# Finally got Misty driving!!!



## Molly's Run Minis (May 14, 2011)

i FINALLY got my cart and harness and broke Misty in about a week ago. She took to it like a pro! she turn real nice and listens to me perfectly, i dont even need a whip at all. she's also REALLY easy to control, even while cantering! i'm thinking about getting into CDE with her.

heres some pics of Misty ground driving and driving in the cart. scroll down a bit to see them.


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## lucky seven (May 14, 2011)

Loved the video and pics, have you trained before?


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## Molly's Run Minis (May 15, 2011)

lucky seven said:


> Loved the video and pics, have you trained before?



i helped a friend train a mini gelding to drive a few years back, and i was raised around driving and pulling horses, so i guess you could say its in my blood






but Misty was awesome, she acted like she's been driving her whole life. She really surprised me.


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## Sixstardanes (May 15, 2011)

Enjoyed the photos.





Now I haven't been driving long and the photos are a bit blurry ...but to me it looked like the shafts were a bit far back that if she were turning they might poke her. Just a light concern - if I'm wrong my apologies.


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## Molly's Run Minis (May 16, 2011)

Sixstardanes said:


> Enjoyed the photos.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



i'm fairly sure thats where they are supposed to be, as they are only supposed to come up to the shoulder. as far as i've seen they havent been poking her (i was watching for that the first few drives to make sure) and she certainly seems to have no trouble pulling it


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## Sixstardanes (May 16, 2011)

Thanks for replying.

Could you please do me a favor?

Could you post photo #24 from your page of her driving so others see it (not everyone checks links) for thoughts?

It might be able to help alot of folks who are starting off or still new to driving.

Appreciated.


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## hobbyhorse23 (May 16, 2011)

The shafts are a little low and a little far back, yes. They are supposed to come up to the point of the shoulder, which is at the front of the shoulder. Other than that she looks very good!

Leia


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## Jill (May 16, 2011)

Are you saying you trained her to drive in about 1wk, or that she already knew how to drive, and you refreshed her over about a 1wk period?


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## Molly's Run Minis (May 16, 2011)

Jill said:


> Are you saying you trained her to drive in about 1wk, or that she already knew how to drive, and you refreshed her over about a 1wk period?



oh no, i've been training and working with her on this since she was a yearling! i just havent used a cart till this year.

when she was a yearling i mostly worked with her on de-spooking and cues, like whoa, walk, etc

when she was two(last year) i introduced her to a bit and we worked on turning and learning to yeild to the bit

as a late 2yr old i dragged stuff behind her to prepare her for the cart, and a few times i had her pull a hay bale.

this year with the help of my neighbor i put the cart together and i led her between the shafts without a bridal. when she calmed down and was fine with the shafts i put her bridal on and hitched her and drove her from the ground for a minute or two before getting in.

honestly, i think she would've been ready last year but i'd never hitch a two year old.


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## Molly's Run Minis (May 16, 2011)

hobbyhorse23 said:


> The shafts are a little low and a little far back, yes. They are supposed to come up to the point of the shoulder, which is at the front of the shoulder. Other than that she looks very good!
> 
> Leia



thanks! i'll try to fix that but for some reason even though i measured her for it her harness is a tad big, even though it DOES fit everything is on the last hole, including the straps that attach to the chest peice(cant think of the name) i figure if it works and its not hurting her and its not TO far back then for now she'll be fine. she just turned three last month so i'm hopeing she'll fill out more so maybe everything will fit better.


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## Molly's Run Minis (May 16, 2011)

Sixstardanes said:


> Thanks for replying.
> 
> Could you please do me a favor?
> 
> ...



sure!

is this the one you were talking about?






sorry about the blurrieness my mom took a video and these are some still images from that video. she cant take moving pictures while holding my lil sis.

this is my favourite still! i'm going to make it my new avatar in a minute.






i'm hopeing to take a better video if it ever stops raining!


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## Molly's Run Minis (May 16, 2011)

also, what class do you all think she would do best in for driving? i think country pleasure but she holds her head kinda high in the trot for that, but when walking she lowers her head so its even with her withers. she has me confused lol


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## CZP1 (May 16, 2011)

Hard to tell which class since you just hitched her up this weekend. I wouldn't rush anything with her. Sometimes you can really stress a horse to do more when they aren't really mentally ready, though she may seem to be, give her a little time to get used to everything that is new - harness, cart, getting used to pulling etc. The shafts do look low and should be moved a little more forward in the harness as suggested.

She is very cute! You should be very proud!


