# Spring is on the way!



## hobbyhorse23 (Mar 7, 2012)

Kody started shedding a couple of days ago and today the grass suddenly started sprouting up through the snow. Spring is on its way! I know the weather has been horrible in many places but has anyone else started working their driving horses?

I've been ramping up my enthusiasm reading training books since January and put Turbo back to work last month, spending a week doing ground-driving before I left for California and then about another week's worth since I got back as the weather's allowed. He's been being a typical silly baby ("Oh my God, there's a mountain lion in the corner of the arena I'm turned out in every day! I can't go in that half under harness, it will kill me!"







) but gets a little more of his brain back each time I work him and seems to remember his lessons well from day to day.

By the time we quit last year he was past having the tack taken off as a reward and had no trouble ground-driving to and from the arena like a grownup but this spring he was getting really frustrated and had a couple of temperamental meltdowns. I had to remind myself how young he really is and went back to putting things in his terms to ensure his cooperation. What did he want that first day? To quit what he saw as pointless, boring exercises! So the minute he stopped fighting me and gave a moment of real try I clicked him and calmly stripped all his tack off on the spot. He gave me a wide-eyed look of shock, ran off gleefully bucking and rolled a few hundred times then having apparently left his frustration in the dust came back over to me and did a little more work at liberty. The next day he told me that wasn't necessary but didn't want to go back in the arena once he'd left it. We had a discussion about that and the minute he walked calmly past the threshold he got what he wanted- off came the tack and the session was over. By our third workout he was back to where I'd left him last fall and no longer needed special treatment but I'm glad he reminded me to not only take as much time as it takes but to make sure he's really on the same page I am instead of getting frustrated and trying to force him to do something. I know better! My entire goal with this reactive horse was to make him a full partner in his training to the extent that if he can't do something at liberty, I don't ask him to do it with tack on and after a few months off here I was saying "Just do it!" the minute I got frustrated.



I needed to get my head back on straight too and he helped me do that. I still expect him to do what he's told but need to remember that the easiest way to short-circuit resistance is to make it clear that doing what I want gets him what he wants. Hard for even stubborn ponies to resist that logic!





The biggest thing all this has done is make me realize that there's no substitute for consistent work and sheer miles with a young horse. I'm not good at getting out there and training regularly but with the layoff from my job December 31st I've had plenty of time so both boys have been back in work since early February. I've got my competitions marked out for the year and think I've got enough time to take Turbo along at the pace I prefer through all the material I expect him to know and have him really well started by the time the first major competitions hit so I'm pretty happy.

Kody is being slowly put back into condition as well but with his back injury that's taking the form of building his suppleness and releasing bracing patterns rather than building strength and fitness. That's something I overlooked for years because he was always cooperative under harness but I realize now he never learned to be truly supple through his lower back and all that tension has been magnified 100-fold since he got hurt. He's spent the last few years protecting that area and instead of moving properly through his topline he now locks his back and lower neck/jaw muscles and trails his hindquarters because he's anticipating pain if he stretches that area and steps deeply. This winter for the first time in a long time I'm seeing him trotting and cantering everywhere with Turbo, no longer cross-leading in the rear nor running with both his hind legs together and he's coming out of all that zooming around each day sound, which is a major improvement. All his sparkle and zest for life has returned which means he's back to jigging his way down the street and wanting to zoom off in the Hyperbike so we're spending a lot of time concentrating on a swinging walk and on releasing those patterns of resistance. I've been using some Connected Groundwork techniques from Peggy Cummings to retrain his neurological system to be soft and responsive and doing lots of lateral work from the ground and between the two he's really come a long way in the last few months. Tonight for instance even though he's suddenly being stiff to the left (which was his good side until this week) he's finally understanding that what I want is deep, relaxed, deliberate weight-bearing steps with his back legs when we're leg yielding or doing shoulder-ins. He's gone from trying to rush the maneuvers and do them with his ears pinned, jaw locked and neck hollow to licking and chewing as he gives his poll and jaw to lead pressure, relaxes his neck and steps up under himself rhythmically (sp?). I'm so pleased!

