# New Driver Resources



## RhineStone (May 18, 2011)

Knowing the northern show season is starting, I have put a few resources on our website, such as leather harness cleaning, driving show supply list, trail driving safety checklist, and trail driving supply list. They are on this page: http://rhinestone-ri...rness+Education along with a cart and harness parts chart. Depending on the interest, I may have a few other "publications" to add to them.

Myrna

6/2/11 - I have added bulleted "articles" on Driving Safety, Driving Etiquette, and Turnout to the page.


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## Reignmaker Miniatures (May 18, 2011)

Great information. I always find your posts here interesting and these articles are no different. I particularly liked the spares kit list and the harness care article but all the information is well presented. Thanks for taking the time.


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## Marsha Cassada (May 18, 2011)

Thank you, Myrna. I've added that link to my Favorites for future reference and to share with new driver.


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## drivin*me*buggy (May 18, 2011)

Awesome Myrna




Thank you. LOL I wish you were my neighbor. You'd be a blast to chat over the fence with.

Angie


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## CZP1 (May 18, 2011)

Thank you Myrna! You are a doll! Never know too much!


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## hobbyhorse23 (May 20, 2011)

All I can say Myrna, is looking at that trail driving packing list, I can see why my mother loves performance showing her dog!



Things required to go to a canine nosework event? Dog. Handler. Car. Leash and collar. Some hotdogs or other reward. Done!

Sometimes I think we're crazy to participate in this hobby.





Leia


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## New mini (May 20, 2011)

I have just started my interest in Minis and driving and found this really helpful. I am gathering all the information that I can get my hands on. Thank you so much for all this.

Nancy


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## RhineStone (May 20, 2011)

hobbyhorse23 said:


> All I can say Myrna, is looking at that trail driving packing list, I can see why my mother loves performance showing her dog!


Well, that is a pretty complete list, but I put it together for a Trail and Recreational Driving Safety presentation. At the bare minimum, you should have a halter and lead rope per horse, duct tape, knife, and cell phone.

Those lists aren't even my personal lists. I have things on _my_ list like jammies (which, even though I "used" my list at the last overnight, I forgot jammies AGAIN!



So we had to stop and buy some....), and certain "specialty" harness parts like tandem keys and shorter traces.

The nice thing is that a lot of the stuff we pack just stays right in the trailer, AND it is "color-coded". Our trailer is white with a blue stripe, so everything in it is blue. The barn stuff is mostly green, so I know that if I have a blue manure fork in the barn, it is not in the trailer. Same goes for water buckets and feed pans, etc. We leave everything that won't freeze in it all year, and once it is warm, the freezeable stuff stays in there, too. We basically have two of everything that we need in the barn like brushes, hoof picks, fly spray, etc. and the duplicates in the trailer. Show stuff like hoof black stays in the trailer. This saves A LOT of packing. I'll have to take a photo of our trailer all packed up. Virtually everything has its place.

Myrna


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## cathyjo76 (May 20, 2011)

definitely would like to see your trailer. I remember the article in Driving Digest a while back on the couple that had a great setup in a stock trailer. Always looking for ideas.


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## fourluckyhorseshoes (May 23, 2011)

Loved those articles- I am printing them out and putting them in my mini notebook. If you have more pages or know about similar ones please tell me- for driving and general mini showing.


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## RhineStone (Jun 2, 2011)

There are bulleted "articles" on Driving Safety, Driving Etiquette, Packing Lists, Harness Care, and Turnout on my website, as well as a Cart and Harness Parts chart. These are my own creation using a number of reference sources.

http://rhinestone-ri...rness+Education

There is also a link to a page with photos of our trailer packed and ready to go.

Myrna


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## a mini dream come true (Jun 2, 2011)

Myrna,

Thank you so very much for starting this informative thread. It is absolutely wonderful. I am devouring very bit of information that I can find on driving.

GREEN+GREEN= BLACK & BLUE

That came very close to being me a few weeks back so needless to say Juan is back to ground driving for the time being. Bless his heart he is sooo patient.

Somtimes you have to listen to what your gut tells you instead of lestining to someone else and say it will be ok.


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## paintponylvr (Jul 16, 2011)

RhineStone said:


> Knowing the northern show season is starting, I have put a few resources on our website, such as leather harness cleaning, driving show supply list, trail driving safety checklist, and trail driving supply list. They are on this page: http://rhinestone-ri...rness+Education along with a cart and harness parts chart. Depending on the interest, I may have a few other "publications" to add to them.
> 
> Myrna
> 
> 6/2/11 - I have added bulleted "articles" on Driving Safety, Driving Etiquette, and Turnout to the page.



just wanted to say "THANKS" for the info on your site and for the posts you've made here. Driving is a constant learning experience!

