of another tree dropped into our yard. Still have a lot of "log pulling" to do, but can't add anymore to our burn pile at the moment.

I will be doing more work with each of them, so that they all become better at what we are doing and can work together more smoothly. I'd be happy to post as I go along.


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## Marsha Cassada (Aug 5, 2013)

I just noticed the rein terrets on the breeching. Is that part of a hame setup?

He looks as though he understands that he has a job to do. What a handsome boy!


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## Performancemini (Aug 5, 2013)

I love your posts too. My husband should read them and see the pictures. He likes to use the horses in more ways. Would wish we were neighbors to learn from you and enjoy your doings!


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## paintponylvr (Aug 6, 2013)

Marsha Cassada said:


> I just noticed the rein terrets on the breeching. Is that part of a hame setup?
> 
> He looks as though he understands that he has a job to do. What a handsome boy!


Hi Marsha -

No rein terrets on the breeching.

Yes, he is starting to understand his job, doing really well. Honestly, I've gone by what everyone has told me about him and not started him the same way as we start the babies. Need to return to some basics with him and make sure he knows everything that he needs to know. We'll get there.

As to a handsome boy - I remember when I "fell in love" with him as a two yr old in 2000 - but simply could not afford him then. Re-found him in 2006 and by April 2007 was able to work a great purchase agreement out. He's the sire of our silver babies from 2009 to now. He'll sire a few more for us and then we'll see where we go.

Here are close up shots of him in harness in 2012. I had just gotten this harness and I'm fitting it to two of my "mini's" (ours are all Shetlands - but some qualify for min status. Some are double registered already). You can see how the harness is set up.











I think what you thought was rein terrets is the trace carriers at the point of the hip. It's a "ring" with a hook that the trace chains on a work harness can be attached to. It has a backing on almost all harness - so nothing pokes into the beastie. The ring is attached at the top, and there is enough separation that you can lift it off of the backing to get the chain on. There is also a "backed" ring on the top of the croup. This set of harness doesn't have a crupper, but it could be attached if I purchased one. Some work harness has them, some doesn't. NOW, I could also hook rings into that ring on top of the croup and have extra "rein terrets" to run the lines thru to keep them from falling down to the side. Right now, I prefer the extra control afforded by having more direct contact to the horse's head. Sometimes I don't even run the lines thru the rein terrets on the hames - depends on the horse and what I'm working on, where we are at in their training. With the first couple of pulls and or works, I often keep one line out of the terrets so that if we have a problem, I can lounge the horse around me with a direct line to the head/bit. I will also switch out those lines so that I will work them to each side - w/ emergency lounging capacity if needed. Yes, I have needed it when starting some of the ponies. Haven't with Iggy.

The snap hanging from just in front of the back pad (no padding), is the snap to hook the breeching lines (have to lookup what they are called) to the over check. It is hooked in the top photo. The bottom pic is before adjustment and the breeching hasn't been adjusted yet.

If you have other questions, I will try to answer them. The harness above is slightly different from my other harness - but not by much. It's a betathane with no farm spots, all hardware is stainless steel and the hames on this set are also stainless steel. The hames are more expensive but well worth the cost as I don't have to deal with the rust like on the larger sets (small pony vs mini). I've only been dealing with "work harness" since 2010 - and there are a LOT of different styles of work harness! More so than even the show & pleasure types.


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## paintponylvr (Aug 6, 2013)

You don't know how much I'd LOVE to have another person who is into using the ponies/minis for "work" and is into driving, close by!

Maybe if/when I bring Wizard back up to Excaliber Training in Herscher, Il, I'd be able to visit! Where in IL are you? Do you have access to driving clubs fairly close by?

My photo albums have LOTS of pictures in them - with various training on our ponies. Lots of pictures of pulling and working, plus access to my girlfriends' albums so that you can check out her ponies pulling and working too.



Performancemini said:


> I love your posts too. My husband should read them and see the pictures. He likes to use the horses in more ways. Would wish we were neighbors to learn from you and enjoy your doings!


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## Magic Marker Minis (Aug 10, 2013)

I'd like to use my Minis on our future farm... I have two harnesses - one is a CDE harness and the other is a pleasure harness... No collar, no hames... Do you recommend collar and hames to pull logs like in your photo?

Thanks,

Kari


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## paintponylvr (Aug 10, 2013)

Kari -

I seem to suddenly be swapping between posts and forum topics... I just posted another one about how when I started I couldn't afford collars/hames and work style harness. Not daunted, I used breast collar harness.