My goal over the next few months is to let Kody have more and more easy road drives in the Hyperbike to increase his cardiovascular fitness and accustom his body to light load-pulling again while continuing the lateral work and transitioning it from a halter and lead to the bridle. He wasn't ready for that or for doing it at a trot last winter but he's suddenly getting it and is now ready for serious work in long-lines. Turbo needs to be pulling weight for CDE conditioning but gets mulish over being asked to drag things so I think I'll continue his dressage work via ground-driving and get him out on the trail in the cart as much as possible to build fitness. My main goals with him besides building basic rhythm and stretch through the topline are getting him in blinkers for the R shows (which requires going back over all the training we've already done) and getting him 100% solid on things around his hind feet. He knows he's supposed to stand there and ignore stuff around his hind legs and most the time he does, but some days he can't even handle me brushing his tail or touching his rear without cow-kicking violently with his ears pinned. He's a mite touchy is that one!



It's been a thing with him since he was a baby and it doesn't help that he spends half the day backed up to the fence letting Kody bite him through it and kicking every time Kody nips his hiney. He thinks it's a game! At least now he stops when I tell him to and is no longer doing it out of reflex but I want to spend some time having him drag a singletree and purposely getting a leg over a trace and such so I can teach him the right responses under controlled conditions. We've already done some of that and half the time he's a calm, accepting angel, the other half he sits there mindlessly kicking over and over in annoyance. By the time he's in the show ring in May I expect him to know without a doubt that the right answer is ALWAYS to stop and wait for Mom to get you out of it.

So those are my plans and how things are coming with my two kids. How are you guys doing? Any problems you're stuck on, things you worked out, brilliant "Ah-ha!" moments you want to share? Let's get excited about driving!

Leia


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## susanne (Mar 7, 2012)

Anything that we're stuck on? Like the mud? (I guess that doesn't count, since we're stuck IN that...)

We're tentatively planning on doing the schooling CDE in May, which means we have to come up with some place to work on conditioning, as the corral that doubles as our workspace is just a bit muddy (as in swallowing wheels whole). Our neighbors may get tired of watching us drive up and down our dead-end road ad nauseum -- and even with that, we won't be able to work on dressage...or cones...


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## jyuukai (Mar 7, 2012)

Bahaha, the grass here has been coming up since December, and the fields are almost ready to put the horses back out on! The pony princess just started shedding, but it's been so hot that we are going to partially trace clip her anyways (low trace, cutting with the hair instead of against it). Poor thing just sweats like a pig whenever we work.

At the moment we are doing alot of lunge line work. I've been really, really sick and so the best I can do, honestly, is stand mostly still while she works haha. It's lazy, but its been good for her as I'm finally teaching her to canter on command. She is only three so we've been taking it easy on the canter work but she's doing well! She picked up the cue after being asked once with the whip raised to give her the idea that I wanted a transition up. I admit that the first time I asked she wanted to play Kentucky Derby but she did slow down with encouragement and settled into a gorgeous gait.

You ever wish your mini was a riding horse? I just know she's smooth as silk haha, if only she was a few hands taller



Ah well, I will enjoy it from the cart when she's ready!


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## rbrown (Mar 7, 2012)

I am happy to report that Skip is doing SO much better in the arena now. She will pick up a trot the first time I ask her, and maintain it until I say otherwise (at least for a few laps!). I was able to spend a few hours at the barn for 5 days in a row, and that made a huge difference. Of course now I'm back to only being able to see her 2-3 times a week, so we're not progressing much... I'm just trying to maintain her training. But I was totally amazed at how fast she can learn and progress with consistent work... makes me really excited to have the whole summer off to work with her every day! I can't wait to see what she can do by the end of the summer! So for now, my biggest challenge is having enough time for her.

