# Driving Digest magazine



## drivin*me*buggy (Mar 11, 2011)

In this month's Driving Digest there is a nice article about driving Minis It is a great magazine for those of you who don't get it...a few really good articles in this month's issue, besides the mini one, such as an article on how to be a better beginner and distance driving.

Angie


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## Knottymare (Mar 12, 2011)

drivin*me*buggy said:


> In this month's Driving Digest there is a nice article about driving Minis It is a great magazine for those of you who don't get it...a few really good articles in this month's issue, besides the mini one, such as an article on how to be a better beginner and distance driving.
> 
> Angie


thanks for the heads up. I'll have to look into it. I am always looking for more resources




I'm a beginner so sounds like it's up my alley!


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## hobbyhorse23 (Mar 12, 2011)

The "Be a Better Beginner" article was excellent!





I was pleased by the minis pictured in the "Mighty, Valiant and Game" article but I have to admit she lost my approval when she said "...many of these minis were rescues, and *while a true mini show person might roll their eyes*, these guys are valued, all business, and have found their rightful place." Most mini show people I know really admire CDE horses and couldn't care less that some aren't registered! Almost everyone knows of at least one good mini who couldn't be registered due to paperwork errors, going a hair over, or being sold without papers due to those unavoidable human situations. That is not the horse's fault and only a good-quality horse can stand up to the strenuous sport of combined driving. I know things are different in different parts of the country, but I'm sad that she felt the need to assume prejudice like that from within our own breed.





I also was disappointed that the otherwise positive article ended on the trite, dismissive note of "the minis jaunty contribution is Fun." Of course they're fun. Yes, that is one of their charms. But I shook my head over the statement that "it is not possible to celebrate the uniqueness of minis and insist that they are the same as other horses at the same time." Excuse me?? Every breed is unique, that is why they are bred, preserved down through the ages and yes, celebrated by their devotees. That does not mean they are LESS than each other.



The sentence would sound ridiculous if you said "it is not possible to celebrate the uniqueness of QH's and insist that they are the same as other horses at the same time." Of course you can.

Otherwise it was an excellent article though and I do want to thank the author for creating the Monster Mini CDE and giving the VSE's a place to shine in the East. I agree with her that minis give you a chance to experience the spirit of the horse in a scaled-down package.



She also had good points about caring for them as full-sized horses and not assuming every mini can drive. I just wish she hadn't fallen prey to the same prejudice she complains of and dismissed them as only capable of being fun little ambassadors.





Leia


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## ClickMini (Mar 12, 2011)

> I just wish she hadn't fallen prey to the same prejudice she complains of and dismissed them as only capable of being fun little ambassadors.


AGREE!!!!!! That made my blood boil a bit!!!!


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## cathyjo76 (Mar 12, 2011)

I also was not thrilled by that statement.

There is a young man about 14 that drives a pony/mini (it is 40 inches at the withers-so for ADS a pony) that consistantly wins the ADTs/CDE's for Small Pony in Ohio. That shows what small equine are capable of against other breeds.





BTW. If you look at end of the Digest in Who's Driving, a friend sent in a picture from the National Drive last year of her husband, herself and me driving our minis. I really enjoyed Hoosier Horse park!


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## drivin*me*buggy (Mar 12, 2011)

To me, the best part of the article started with the title. Referring to them as Mighty, Valiant, and Game set the tone for them to be taken seriously.

What a great thing to set up an all mini CDE! That must be a blast.

Some of the other parts that some of you had issue with, I didn't read it the same way.

The part about the "true mini show person may roll their eyes"...let's face it, there are folks, in the mini world and in any breed for that matter, that don't feel a horse is as 'valuable' if it doesn't have papers, or boast certain bloodlines, and I think that sentence was more meant to say that. The author seemed happy that these little guys have found a job.

As for the ending of the article, again, I didn't interpret it as dismissive. The part that reads:"it is not possible to celebrate the uniqueness of minis and insist that they are the same as other horses at the same time.".....I feel that is true. They are minis, they are going to move like minis. Just like a Morgan will move like a Morgan and so on. When I was at the Driving Conference, the topic came up of judging a mixed class with horses, ponies and minis and the judge answered saying he looked at the class and judged it based on who was doing 'their' best, the best for what they were.

I think one thing that turns people off in the big horse driving world is when mini people get all insistent that they are horses and not ponies.If they see a horse that hasn't been trained, but pushed around into doing things, they don't take us seriously. They start to look at us like we aren't in their league.

I think that when joining the driving world (I am thinking along the lines of ADS) one must be very careful to do it right. There are alot of prejudices to overcome. Your horse must be trained, you must show good horsemanship. Don't make people think you have a mini because you can't hack it with a big horse. Show them you have a mini because you LIKE them and have developed a good partnership with them.

