# Newest Pair (W/ a "spare", LOL)



## paintponylvr (Dec 9, 2012)

Here's Cassie ground driving next to my "steady eddy" Bell... Cassie's 2 month old colt makes it look like a 3 abreast.







And here is Cassie's (the bay/white mare on the right side) 1st hitch:






She's now been driven, as a pair, 3 times. She's gone down the road and walked and trotted. It's quite awesome and I'm very excited... Her whoa and stand are really good. she's doing a lot of head throwing though when one line or the other is tightened from light contact for a change in direction. Since I had the vet check her teeth and was told they are good - I'm now starting the "bit changing game" - to see what I have that will work for her. Hope that just trying a smaller diameter bit with a bean in it will make her happy.

Since Cassie and Bell are a good match, I will keep them as one pair. Bell's sister, Bit, is now matched up with Koalah. Pics of them from our first parade yesterday are in another post...


----------



## Jules (Dec 10, 2012)

Love the 'three' abreast photo


----------



## ksoomekh (Dec 10, 2012)

Good for you!!! I love the draft harness. What kind of vehicle are they pulling?

Karen


----------



## paintponylvr (Dec 10, 2012)

Jules said:


> Love the 'three' abreast photo


Jules -

I do too! That's why I posted that one,





I actually have quite a few pics of a "3-abreast" with the foals from 2010 and 2012. Didn't get any shots of them that way in 2011 for some reason.


----------



## paintponylvr (Dec 10, 2012)

Karen -

That is a Fore Cart made by Pioneer Manufacturing out of Dalton, OH. Fore carts are also built by a company called White Horse out of PA and think there are a couple of others as well now. I believe that all the companies that build the Forecarts are Amish, but not positive about that. The fore cart is a very heavy duty cart meant to be pulled for farm work. It has a drawbar behind the axle that is reinforced to attach farming equipment to. You can also attach a reese hitch to it - with a ball for some equipment. For the larger sizes, you can get different types of wheels - including one that is round but the "tire" part is a flat piece of metal with ... uhh - metal "threads" or "bumps" - great for traction in mud. For the smaller shetlands - we can attach ATV and garden tractor sized implements for them to work. There are also at least two companies that I know of now that make a forecart for minis - tho it's sized much smaller - it isn't necesarrily less expensive nor does it have the same features. I also have the implement seat - so that I can attach equipment that might need me to work with a handle - the implement seat can be turned in different ways to accomodate that. It can also take on two implement seats - sometimes done w/ the plows and given the name of a "honeymoon" plow...



The one drawback right now is that Pioneer doesn't make a plow small enough to attach to this size forecart that the shetlands can handle. Here is a side view of my forecart taken this spring.






Other than for basic training, it's not really meant to be pulled alone as it's not considered to be weighted right for them to pull. Mine can be even more of a problem - as I purchased a larger cart so that I can use it to train my Shetland xbreds that go up to 13.2 hh. I did, however, have a pony tongue put on it. Mine is the Hafflinger size with 13" wheels. I have Hafflinger shafts in storage right now - personally this cart is too heavy for a single Shetland pony, especially my smaller or lighter ones, to pull alone - so I didn't get the shafts in that size. I can actually "lock it down" - with the brake that is on it. I really like it - rides pretty darn nice for an "ole farm cart". You ca also order a shade for it (i might eventually do that).

My girlfriend bought a pony sized one and it has 12" wheels, the seat is narrower and doesn't sit as high. The area in front of the seat is also smaller than mine. I have attached a pic of her this summer with her pair of 40" shetlands pulling a double disk.






I have now got two pairs working - but ordered the wrong size lines for this size of pony. I have to special order another set to do a 4-abreast team. Then we will school them with the motorized pull behind mower and my ponies will bushhog the fields we have. Evenutally, I will have the bracing struts/platform attached directly to the mower - so that I can attach an implement seat to it - then the ponies can pull the mower directly. Also, I now have a Cyclone Rake - and it can be attached to the forecart and can be used to vacuum manure up from the paddocks and pastures. Still putting it together - right now it's attached to the riding lawnmower to do the leaf work in front of our property where there isn't enough room to manueaver a forecart and pair of ponies with it between the trees.