The other day I finally remembered to bring my tall rubber boots to the barn- I have been wanting to take Skip over the (very little/shallow- probably 6" deep and 5' wide) stream on one of our trails, since she's not a huge fan of walking in puddles and I really want to make sure she's okay crossing water if/when we start doing CDEs. We spent half an hour at the edge of the stream, with Skip planting her feet and snorting at the water. What a goofball! She's been swimming in ponds and on beaches before, but this was a horse-eating stream, apparently! Anyway, I finally got the bright idea to cross the stream myself, and have her watch, figuring she might have been afraid that it was too deep or something... anyway, it worked. She walked right in, stood in the middle, and started pawing and playing around it in. When it came time to cross back toward home, she marched right in. I was so proud of her





My second mini, Kandy, is coming back to me after being on a 3.5 year lease, so I am getting excited to have her back. She hasn't been used much since going on lease, but I am under the impression that she had some less-than-ideal experiences driving (younger girls showing her without having any driving lessons... of course without my knowledge/permission, yikes!!). So I'll likely be spending a bit of time ground driving and brushing up on basics before I drive her again. I am very, very excited to have her back- she was such an awesome little driving horse when I last had her! She has a wonderful work ethic and was always so willing to please- I really hope she hasn't lost that! I've had her since she was 2 and I was 12, so we grew up together and she is very dear to me.

And then... who knows, maybe I'll have to try tandem with my two girls!! Skip has already driven tandem, so maybe I'll get some lessons and have a really fun project for the summer



I would love to get them going as a pair (especially since they match so well- they are mother/daughter black pintos!) but I'm afraid that will have to wait until I've saved enough money for a 4-wheeled carriage and pairs harnesses.


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## Kendra (Mar 8, 2012)

While spring hasn't technically arrived in my corner of the Great White North, I sure enjoyed reading about your adventures in training, Leia!

My driving plans for this year are a little up in the air - I'm hoping to drive Image, my old horse, but that depends on how long his miraculous return to soundness lasts - he is 22 after all, and was retired 7 years ago. Whether we actually make it to a show or not, the chance to drive him again this past fall was such a gift, and I'm just going to enjoy it for as long as it lasts.

Of COURSE I have young horses who need to be started as well, I'm particularly looking forward to working with Little Duke this spring. But with Hawk looking more and more like he's not going to get over his lameness (thankfully, it's only enough to keep him from work, not enough to hurt his quality of life) and Jamie moving on to a new home, I'm mostly waiting for my two year old to grow up. I have high hopes for him!


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## targetsmom (Mar 8, 2012)

Well, the temp is warm enough here today to think spring, but we still have snow cover in some of the turnouts and mud just about everywhere else. Plus we have been very busy with our 3 pregnant mares (due between now and late April) and our new 4-H Club. I really appreciate Leia's description of her experiences with Turbo, because it seems so easy to think everyone else trains their horses with never a glitch or bad moment! In my case, I can always think back to training Princess, and how difficult she was, and how well she turned out. I drove her in the snow once this winter and had an absolute BLAST and then drove her in cart a month or so ago and she was perfect. Dancer, on the other hand...

Dancer had a few weeks off this winter when I realized she was cutting her 4-year old teeth a bit early and that was what was causing her to start tossing her head. Like Princess before her, she is quick to let me know when something isn't quite right, which can be both good and bad! Once the teeth came in and she got back to work, the head tossing went right away. That didn't mean she was perfect though - she is one to challenge everything, but we are learning to communicate. She let me know she needed more work in a comfortable area before she would willingly work out of sight of the barn and horses. We have been working on halts a lot, and she is getting much better and more relaxed. We had a really good session yesterday, away from the barn, once we got past the little hissy fit when she realized she wasn't going right back to the barn! All in all, I am very pleased with her progress and just ADORE her. At the same time she is learning to ground drive, she is also learning to set up for halter, jump, and do halter obstacle. Her sidepass is coming along just fine too! We are in no hurry to hook her (sometime this summer is fine) because our main goals for this year involve the Pinto shows, where I can only drive one mini and that will be Princess. But we plan to take Dancer for the other classes and a chance to get her used to showing.