I started ground driving as a means of training in the 70s & 80s on our riding horses while a youngster growing up. When I got back into the horse world, I purchased ponies and couldn't find a trainer that would/could train our small ponies or work w/ my children (everyone said they were too young to learn) - I used ground driving w/ lines run thru stablelized stirrups to train them to respond to "ridden commands". Was introduced to hitching a pony & driving with a Hackney in 97 - but didn't really get into driving & wanting to learn to drive until the last several years. Took lessons last summer/fall with a draft horse trainer locally - learned to hitch and drive a pair then w/ his help worked w/ my ponies to get them driving.

Ready now to expand what I know thru more advanced lessons (hopefully locally) and want to safely be able to train my babies to pleasure drive. Starting to ground work 3- 2 yr olds now... Some of my shetlands qualify as AMHR minis - some don't. One registered AMHR mini went 4" over the height limit (not sure how that happened...permanent AMHR papers came with a 43" bred mare that I purchased).

Again, thanks, Myrna! Really educational to read your posts.


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## RhineStone (Jul 21, 2011)

cathyjo76 said:


> definitely would like to see your trailer. I remember the article in Driving Digest a while back on the couple that had a great setup in a stock trailer. Always looking for ideas.


I have added a page for photos of our trailer _mostly_ packed. I took them about a month ago and finally got them loaded. The link is on this page:

http://rhinestone-ri...rness+Education

Here is one photo:






Myrna


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## cathyjo76 (Jul 23, 2011)

very nice myrna. checked out photos on your site. everything is so neat and organized! do you keep fans, etc in there all the time? what do you use the "fencing" for?


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## RhineStone (Jul 23, 2011)

The fence is for doorways of horse show stalls built for big horses. This allows the minis to look through and get air. We got the fans last year on sale and keep them in the trailer most of the time. Right now, we need them in the house! They bungee cord easily to the fence for air movement at the stalls. The hat box and the other show clothes get put back in the house, but most everything else stays in there. I try not to take too much extra stuff with us, like only one fan if we take only one horse. We don't like to have to trip over extra stuff if we don't have to. But keeping most stuff in the trailer saves A LOT of packing.

Myrna


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## Aristocratic Minis (Jul 24, 2011)

Myrna, thank you so much for all of your effort in compiling and writing your educational articles and packing lists. I have always enjoyed your posts and the information that you share.

I am interested in what you (or others) carry in your First Aid Kit, both for yourself and a kit for your horses. I pack many things, but I often have left out the very thing I needed.

As for myself and packing, I've always loved to travel. I keep a kit packed with all my make-up, hair care items, toiletries and daily meds. It is one of those grab-n-go things which makes things easier. When I'm packing clothing in a suitcase (other than the hanging clothes I take) I fold things neatly, pressing out any wrinkles, and put each item in a zip-lock utility bag. Press the air out and your shirt, etc. will stay neat even when you're digging to the bottom of your suitcase. Dirty clothes can be put back in the plastic bags so they won't come in contact with your clean clothes.

Again, thanks for your tips.


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## RhineStone (Jul 26, 2011)

We have a "commercially made" human First Aid kit that we keep in the trailer. My husband got it through his work. It has all the essentials like Band-Aids, First Aid cream, wraps, etc. We have also put other "horse things" in it, like long cuff gloves, paste Bute, bigger bandages, etc. My brush bag has Vet Wrap, scissors, and the horse thermometer (DON'T put that in your human kit and risk someone using it on a human especially after it has been used on a horse!






) We carry duct tape in the trailer, too. Depending on where we go and what horses we are taking, I might throw a bottle of Banamine in the cooler. So all my First Aid stuff isn't all in the same spot, but again, I don't like to carry more than absolutely necessary, and when we will more than likely use the Vet Wrap to wrap tails, I don't want to pack more in some other spot. BUT, I know where everything is in the trailer, too.





We have a toiletry bag that we call the "Ditty bag" (I don't know why, it's just what Chad called it.) Initially when we started designing the trailer, I wanted the small cabinet to have shelves and racks that all the Ditty bag contents could be located in when we stay in the trailer. But before we got that done, it occurred to me that having the stuff in one bag makes it easy to grab and go when you get home from the show in the middle of the night, and all you want to do is get your contacts out, brush your teeth, and go to bed in your own bed! So the whole Ditty bag fits in the small cabinet. The First Aid kit used to be in cabinet, but since we don't use it very much, it got moved to a shelf over one of the windows in the gooseneck.

Good suggestions about using Ziplock bags!

Myrna


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