On the first pony I used, I actually had parts of a training harness meant for a much larger pony (though show type, the breast collar was wider/thicker than anything in the mini world). I used that. Later, I braided a couple of almost complete harness(s) out of used haystring that came off of our round hay bales (I LOVE making my own gear, and recycling - the local landfills hate it when people show up with lots of old haystring from their pastures). I haven't attempted to make the "saddle" (pleasure, CDE or show type) or back pad (work harness type) - but used a mini surcingle. I also have a "training" harness that is nothing more than the breast collar being a used pony girth with old halter crown pieces attached to make the neck strap. The breast collar is "padded" with old tube socks and the whole contraption is washable. The gentleman who originally worked with me on hooking our ponies in 1997 made this for me and it still works !! We didn't use/have breeching and again I/we used a surcingle (at that time, I had a canvas style big horse sized one that he shortened via tucking and strong rivets and it worked, too). The traces were made out of 5/8" military nylon strapping that he'd gotten for .05/foot (yes, 5 cents).






This one, I actually had the traces run thru the surcingle rings. No, not correct. Not sure how the pull would have been different had I done it the correct way (actually it was low - the reason I went thru the surcingle rings is that she kept stepping over the traces and it got to be a real PIA to fix it/her every time we went back and forth. This was easier - for both of us at that time). This worked at the time, though I've had many, many people tell me how wrong it is... The tubs in this picture were empty, previously they were both completely full of manure picked up into the tubs over the previous week. Not light, but not the heaviest either. I was careful to watch how she did, how sore or not sore she was (she didn't get sore - was doing this work regularly every weekend with her for a while. Need to go back to doing some like this - good for pony training, good for me!). Have a very mucky barn - manure mixed with the mud that was churned when barn flooded. However, that will be HEAVY - both to get into some of my "manure tubs" and to transport and then dump by hand...

I understand the line of draft and how heavy, hard it can be to move some stuff. BUT here are pictures showing the two different harness(s) in use (one with a pair & one with a single) - and I found that with dragging "logs" - the breast collar harness worked to get started. The angles changed to "fit the harness" - in appearance in these pics! What a surprise that was...

Here you can see that the double tree the girls are hooked to came up to match the level of their breast collars.






and here is a picture of them with the custom made haystring harness. You can see more pics of my braid work here - braiding album. I DID run the traces thru the breeching rings which is considered not correct for any application, however, it worked for me and better than using trace carriers on this particular harness... Understand we didn't do heavy pulling - these "logs" aren't all that large. Breast collars can be padded - with actual made pads, with socks, with toweling...






and here the single tree is matching the angle of the hook up to the collar/hames -






and here where you can see a "log"...






To see individual pics of ponies working, check out Bell, Bit, BellBit Shetland mare pair, Koalah, Koalah pair driving, Cassie pairs... You can peruse as many albums as you like, actually, I add to some of them on a regular basis as I get/take more pics... I often get others to take pics for me at events with my camera when I can.

PurplePaintPony Albums

SOOOO, from my experience - with light work, I found a breast collar harness to work. It's not traditional. With heavy work, it's harder on them than a collar/hames. I wouldn't use leather - my harness gets DIRTY, SWEATY, MUDDY when I use it (those nov and feb pics are the only ones where we haven't been in some mud or dirt that turned to mud as the ponies got covered while sweating). I love having nylon and bio/beta-thane harness that I can hose off with the pony!! O my haystring harness still works well, too and it's getting ready to be used on several ponies that we are starting. I often use the pleasure style harness to start the ponies before switching to work harness - including dragging poles, tires and light "logs".


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## paintponylvr (Aug 10, 2013)

and contrary to most draft horse belief, I do a lot of work with our ponies in open bridles. I have some that do better with open bridles and some that do better with blinders. Each is trained at some point with both. When this picture was taken at an event, many of the folk there were upset. By everything - the open bridles, the braided haystring, the non-traditional style, hooking them to the platform drag built for training single draft horses - another pic at the bottom with one...






The gentleman that was the loudest in complaining, has been the highest in praise of ALL of the ponies I've taken to events since then with "proper harness", proper vehicles, and with the amount/type of training I've done and often points out that I have a great set up to other new beginner handlers/drivers of draft horses. The most recent time being the drive I went to in SC the beginning of May. It's been quite a strange "transformation", LOL... He confirms now that maybe working with the ponies is fine in open bridles.