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## hobbyhorse23 (Mar 8, 2012)

Yay, it's exciting to hear where we're all at!



susanne said:


> We're tentatively planning on doing the schooling CDE in May


I'm skipping that one, will be up at Pacific Crown in Lynden. I'll do my CDE schooling the day after the TREC in April since all Turbo really needs is to walk the creek by himself, learn to bop around the hazards at an easy trot and find his 9kph pace. I can reinforce the rest at home!



susanne said:


> Our neighbors may get tired of watching us drive up and down our dead-end road ad nauseum -- and even with that, we won't be able to work on dressage...or cones...


Welcome to my world. Believe me however, it IS possible to work on dressage on the road. There's all those lovely mail boxes to act as markers for gait transitions, you can do great serpentines to work on bend and forwardness, the sound of the hooves on pavement is conducive to good rhythm...I've been doing most my training on the road for years! The only thing that sucks is trying to drive circles. LOL



jyuukai said:


> You ever wish your mini was a riding horse?


All the time! I've often said if Kody were 16 hands and had a normal hind end he'd be a Grand Prix jumper.

Leia


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## targetsmom (Mar 8, 2012)

Ha- I have one dressage riding friend who wishes Princess was 16 hands while my driving instructor (also a dressage rider) has slightly different taste- she wishes Dancer were 16 hands! They are both a lot younger than I am, so I am content that they are minis!


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## Marsha Cassada (Mar 8, 2012)

WE have mud now, too! Hurrah! I will gladly sacrifice a few days work to have some mud.


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## susanne (Mar 9, 2012)

This is what Mingus would look like as a big horse. He'd be fantastic for riding, but if everything stayed in proportion, he'd need a draft-size bridle...


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## jegray21 (Mar 9, 2012)

There is a traditional carriage show the end of March that we are going to! Very excited it is only an hour away! Ace is finally bending to the left...took all winter to get it





My young ones are acting nuts since the weather change so we have a lot of up and down and head shaking in the bridle





One is due to be gelded this monday



hopefully this is going to get him more focused and less argumentative !

Ok thats what we are working on over here


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## hobbyhorse23 (Mar 9, 2012)

jegray21 said:


> My young ones are acting nuts since the weather change so we have a lot of up and down and head shaking in the bridle


Could they be having tooth issues? My almost-four year old was acting like he really hated his new Myler Comfort Snaffle (really?! How can anyone hate such an inoffensive bit?



) but I noticed he was also a little off his hay and sure enough I found another tooth missing a day or two later. Now he's stopped dragging his head down to the ground every two seconds and stress chewing and seems to like the bit just fine. I'd stopped being so cautious with him because I didn't realize that teething issues continued past the age of 3. I know better now!





Leia


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## targetsmom (Mar 9, 2012)

Yes, about the teeth - see my post about this on the previous page. Dance is coming 4 and was bothered by cutting4 teeth about a month ago but is fine now. Now, she did act kind of nuts today, but without the head shaking! Just the weather change I think, as the 2 year olds were running around like crazy in their turnout.


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## Jules (Mar 10, 2012)

This is a great thread, I loved reading where everyone is up to.

We have just moved into Autumn here but that is somewhat of a relief and I am looking forward to being able to do a bit more without the sun beating down on me or the summer storms making everything muddy and the air moist - at times its been like breathing thick soup.

So, my guy is not a driving horse...yet 

I got him Jan 21 as a totally unhandled colt. I have had him gelded and have worked with him LOADS since then. I interact with him at least 5x a day, whether it be an hour or just 5 minutes here and there. I am pretty busy with kids,work and study but as he is at my house I can snatch time more easily than if he were agisted elsewhere so I am very lucky.