Draft horse sized forecarts can carry motors - that then run a PTO to large farming equipment. Or not... Many options. You can get farm equipment now that is either PTO or ground driven to pull with the horses.

Here is a 6 abreast of riding mules pulling a two implement seat forecart made by White Horse. It was being hooked to a very LARGE harrow which I will show next.











and here is one with a 3-abreast of spotted draft horses w/ the 2 implement seat pulling a disk (I think they didn't have the horses directly hitched to the disk becase one man is green and this allows his mentor or boss to ride along with to show him the ropes, so to speak). This is the same plowday that I was able to hitch my pair to a riding disk and we proved that Shetlands can also pull in the fields. However, it was very deep and the disk sank and it was hard work for the single pair. Next spring I should have the 4-abreast team ready to do this type of work and it won't be a problem...


----------



## ksoomekh (Dec 10, 2012)

Thank you for the information. What you are doing is so very interesting.

Karen


----------



## paintponylvr (Dec 10, 2012)

Learning "new" stuff this weekend!!!

While my "farm style" harness isn't appropriate, I will be getting my "hooves" wet this weekend with a possible ADT... We'll see how it goes.

I will also be trying out my first marathon style carriage (hopefully actually getting to drive it - not sure yet). I've been a passenger in a couple of different styles and sizes so far and admired a whole lot of them and wished I could try driving them myself so that I can see what I like and why.

**********

My goal/dream - when I started learning to drive - was to have the ponies work the land that supports them. I'm finally on the way towards that goal. As we get the equipment and learn to use it, we are getting one step closer each time. It's so exciting! I wanted to get away from gas powered tools but that doesn't look to be happening just yet as the two main implements that I purchased this year have gas powered motors. Ah well...


----------



## paintponylvr (Dec 10, 2012)

ksoomekh said:


> I love the draft harness.
> Karen


It's been interesting on the harness. I don't think anyone doing the Draft style classes at Nationals had the same harness. Some DID have betathane or biothane - others had leather. The collars were also different on each hitch. This was very curious to me - especially since I'd had a hard time finding draft style harness originally. Seems there are a couple mini Draft Hitch people that have some inside contacts with different Amish communities. My style of harness seems to be a cross between the real work type and the show/parade type.

Have also met folks here that have different styles of harness for their ponies and minis. It sure is interesting!! Some of the designs I've really liked, some I just think - wow - I made a great choice with the harness (s) that I chose! Never realized how much difference there was in the harness.

ADDED: I think my collars are also more of a buggy style than a field style. Amazingly - some of the mini collars at Nationals were twice the thickness (against the side of the neck) of mine - and on the shorter mini horse necks - they covered most of the horse!


----------



## Renolizzie (Dec 11, 2012)

A very interesting thread!! I so admire your abilities with your ponies, paintpony. The three abreast photo with the colt was very cute, by the way.


----------



## paintponylvr (Dec 12, 2012)

Renolizzie said:


> A very interesting thread!! I so admire your abilities with your ponies, paintpony. The three abreast photo with the colt was very cute, by the way.


Here's another one -


----------



## Shari (Dec 13, 2012)

Love the photos! And I love seeing folks do draft work with the small equines!


----------



## paintponylvr (Dec 13, 2012)

O, I didn't get the real picture of a 5 abreast as I was alone (& that was CRAZY, doncha kno?). I had the mares hitched to the forecart with the two foals on the outside on each side while in the campgrounds - when got to the trails - they were both turned loose.

But here is a psuedo one... I was ground driving the girls for the first time 3-abreast. 2 of the 3 mares had fillies (born march 13 & 29) and they were running loose while we were doing this.






Not quite as in line here - LOL -


----------



## paintponylvr (Dec 13, 2012)

U'd think I'd lose more weight with all the ground driving I do.






Ah well. Such is life.


----------