Next year, before this drive, I have to have the ponies (no matter which ones I use) in better shape. This turned into a VERY long drive, much different than other drives we've done. These two mares lost quite a bit of weight on this trip and drive, plus they were TIRED (it was almost a 3 hour drive to get down to where we were taking off from, then we took off driving and though we rested, it wasn't the same as doing a couple of hours then returning to the trailer). Think this drive was almost 5 hours long - a lot of it cross country thru the woods AND mud. Shoot, I thought I was dying - I got to the point where every time we had a rest break I was up at the girls' heads apologizing to them!! The bay spot mare, Cassie, sure got good and "broke"/solid, though! Also, next year, they need to be at least trace clipped. This is one of the first years I haven't trace clipped ponies I was working, but didn't feel it was justified as I simply wasn't working them enough. BIG MISTAKE - they were miserable a couple of times (turned very hot!). I was thankful when we returned to the Ranch this started from, to be able to hose both of them off, with great water pressure to ease any sore muscles. They both unloaded stiff from the trailer when we arrived back home, but by the next day - they were moving great and eating/drinking fine.

In the post above, the first pony pictured, Stuffy, is 37" at the withers and prefers to work with an open bridle. The two lite silver dapple mares are 40" (officially measured last year at the TX Spooker show) at the withers. They seem to both work well in either blinders or open bridles - single and as multiples (have done 3 and 4 abreast with both of them). The pic of the same drag with a draft horse in training at one of my lessons...






Edited to add picture and fix spacing...


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## Magic Marker Minis (Aug 10, 2013)

Wow! Thank you so much for an in depth explanation... Can you tell me if you made your own single or double tree? Also, how do you attach the traces to the chain I see that's then attached to the single or double tree?

Thank so much for help! We're moving to Missouri on at least 30 acres of land in the very near future so I'd like to be able to use one of our larger Minis to pull small logs... I also may look into getting a 'draft pony' to do some of the clearing... I think it would be a lot more fun to do it that way... Plus, horses work for grass, instead of having to use gas in a tractor... lol!

Kari


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## izmepeggy (Aug 11, 2013)

I'll have to agree about the blinders.I started Isaac with blinders and found he did MUCH better without them..He's less spooky and unsure of himself. Now Classy has always wore blinders so I don't know how she will do with an open bridle but I'm going to find out..hehehe..I did recently order another harness bridle so I can keep one without blinders for Isaac and the one with blinders for Classy..It's such a pain taken them off and putting them back on, but I figure each needs their own anyway..And this is a picture of "The Old Guard." See any blinders?


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## paintponylvr (Aug 11, 2013)

Kari -

The double trees in post #11 are purchased. The one on the drag is horse sized and owned by the Draft Horse trainer I took lessons from. Better to have them too wide than too narrow. The one on the red forecart was purchased by me with the forecart and is sized for ponies (but I'd have to measure to tell you how long they are). I just bought a set sized for minis, along with the neck yoke and the mini sized tongue, to use on the little wagon I have. That should work with our smaller shetlands (Cupid, his dam - Stuffy and teeny, tiny Ami, even Iggy. He's a bit taller at 40", but is not built the same as the other 40" mares.).

The purchased double and single trees for the farm style equipment have chain links with a hook on it. I'll see if I can find some pics... I'm making some up from photos we took of the ponies. Might take a bit, have to go do barn stuff right now...

I made a single tree out of part of a shovel handle that had broken in 2009 and still use it. I attached rings to it and use double ended snaps or carabineer clips to attach the traces to the single tree. The closest pic I have to this one is this -


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## paintponylvr (Aug 11, 2013)

Thanx, Peggy for sharing that great pic. NOPE, I don't see blinders either! But I do know that some of the horses they use do use blinders... Maybe just the ones they use in parades? Have no idea.

I've known about the Old Guard for many years, often talked about it in the Army and also when our daughter was in JROTC (high school). Never even thought about the horses or harness or the vehicles and contents they transported...


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## paintponylvr (Aug 13, 2013)

Here's some pics of single trees & double trees with the chain attachments. The chain is just slipped over the hooks. Hopefully, you can see the hooks...


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## Magic Marker Minis (Aug 13, 2013)

Okay... I'm looking at the close up of one of the single trees with the open hook... What keeps the chain from falling off when there is slack in the chain?

Thanks... You're being a wonderful help to me/us... Thank you for your patience... I sure wish you were close to me so I could come learn in person...