He is leading well, picks up feet, ties up, tolerates things like large wheelie-bins being dragged alongside him, is coping well with traffic, dogs rushing at him, trains etc.I am just taking him all about the neighbourhood with the kids and I, I figure the more he sees and gets used to, the better.

My small 4yo DD is able to quietly sit bareback on him now



Obviously with me there and all possible safety precautions taken.

This coming week I plan to start ground driving him and somewhere over the coming weeks mouth him (bitting to you?). I am ordering my harness in two weeks time and which will take about 6 weeks to get here. Once it is here I will start getting him accustomed to it in stages.


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## hobbyhorse23 (Mar 12, 2012)

Had to update- I am so pleased with Turbo!!

March 5th I put the blinkers on him for the first time with the intention of actually using them. (He'd tried them on as a yearling and two year old just to see what styles might look good but they clearly made him anxious so I only kept them on a few minutes.) He was completely unbothered and we went through the process of running my hands all over him, playing with his surcingle and tail, getting him to move away from the whip, and generally sacking him out with his vision restricted before ground-driving for a few minutes with them on. He was clearly aware of the change but surprised me with how utterly accepting he was and we ended on a good note after 20 minutes.

The next evening I took Kody for a walk down the road and was super pleased with him as well- he's really gaining strength and suppleness in his lateral work and is now completely comfortable flexing and swapping ends at a trot at a light touch. He and I went out just before dark and worked in a halter for probably half a mile with some stopping for grass in between sessions, the sunset light setting my red horse on fire. It had snowed overnight so by the time I got Turbo out the full moon was glittering off the patches of white left by the side of the road and the slush on the road had frozen solid. I put on his surcingle and the training blinkers and we went out for about 40 minutes to accustom him to traffic and lights approaching from behind. We've been doing roadwork desensitization since I got him as a yearling but he hasn't been ground-driven out there very often and of course the blinkers added a whole new dimension for him. I'm pleased to say while he certainly noticed the vehicles all he did was flick his ears and tense his neck a little at the first few and a soft word from me was enough to settle him. We stopped and practiced standing several times and he stood like a rock while a big garbage truck rattled by less than a foot away and people stopped or paced us to exclaim over how cute he was. We walked around ice, through snow, past barking dogs and went to visit the neighbor's champion minis which became slightly more exciting when her stallion galloped up out of the dark. It was a good training opportunity as Turbo worked through needing to whirl and face the noise and learned with a little repetition to walk past the paddock even with the stallion whuffling and striking the gate and herding his mare away. Tee was alert and excited but thinking and remained obedient after the first few moments of startlement so he got a gold star for that lesson. We went around behind the barn and visited the rest of the brood mares, learning to stop away from the fence and neither creep forward nor graze or paw. Then past the stallion again on the way out (more repetition of "No, you may not stop and stare nor may you whirl") and after he'd come back on the bit and started responding to the whip on his outside ribcage we headed home. I was pleased as punch with the whole session and really wished I'd had a camera as the view on the walk back was so special. A huge full moon overhead like a Hollywood special effect, glittering, fluffy snow on all the pines and my silver buckskin colt shining almost as brightly against the white footing as he arched his neck and strode confidently home. *happy sigh* It is so awesome to see all the foundation work I put into him paying off. He was crossing streets briskly, modifying his pace to whatever I'd ask, standing quietly on a loose rein for long periods of time (okay, with a few reminders at first



), and generally acing every single test in a chaotic environment.

The next night I got him out again, but this time put the full harness on him instead of just the surcingle. I realized I needed to be formal about going back over his previous training in the blinkers so I decided I needed to cover "feeling things behind the blinkers" and "being followed by a noise that you can't run away from." Just because he isn't bothered by the cart noises in an open bridle doesn't mean he really understands noises that follow, it just means he knows the cart won't hurt him! He spent an awful long time ponying behind Kody in the cart and got used to it but never really had sound training beyond that.