As far as them being ambassador, that is a great thing. They can sure turn some heads, and if they have the training put into them, more and more will be earning respect and make people say, I want to try that..whether for the first time or as a breed they want to change to, because they are fun!! And I bet alot of people who drive bigger equine, don't know how much FUN our guys are. So we can help by doing our personal best to make our horses their personal best, in what ever venue you drive. Smile, be proud, these little guys are rising stars.

I for one and going to write a letter to Driving Digest, thanking them for the article.

Just my interpretation of the article.

Angie


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## RhineStone (Mar 12, 2011)

Angie is SO dead on...I didn't want to bother copying her whole post!

I honed in on the sentence about minis not being the same as big horses. I agree with Angie. I have shown minis against bigger horses and ponies for years, and it takes a pretty awesome mini and some excellent horsemanship to beat a big horse in a judged arena, especially in this neck of the woods. Obstacles, yes, minis can kick butt. But in the arena...I'm glad we have a VSE division! Then the judge HAS to place a VSE! There are still some judges out there that don't think that VSEs should be driven at all, and Angie has made some excellent points about how we change that attitude....by presenting our horses with excellent horsemanship and proper turnouts.

People that treat and present their minis like "pets" are doing the breed no favors. They need to be performance animals....and then we will get the credibility we deserve!





Myrna


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## hobbyhorse23 (Mar 13, 2011)

drivin*me*buggy said:


> *Don't make people think you have a mini because you can't hack it with a big horse. Show them you have a mini because you LIKE them and have developed a good partnership with them.*


This nails it. Absolutely, completely, NAILS IT. Thank you!



I copied the quote out of order as I feel this is really the point of much of what has been said here and I agree with it 100%. I think what bothered me was the implication that minis are only good as that entry-level, get comfortable with driving, let's stay low-key and have fun sort of horse. A mini is as good as it's training- if the owner gets off their rump and TRAINS that horse, there's no reason he can't score as well at a lower-level CDE as any other equine. Yes, their movement starts limiting them at the upper levels. That's reality for most tiny horses. But when it's Horse Against a Training Standard and not Horse Against Other Horses, there is no reason to imply they aren't the same as the others in their capabilities. Just my opinion!







drivin*me*buggy said:


> As for the ending of the article, again, I didn't interpret it as dismissive. The part that reads:"it is not possible to celebrate the uniqueness of minis and insist that they are the same as other horses at the same time.".....I feel that is true. They are minis, they are going to move like minis. Just like a Morgan will move like a Morgan and so on.


I can only imagine how difficult it is for a judge to compare apples to oranges to pomegranates like that.



I too am glad VSE's often have their own division as it is indeed hard to compete with the larger guys when it comes to the impression of their movement and overall elegance.

On the other hand, this was an article about minis in CDE, not pleasure shows, and I interpreted her statement to mean that it is unfair to request special dispensations for their size like not having to carry a navigator and then argue that minis are just like their larger brethren. I disagree; to my way of thinking they're just as capable- they can pull the same percentage of their body weight and do the same job- it's just that for a mini that percentage is reached with one individual on board so we're asking for the playing field to be leveled. If anything the VSE entries have it harder as the mini is usually hauling more than a full-sized horse, proportionally, and their driver does not have a navigator to help them! And yet we still succeed and compete well with those of all sizes in many parts of the country.



That is why I took umbrage at such an inference. It's interesting to see how different people interpret her statement and I hope that I'm wrong in my interpretation.



drivin*me*buggy said:


> What a great thing to set up an all mini CDE! That must be a blast.


We've had one here in the NW each fall for many years and it usually fills up with a waiting list. It's a lot of fun!



cathyjo76 said:


> BTW. If you look at end of the Digest in Who's Driving, a friend sent in a picture from the National Drive last year of her husband, herself and me driving our minis.


I saw that, very cool!





Leia


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## Mini~Madness (Mar 19, 2011)

drivin*me*buggy said:


> In this month's Driving Digest there is a nice article about driving Minis It is a great magazine for those of you who don't get it...a few really good articles in this month's issue, besides the mini one, such as an article on how to be a better beginner and distance driving.
> 
> Angie



Hey..... What is the issue number? I am fairly new to driving (I am also new to the forum!!! Howdy Everyone!) and I love articles about minis, but besides all of that I love having new horsie reading material period so I am thinking about getting a subscription and would like to back order this issue if possible. Thanks in advance!!!

 

Hope


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## Christie (Mar 19, 2011)

It's issue 170 March/April 2011







Mini~Madness said:


> Hey..... What is the issue number? I am fairly new to driving (I am also new to the forum!!! Howdy Everyone!) and I love articles about minis, but besides all of that I love having new horsie reading material period so I am thinking about getting a subscription and would like to back order this issue if possible. Thanks in advance!!!
> 
> 
> 
> Hope


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## lucky seven (Mar 20, 2011)

Christie said:


> It's issue 170 March/April 2011



I just subscribed to this digest and got my first issue. Very pleased.


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