Kari


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## paintponylvr (Aug 13, 2013)

Kari -- I'm enjoying sharing and I'm a little surprised. There are quite a few others here that also do minis and "farm work" in draft harness. Many have years more experience than I do (I've got LOTS and LOTS to learn myself). They must be lurking. I know Nationals are coming up, but...

As to the chain slipping off. Sometimes they do... Partially, I would say that that is a safety feature, but it can also be very bad. I had a lot of chains slipping free when I was working both Iggy (he's terrible about literally running backwards the minute he comes to a stop and until we break that habit, I will not hook him to a wheeled vehicle - I thought we'd just about "licked" it, but ...then it reappears) and then when I was working Iggy and his son, Cupid, together as a pair. It was frustrating - but that showed how much more work both ponies need. Iggy actually wasn't the problem with the pair (other than wanting to go backwards) - his 3 yr old GELDED son was... finally got them going 1/2 way good and then it fell apart - when they weren't hitched to anything thank goodness (more in 2 paragraphs).

When a pair is harnessed in work harness, they aren't supposed to back up - unless asked (actually that's any horse hitched, but). Backing up when not asked - could put them into dangerous equipment. Plows, springtooth harrows, spike tooth harrows and disks are SHARP. Tree limbs can "trap" a leg and break it - even on the big horses, trust me. On the biggies, they often work in shoes - backing into their equipment can cause them to hang a shoe OR they can snap equipment or bend it with their weight. SOOOO... Time is supposed to be spent on teaching a horse to "Whoa" - come to a halt and freeze. No stepping backwards even one step UNLESS asked. Then there should be some hesitation - like they are "hunting" - or waiting on you to say yes, come back some more (say - to hook to the single or double trees).

When a pair is hooked to a wagon properly with a tongue, a neck yoke, double tree behind them and the chains on their farm harness - it was explained to me that they were supposed to be "suspended". The traces should never hang real slack and at the same time the breeching - via the quarter and pole straps should not be continuously tight. If it's adjusted that way - the chains aren't supposed to come loose - even when that team is backing up. Now, if you study my pictures in my various albums, you will see that they aren't always that way. Why? Well, like I said, I am still learning! I don't always get it right and I've found that small adjustments on one piece with farm harness means you must make adjustments somewhere else to BALANCE the harness or the hitch. It's the same with all harness - but when you drive multiples, it seems to multiply many times!

Part of the reason I went to the Spooker show in Glen Rose, TX last year was because I wanted some help from knowledgeable folk in <small horse> draft hitches. I didn't go to show and in fact, really not sure my wagon is appropriate for the show ring.... But I ended up going in a class (actually two) AFTER I got help from several folks and finally understood what I was doing wrong with my girls' harness at that time (I had them too tight in several areas). The pressure points on Bell were really causing her to "pass out" and fall over or to start to and then scramble. It was weird and when we loosened several straps - it ended and she was happy! The other reason was to see my two ponies show that were with Michelle at Majestic Farm Training Center. I was also able to combine that trip and visited my Dad w/ the ponies and the wagon - giving rides to my Dad and the other residents of William Courtney TX State Veterans' Home in Temple.

I don't really know about big horses, but I have got to learn/remember that when the horses are not working with a tongue between them, I need to tighten the quarter straps. Part of a "wreck" that I had the other day was when Cupid stamped his left hind at a BIG horsefly (at least he didn't start bucking/running like they do in the pasture) and slapped his leg thru the quarter strap. He'd continued his movement and was immediately off balance when his leg caught and he couldn't put it down. He got it down and pulled the harness sideways, picked it up but was off balance and went partially down - skewing both him and Iggy sideways from the rear... Happened fast - and suddenly with struggling and throwing his head - Cupid was upside down basically under Iggy and for a second it turned ugly as Ig's head was yanked sideways by the bit -the opposite way - causing him to turn AWAY from Cupid and his hind quarters were straddling Cupids belly ... I have no idea how I stayed calm or even how nothing broke or they didn't kill each other! They were then pulling in opposite directions and I had to almost sit on Iggy to get harness parts loose enough to get them apart and untangled - because now Cupid had not one but two of his legs thru Iggy's harness in different spots and getting them loose was next to impossible. I was so ANGRY (think I skipped right past SCARED or WORRIED) and yes, when I got them apart and they stood QUIETLY (for the first time in some 40 minutes) side by side (sweating, both bleeding at the mouth and shaking) - if I'd been a smoker I'd probably have had several! I hooked their "cheater ties" back up, reran the lines and ground drove them for a while once we'd all gotten calmed down - AMAZING - they were both great!! Later, after I'd washed them and put them away, I was quite thankful for the Pina Colada my hubby handed me (before I went back out to do chores, LOL).