Turbo was completely wired so I led him up to the arena tacked up and ended up lunging him lightly on the lead in all the scary corners that he wanted to dash away from. We did some flexing and spiraling out and transitions, lots of changes of direction and moving from place to place until he was listening. Then I asked him to trot in circles to make the harness bells I had on his saddle (left over from Christmas) ring more loudly. He definitely noticed the sound as a separate element this time and was a little concerned over it but after a few laps he started licking and chewing and even began to follow the weight of his tied-up reins and stretch down a bit. He got a click and treat for that! Good boy. We took a break to hitch up the PVC pipe we'd used as a practice shaft when he was first learning and then ground-drove with it on first one side and then the other. He kicked out a little when he felt it against his hind leg the first time but accepted my correction and after a moment was like "Oh, it's that thing. I remember!" I found having the shaft pushing against his side when he tried to duck away from the scary corners or back up actually steadied him and allowed him to finally walk through the far corners in control if not quietly.



By the time we'd had the shaft on both sides we'd been working 40 minutes and the light was almost gone so we stopped for the night and worked on standing again as he was quite upset that Kody was grazing while he worked and he was starting to have tantrums unrelated to the task at hand.

I gave him three days off to think about things while the rain came pouring down and then got him out again tonight. Since it was getting dark I only threw on the surcingle and we headed up to the arena to see what we could get done. He was like a different horse!



The mountain-lion-infested corners were suddenly devoid of horse-eating monsters. He walked with energy, he did not drag his head down or gnaw the bit with frustration, he bent and pushed nicely from his hindquarters at all times. He kept stepping back over the reins when I'd walk forward to give him his clicker reward so we worked on the "things between your hind legs" lesson and made progress on submitting to Mom's wishes when annoyed. I've begun gently insisting that he walk forward for a few strides when asked with the rein caught under his belly and around his hock and that seems to be getting through to him that he doesn't need to overreact to the touch back there. He still kicks instead of nicely lifting his foot when I go to free him but we're working on that and it seems to me with the blinkers on he's better about listening instead of trying to anticipate where I'm going to be and backing up into me to try and scratch his rear. That's what I was hoping for so I'm quite happy! Then to finish blowing my mind I asked him to do some trot circles around me on the long-lines instead of the lead and in the course of trying to change directions so we could work both sides I discovered he's perfectly willing to do lovely, balanced, forward figure eights at a trot. I haven't even asked him to really do them at a walk! :thud:This from the horse who last time I worked him was only doing a couple of laps at a trot before wanting to know where his goodies were (he didn't get them for quitting, obviously). I praised him and played with what he was willing to do and in minutes we were trotting lovely diagonals across the arena, bending through the short corners then segueing into circles and changes of rein then trotting around the entire rail and back across on another diagonal. He was having FUN!



There wasn't as much longitudinal stretch as I would have liked but when I got him bending it came and meanwhile he was learning to be forward and hold a steady rhythm. He got happy and broke to a small canter with a little buck or two for a moment at one point but I didn't even have to correct him; he reined himself in, took up contact again and went forward. You could probably have seen my smile from three blocks away.

To top it off, I went to ground-drive him out of the arena as it was getting dark and discovered that the horse who a few weeks ago had to be forced _into_ the arena will now duck out to try and avoid LEAVING it!



He was very calm and polite about it but seemed convinced I must have misdirected him- surely we weren't going that way? We were having fun working, weren't we? Why leave? It took three tries to get him out the gate!





So overall I am more than pleased with this horse. With time and more miles he's going to be pretty fantastic and I have to admit I'm feeling a tiny bit smug as my training plan is working out just as I'd hoped it would. I did most of Kody's training but took a lot of lessons, made a lot of mistakes and couldn't help feeling like one horse doth not a qualified expert make. I'm still not an expert of course (far from it!) but Turbo was a test for me, a way of proving to myself that I really do know what I'm doing, and I feel a sense of quiet confidence now that my nagging fears have been laid to rest. I'm going to try and get some video the next time I work him and will post it if I succeed. It's always fun to watch other people train!