Sharing my experiences does several things for me too. It helps me look back and REALLY think about what I did or was doing. If I did it right - YAY! - what did I do and how was it right? "Cement" that in my mind so that I remember it! If it didn't work - why not? What did I do wrong - what did the ponies do wrong? Did I cause them to do it wrong w/o realizing it or did they have resistance to something that I thought I was asking for that caused them to fight me and then do it wrong? Is there one thing I can do better? Is there something I need them to do - if so - how can I better ask them to get the right response (and so on...)?

If you are serious about learning farm style work/driving - invest in the three books - Farming with Horses by Steve Bower; Work Horse Handbook by Lynn R Miller; Training Work Horses/Training Teamsters also by Lynn R Miller. If you can find them somewhere first - look thru them. Decide which you want first - but you'll learn a lot and have references forever with all 3. They are worth the cost(s)... and they cover different style harness and how they work. AND we aren't the first to hook shetlands or mini's and do REAL farm work with them!!! There are pictures in one of the LM books that show a farmer (now deceased) with several different teams of ponies - including a 6 abreast set up (gak!). They are GREAT pictures in black and white...


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## BiologyBrain (Aug 18, 2013)

For training purposes, when I trained my QH filly to drive, I used a wire fence stretcher as my single tree for logging. I had 3 hooks on it. I had the middle hook bent closed and the others bent just a bit further back. The chain stayed put because I'd bent the hooks just enough. Plus I had it positioned with the hooks' opening facing up. I also used a lead rope snapped to the middle ring to apply my own pressure to the single tree and/or lift it out of the way in the occasion of an accident. I used big carabiners to attach the single tree to my logging tongs or barrels/whatever I had available.

I didn't know work horses weren't supposed to back-up. I trained my mare to take a single step back at the halt in order for me to unfasten whatever I had behind her and give her slack in the traces. I guess that would explain why the Belgian pet of the minis doesn't back like I expect him to.

I enjoy reading you adventures OP!


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## paintponylvr (Aug 19, 2013)

Hi there!

Do you have pictures of the set up you used when logging with your QH filly? I'd love to see what you did.

As to the backing up - I think you mis-understood or maybe I wrote it wrong. All the folk I meet with at the various Draft Horse Functions DO train their horses to back up to varying degrees - but only one step at a time and not automatically when they stop (I use other training methods and backing up is "automatic" whenever you stop in hand and under saddle on my riding horses - I know I use backing up a lot in hand. If I'm leading a pony/horse and I stop, they stop. If I step backward - they should too. In one that is alert and "finished" - they'll back up quietly and quickly but not until I do or until I ask, but when they are first learning I've had several that run backwards and a couple that "take it to extremes", Iggy mainly, even when you don't ask for backing. When I was riding - to get a better stop - we used backing up extensively with every stop even from a walk and for a while some horses will back up automatically even before asked. I've had two saddle horses that I trained that all you had to do was shift your weight forwards slightly after settling back on your seat bones and they'd run backwards - really upsetting anybody that didn't understand their body positions).

Many of the drivers I've read training books from DO recommend that you either wait until the very end of driving training to teach backing in harness or while hitched. They never really explained why (now I will have to go find those references). I found that confusing coming from my background where our riding horses we wanted to have backing up balanced and light and at different speeds. I also didn't understand why you wouldn't want a driving horse to back - as you often back them into their hitch (well - when I went and watched several Welsh ponies being harnessed in a 4-up, they were driven to a point, then muscled into position by two great big guys<!>. They were then held "still" by the driver until the two in front were also into position. They didn't actually "back up" at any point, but were pushed and shoved into their positions on a floating pole. That's the only 4 up I've had the chance to see hitched to that type of carriage. The rest are already hitched when I see them. Watching that scared me to death and I understood why she gets mad when I hitch with no help. She literally can't w/o at least two people to help her!). At Draft Events, I'm usually always busy with mine or in a couple of cases arrived later and didn't see any of the first hitching. But yes, they are driven towards the equipment, turned & lined up, halted and backed up if needed.

A lot of the drafts that I've seen being hitched to a tongue are driven over the pole, turned & stopped such that they are basically in line on each side of the tongue. This is l what I do if I hitch in the open. Sometimes I have help, sometimes I don't. Sometimes when I have help - I have the helper "head them", while I do the hitching - sometimes I have the pony/ponies stand and we both hitch (depends on the pair and who is helping). I want the ponies to "park" (stand, freeze. The commands I use are "Whoa. Stand") so that I can hitch them alone if necessary. Once the neck yoke is hooked, I may need one to step back to hook the chains (or both) - but literally only one step is all it takes. I also hitch with them tied at the trailer - two ways - I've positioned my cart or wagon with the tongue and then led them up and tied them one at a time on each side of the tongue, run the lines to their bridles, then hook the neck yoke and then swap back and forth to get the chains hooked up. I still have to sometimes ask them to back up to hook up the double tree. The 2nd way - I've had them harnessed and ready, then pushed/pulled my fore cart or wagon into position to hook the neck yoke and double trees (that's some serious work sometimes. Have to watch the neck yoke and their legs).

It's easier to train them to hitch out in the open than to hitch them tied (FOR ME). I work with them both ways - so if I go somewhere that I have to keep them tied or have no help, they know what we are doing. They also get worked so that they will turn away from the trailer after I untie them and step into the vehicle (that was really interesting the first time I tried that! Found out I hadn't done enough short turning work with the tongue - they weren't happy about doing turns on their haunches while the tongue was in contact with their rear legs.)

I would say that most of the ponies I work with are still green. They have more ground driving time (especially since I "log" with them) than driving hitched time right now. Even the two "experienced" mares haven't been balanced out yet as to down the road driving time (I don't think. They are probably very close). I can honestly say I've spent many, many hours working with them to get them to stand quietly when I hitch them out in the open. I hitched them as a pair (Bell and Bit) for the first time to a wheeled vehicle in March 2011 (started training them as a pair in June 2010) and bought my current little wagon in October 2012. I sold the "big wagon" and wish I hadn't, but that helped pay for the new one from Pioneer. The rest of the ponies have a lot less time being hitched and driven to a wheeled vehicle (Iggy w/ Stuffy and Iggy w/ Cupid - haven't been hitched at all yet). Between March and July this year, my ponies had had very little work - several reasons. All were a bit excited when taken out to work in July and a little jumpy. Even the "experienced" mares weren't standing as well as I would have liked (jumpy and a bit "wired") and when asked to back up, they wanted to keep going (shouldn't have been surprised, but I was).

My pairs in order of experience -

Bell & Bit

Bell or Bit & Koalah (I think I've worked Koalah equally with both Bell and Bit).

Bell, Bit, Koalah (3 abreast - ground driven several times - 5 hitches to the forecart)

Bell & AJ (AJ is now deceased - he did a couple of weeks ground driving as pair, then a total of 4 hitches as a pair to a vehicle, 3x w/ Bell)

Bit & AJ (several ground drives, 1x paired pulling the wagon - pics in album)

Bell & Cassie (used Bell @ first, then switched to Bit. Used this pair to pull "logs" recently as Bit dealing w/ hoof abcess. They weren't happy this time around, but they re-learned to work together)

Bit & Cassie (more hitches together than with Bell)

Bell & GG (GG is Bell's 2010 daughter and spent 2010 "driving" with her dam while I was learning to train Bell to drive single and as a pair with Bit)

Stuffy & Iggy (handful of times - ground driving as a pair)

Cupid & Iggy (about 5 times ground driving as a pair - have "logged" 2x as a pair)

Cassie, Cupid and Iggy have never been hitched to a single cart (yet). Cupid and Iggy have not been hitched to any wheeled vehicles yet - both will probably be worked with Stuffy the first time - before hooking them together.

GG was only hitched and driven to a cart 5 times, before starting to work as a pair with her dam and now has 10 hitches to the wagon as a pair. They've never pulled the forecart.

Cassie has had more pair hitches with the forecart than with the wagon (with Bell and Bit), but more hours trail driving pulling the wagon (only with Bit).

Have also started and hitched/driven Kechi, KoKo and Flower single in cart. Ami is now being worked with and will soon be pulling a cart, too. She is the smallest one I have and I don't know if she'll work as a partner with anyone or not. She might work with Cupid and/or Stuffy. Maybe with Rio if he stays small and remains here. Actually I'm hoping that Rio and Cupid (full brothers) will make a pair. Their full sister looks like a replica of their sire - taller and leggier but narrower/lighter framed.