Leia


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## targetsmom (Mar 13, 2012)

Well, I have to update too, as I am so pleased with Dancer!!! Major milestone today as we used our home-made travois for the first time and she handled it like a pro!! She has been doing really well for the past few days, plus the weather has been warm, so it seemed like she was ready. We did work up to this in stages, starting with a broom in the tugs, but all this morning. She was totally unconcerned about the travois next to her body, the sound of it dragging on the ground or over stones, turning with it, etc. Not enough helpers to get photos, but I am thrilled anyway!

ETA: We start all of ours with blinders so (hopefully) by the time they are hooked they are used to the narrow field of vision. But we have had our share of the twirl around to look at something!


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## rbrown (Mar 13, 2012)

I have a good update as well. I took Skip to the stream crossing again on Sunday, and she walked right through! No hesitation whatsoever! I was so proud of her and told her so, gave her lots of praise and a piece of carrot... she looked at me like "What's the big deal, mom?? It's just water!" Now I just have to try ground driving her through the water and see how she responds


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## hobbyhorse23 (Mar 15, 2012)

I think we all need separate threads so we get individual replies.



Ya'll realize I spent literally the whole darn night writing that up because I was excited and wanted to share with my friends, and I don't even get one little "good job??" I know it's a lot of words without any pictures but you keep saying you want to hear the details and I'll share pix as soon as I have any.





*theatrically mopes for about 3.5 seconds*

Ah well. Guess I need to give up and move to blogging anyway, since most the time I'm writing for my own purposes in not losing the magic of the training process to the vagarities of human memory. Good job to the rest of you, I'm glad Dancer is making better progress now and Skip accepted the water. We need some sort of "picture challenge" in a month or two when the weather allows!

Leia


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## shorthorsemom (Mar 15, 2012)

hobbyhorse23 said:


> I think we all need separate threads so we get individual replies.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Hey there Lady... I read every word... sometimes over and over. I love your posting, I wish I could write that visual, I can see everything in your writing. You should do a video and a book. I love the "adventures of Turbo"... Half asleep these days reading and not posting... my new job (working the dairy with my husband) has me exhausted and muscle sore and I literally fall into bed each night and sleep like a dog. I tried posting a few times on some interesting topics and then re-read them later and they were garbled and looked like they were written by a sleep deprived poster. LOL I admit to being too tired to work my boys and they are shedding like crazy. I am getting their feet done and going to schedule dentals in preparation of having time to work once my body gets used to working a physical job all day rather than sitting at a computer all day... Keep up the posting... you never know who you are teaching and inspiring. I read everything you post and was tickled pink to see all the hobbyhorse postings all in a row. I need motivating... My instructor has been too busy to come out, my harness is repaired and waiting for me to come get it, and my horses are making birds nest material all over the place and I can't do much without my instructor since I wrecked except do some line driving and that makes me too tired these days... Theatrical whining here... haha. Take care. Adair


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## rbrown (Mar 15, 2012)

shorthorsemom said:


> Hey there Lady... I read every word... sometimes over and over. I love your posting, I wish I could write that visual, I can see everything in your writing. You should do a video and a book. I love the "adventures of Turbo"... Half asleep these days reading and not posting... my new job (working the dairy with my husband) has me exhausted and muscle sore and I literally fall into bed each night and sleep like a dog. I tried posting a few times on some interesting topics and then re-read them later and they were garbled and looked like they were written by a sleep deprived poster. LOL I admit to being too tired to work my boys and they are shedding like crazy. I am getting their feet done and going to schedule dentals in preparation of having time to work once my body gets used to working a physical job all day rather than sitting at a computer all day... Keep up the posting... you never know who you are teaching and inspiring. I read everything you post and was tickled pink to see all the hobbyhorse postings all in a row. I need motivating...