Bell, Bit, Cassie and GG have been ground driven as a 4 abreast hitch. I've got to do a lot more practicing before I'm ready to hitch them to a vehicle... I haven't been able to figure out how to hook them up by myself - I don't think I'll be able to drive a 4 abreast or a 4 up by myself (besides which it's not recommended to do multiples by yourself). I do like the 3 abreast hitch and may just stick to that most of the time. I bought a "bush hog" type pasture mower last fall and was hoping to use it this fall hooked behind the forecart. I don't think I'm going to have them ready, though... Eventually the mower will have a seat attached directly to it for driving a 3 or 4 abreast - very much like the one that the Bryant's use (they have one picture on their website in their gallery using a pair).

I am in AWE of the larger hitches. I surely do appreciate the time and the work it takes to get a team or a hitch put together - both in size(s) and in numbers!

One of the guys that goes to our Draft stuff regularly hauls either 6 or 8 horses to do in one hitch (Percherons - has a tractor trailer rig for the horses and a flatbed truck for the equipment). BUT he always has at least *2* of his *employees* with him (very different level than where I'm at and that I'm associated with). He has a total of 28 Percheron geldings that he uses for farm work plus tractors/other equipment and I have no idea how much land he really farms. A lot of acreage - turkey houses, hog houses, hay, watermelon, tobacco, soy beans, cotton, wheat, corn and oats. He is also one of the supporters that brings groups to his farm - he's got a set up for big gatherings - looks like an old west town... LOL. Has several miles of trails cut thru woods directly on his property and several cut thru's around other properties with one road crossing. FUN! I always try to make it to his farm for drives now - in April and October. Several of our ponies have gotten lots of driving time at his place.

I think it would be easier to do a link to all of our albums  and you can just work thru them, LOL.



BiologyBrain said:


> For training purposes, when I trained my QH filly to drive, I used a wire fence stretcher as my single tree for logging. I had 3 hooks on it. I had the middle hook bent closed and the others bent just a bit further back. The chain stayed put because I'd bent the hooks just enough. Plus I had it positioned with the hooks' opening facing up. I also used a lead rope snapped to the middle ring to apply my own pressure to the single tree and/or lift it out of the way in the occasion of an accident. I used big carabiners to attach the single tree to my logging tongs or barrels/whatever I had available.
> 
> I didn't know work horses weren't supposed to back-up. I trained my mare to take a single step back at the halt in order for me to unfasten whatever I had behind her and give her slack in the traces. I guess that would explain why the Belgian pet of the minis doesn't back like I expect him to.
> 
> I enjoy reading you adventures OP!


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## paintponylvr (Aug 31, 2013)

Well, we added some more work time yesterday (Friday, 30 Aug). Last Saturday we were finally able to have our 2nd bonfire (for our youngest daughters' 20th Bday). While I had two friends that got 3" of rain the week before, we got only a couple of sprinkles. The bonfire was still very difficult to get burning... but a good time was had by all. I think we had pizza and soda consumed by more than 20 people - only we 3 older adults (hubby, me and one of our friends). The grand daughters were there.

Then on Thursday we started cleaning up more of the areas that the trees had come down in. Got the areas cleared enough to safely get in with ponies. This time, I harnessed KoKo in a mini sized work harness with a 13" collar. The headstall fit well as did the collar and hames and front part of the harness. However, her nice "apple butt" was a bit bigger than intended for mini breeching! Used it anyway rather than trying to adjust down a larger harness for her. I'm pretty sure it's the first time I've worked her in a blind bridle and I KNOW that she hadn't been worked at all since February...

Here she is after I'd ground driven her for a while - making sure she was ok with the "noisy" harness, the blinders and working for the first time. Made sure the "whoa" still there (it wasn't at first, LOL).







moving a small log -






Then we moved a BIG one... Now, she's not in a regular work program. She does run a lot in the pasture - daily... I figured we'd try pulling it as far as she could, then I'd try to finish it with her and Cupid working as a pair. Here is a pic of the big one. I wanted to move it past the burn pile, thru the barn pasture gates, thru the round pen gates and to the far side of my 50' round pen - to use as a log obstacle for the ponies to jump, to straddle and sidepass along, to back into etc...






Thu the 1st set of gates and headed towards the next pasture. We got thru the gates and the sand got deeper while going up the hill (U don't realize how much of a grade it is until you go up it umpteen times!). She "petered out" rght about where the cremello mare is standing. I unhooked the log there and took her to the barn to rest while I groomed and harnessed Cupid.