I am posting from my phone so I hope this works..

Me too! I have been reading your posts since I discovered this awesome forum several months ago, and I love your posts! They are always so informative and helpful. I hope you keep posting, Leia!!


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## susanne (Mar 15, 2012)

.

Good job!

There, is that better?

I think we all read your post as a "let's hear how everyone is doing with spring driving training" kind of post, similar to the "let's see photos of your horse in training."

I apologize for the misinterpretation. Such are the vagaries of the internet .

I've said all along that you need to write a blog.


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## jegray21 (Mar 15, 2012)

hobbyhorse23 said:


> Could they be having tooth issues? My almost-four year old was acting like he really hated his new Myler Comfort Snaffle (really?! How can anyone hate such an inoffensive bit?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yes! I called the dentist he is coming out soon to check everyone. I think that might have something to do with it! Thanks!


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## targetsmom (Mar 15, 2012)

Oh, gosh, I have been so busy with training, working, clipping, and mare-staring that I just got back to this thread. And now I feel bad, because after reading Leia's whole post (as I always do), I just jumped in with my own update because I was so excited myself. You have done such a a great job with both Kody and Turbo that I think you inspire many of us. Great job, and we do understand your excitement at feeling the satisfaction that comes with knowing your horse is coming along just the way you planned. I am sorry it took me so long to comment.

I think you should write a book or at least magazine articles. Or a blog, but us oldsters think in terms of ink, not internet.


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## jegray21 (Mar 20, 2012)

Defiantly need to start a blog!


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## brasstackminis (Mar 22, 2012)

Spring flew right past us I think and we are feeling like summer here! Ok, maybe not, but 84 degrees?? So the weather is sooo nice, I have been outside gardening, weeding, and scoopin the poo, WHICH I might add I have been selling to others for their gardens and have made over $100 in 2 weeks! The minis are on breeding vacation this year (2 mares and a stallion)... My shetland is getting worked for my new CDE adventures and my Welsh/Quarter pony crosses don't know it yet, but are going to be driving as a pair by the end of the year...

So I have been driving my Starbuck out on the road and trying to get him to listen instead of think...if we can get this down, we are set! He is too stinking smart and reminds me of my Arabian mare and geldings that I can NOT practice a Dressage test with for fear of anticipation! Since I have no arena to practice in and my property is all sandy loam (great for roundpens but not so much with those thin tires for driving on) we have to hit the pavement. I decided to give him front shoes with a tiny bit of borium welded to the heels to give him some traction. The borium worked too on that one time he decided that the crupper had grabbed him by the tail and he bolted on the road!



We have resolved that issue (never really was one, he just scared himself!) and now we are onto driving again out on the road, but I am not currently going in straight lines...I am doing blocks so I am closer to home! That last time had me walking 4 miles to get back! I now have lights, reflective stuff everywhere, always wearing boots and jeans (what ever possessed me to wear shorts and flip flops driving?) and also got my gloves and hat! It was a very humbling experiance that I am glad I had with a shetland and not my 13.3hh pony!

I am adding my pony brag here too...don't shoot me! The pony has been out too, for the first time, in her new harness and carriage.



I am lucky to have such a level headed pony mare and her filly is even better. They leave me thinking...she can't be this good. She is gonna loose it any min! But she never does. Tomorrow I may just decide to drive her to my friends house...6 miles away. I am still thinking this one out. I have ridden and driven lots of my others that way, but this would be a first for this mare. I am working on the best way to harness and hitch to the carriage safely alone... I wish I had a partner in crime! If anyone lives close by and wants to drive cummon over! I love company!


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## hobbyhorse23 (Mar 22, 2012)

I wish, Karen, that would be awesome! Congrats on getting them going.

Leia


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