Then I pulled Cupid out and started working with him. The last couple of times he's worked, he's worn blinders and been broncy through out the work time... So I adjusted an open bridle for him. Then ground drove his "hoppy self". Ground drove him over the ditch until he finally realized that forward movement was better! Drove him around and thru those big logs in the very 1st pic of KoKo. I stopped him in front of that big one. He didn't want to stand so I just waited to see what he'd do. He crawled over it (thought he was going to high center himself and be stuck!) - and I turned him around and purposely drove him back over it, than turned him around again and asked him to "Whoa". He finally stood - though he fidgeted. I'd grabbed a headstall with a 4" bit (might be 3 3/4"), and it's slightly too wide. His mouth never quit working and chewing on it for the next hour or so... We worked until he realized I was serious about both - go (forward only) and whoa.

Then hitched him to his first log. We didn't go righto the burn pile - he needed some more work, so we pulled it around the whole pile - 2 x, LOL!






More pics in a minute...


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## paintponylvr (Aug 31, 2013)

So, I hooked Cupid and KoKo together as a pair to start working. Ground drive them together for some time, have a neighbor stop in (that I don't know) and say there is a loose horse (pony) in their yard, they are pretty sure it's ours... Go figure. You let a group of ponies into the only pasture that has grass and one thinks it's better everywhere else and that she needs to crawl thru the fence. So into the barn the pair goes to stand while I go get the "escapee".

That turned out to be the best thing I could have done. They thought about it (well, I think they did!). They did so much better when I reran the lines and drove them back out of the barn. So... R they ready? We'll find out! I hook them to 2 logs tied together and they do ok.






here we've moved a 2nd big log into the pasture. They were digging in and pulling to get it to "slide" on the ground. It' approximately where I want it, so I'm asking he to step back while I hold the evener/double tree. Then Ill unhook it.






After moving that one, we go around the round pen again and hook up to the log that KoKo moved earlier by herself. The pair moves it the rest o the way around the round pen and they away from it so that it's roughly making an "L" shape with the other log... Then I unhook that one and they are done for the night.






And as we turn back to the barn, I swear that Cupid is saying..."job done, we did good, "dint" we?" to KoKo.


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## Marsha Cassada (Sep 1, 2013)

Wow, you are all accomplishing some serious work! Great photos.


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## paintponylvr (Sep 1, 2013)

Yep, SIL got to take a break from weed eating and using the chain saw to trim up the tree in the back yard. He took the pics of Koko by herself and then Cupid. Skye got back with our grand daughters and she took the pair shots before helping me unharness them and feed the crew. Then we all had Larry's (hubby) Southern Boil (Shrimp, smoked sausage, chicken, potatoes, onions, small ears of corn) for dinner... I will take some pics tomorrow of that area - so we know what it looked like when we started and what it looks like when we are done.

I'm supposed to have someone come and get some of this hardwood for firewood, but if we cut it up to get it into the burn pile, they'll be SOL for free wood! I just wanted it gone - where I wasn't paying my SIL to help clean up and cut it while I use the ponies to move it... Some in our burn pile is nice, the training is AWESOME but we'll be doing bonfires every month at this rate thru next spring (the "poke" weeds that still grow get put on it too). Any limbs that come down go in it. After this storm we are having right now, we'll have more limbs down tomorrow. Kinda wish my truck wasn't' parked by the shop - may move it when hubby goes to work tonight - that way nothing will fall on it.

Those real logs behind Koko in that pic - I don't think ponies will be able to pull it (and I don't think I have rope or chain that will go around it!). Even if we get them to the burn pile, I won't be able to easily get those in it... This shall be interesting!! But it sure is nice to be able to use all the smaller logs for training the ponies - both single and as pairs. Really need to put 3 abreast - but also need a helper (that knows ponies and driving) when I do that. I can deal with the pairs pretty easily (did you read about the "wreck" with Iggy and Cupid?), but 3 or more is not so easy and if they don't stand still nicely while hooking... that's a problem. I do like a header when doing 3! SAFER!

Need to work Iggy and Cupid together some. I want to hitch them to the wagon, but I don't feel they are ready yet...


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## diamond c (Sep 1, 2013)

I love all the photos and the info and storys you tell. It gets me inspired to do some work this winter cleaning up the woods from an ice stom we had a few years ago. Keep up the good work and keep us posted on how its going.


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