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## Molly's Run Minis (May 16, 2011)

CZP1 said:


> Hard to tell which class since you just hitched her up this weekend. I wouldn't rush anything with her. Sometimes you can really stress a horse to do more when they aren't really mentally ready, though she may seem to be, give her a little time to get used to everything that is new - harness, cart, getting used to pulling etc. The shafts do look low and should be moved a little more forward in the harness as suggested.
> 
> She is very cute! You should be very proud!



actually she's been hitch nearly two weeks, and the only thing that was really 'new' to her was the cart. she's pulled bales of hay occasionally since last year and she's been harnessed. the only thing that was a bit of a challenge for her was the blinders.

i am very happy with her. i have her entered in a few cart classes this weekend, but if i notice her getting stressed while in harness i am prepared to scratch her from them and just do the other classes i have signed up for her.


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## jleonard (May 16, 2011)

Molly said:


> also, what class do you all think she would do best in for driving? i think country pleasure but she holds her head kinda high in the trot for that, but when walking she lowers her head so its even with her withers. she has me confused lol


Two weeks is nothing, give her time. In two weeks she is still just learning to push into the breast collar and figuring out how to move the cart correctly. It is too early in her training to worry about headset just yet, it will come with time and as she develops the correct muscles to allow her to pull the cart while carrying herself in a frame. I have a filly close to the same age, she was hitched for the first time in November and I am just now beginning to ask her to think about working in a frame while driving (granted she is a pony, so I ride her as well as driving and have not driven her consistently since November). Although when I am on her back she can now stay on the vertical very well at the walk, trot, and during transitions, when I drive her she is still working to build those necessary muscles and has trouble maintaining a consistent headset at the walk where she doesn't have momentum to keep the cart rolling. For now, just try to keep steady contact with her mouth so that she gets used to the feel of your hands and moving into contact. Once she accepts that contact consistently you can start asking her to come more into a frame.

Your girl is young and has many wonderful years of driving ahead of her, give her a good foundation now and she will be an amazing partner for years to come! I know how exciting it is to finally get them going, but just make sure you don't push for too much too fast (I'm not criticizing, I have to tell myself constantly that my filly is still a baby and that I need to take things slow, despite the fact that she acts far beyond her years, which makes it so easy to forget her real age!)

Another minor harness adjustment, you may want to try to move the saddle back just a tad, it looks like it may be bumping against her withers.

You both look like you are enjoying yourselves, keep us posted on her progress


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## hobbyhorse23 (May 17, 2011)

Really good post by JLeonard. It sounds like Misty is doing great but just like if you suddenly took up Track or Volleyball, you might do well the first few days but that doesn't mean you won't need time to develop your talents and your body to really be their best.



Molly said:


> thanks! i'll try to fix that but for some reason even though i measured her for it her harness is a tad big, even though it DOES fit everything is on the last hole, including the straps that attach to the chest peice(cant think of the name) i figure if it works and its not hurting her and its not TO far back then for now she'll be fine. she just turned three last month so i'm hopeing she'll fill out more so maybe everything will fit better.


Things probably will fit a little better when she fills out, but only a little, and meanwhile it's important that she be comfortable and feel confident in her job so we want things to fit well enough to help her with that. You might consider adding a pad to both her saddle and breastcollar as that would help take up some slack without punching more holes and would cushion her skin and muscles as well while she gets stronger.



I'd go ahead and punch one more hole in the tugs (the part the shafts sit in) as I'm afraid those often come too long for most minis and have to be shortened. One hole might do it though with the addition of a pad making the backsaddle sit up higher! 







Molly said:


> also, what class do you all think she would do best in for driving? i think country pleasure but she holds her head kinda high in the trot for that, but when walking she lowers her head so its even with her withers. she has me confused lol


I suspect eventually she'll be a Country horse from what I've seen in her Liberty and lunging photos but she'll need time to be able to produce that movement in the cart. Right now she's holding her head up in an effort to balance herself and this new load and when she breaks to a walk she puts it down to pull ("Phew, this is hard!") and because she's relaxing muscles that are tired from this new work. Both are totally normal but as Jessica said, over time and with some help from you she'll learn to hold a frame at both a walk and a trot and then she'll be ready for Country Pleasure. It takes time to physically get stronger though!

Leia


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## drivin*me*buggy (May 17, 2011)

She is a cutie and it looks like you are both having fun. You've gotten some great advice here, especially the last 2 posts from Jessica and Leia. She will definitely change how she looks as she builds muscle and learns how to use herself to do her work. I have pictures from when I first started my horses to how they carry themselves now and the difference is so noticeable. It takes time to develop those muscles.

Are you planning on adding breeching to her harness?

Keep up the good work and enjoy her





Angie


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## Jill (May 17, 2011)

Molly said:


> oh no, i've been training and working with her on this since she was a yearling! i just havent used a cart till this year.


Way to go


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## Molly's Run Minis (May 17, 2011)

drivin*me*buggy said:


> Are you planning on adding breeching to her harness?
> 
> Angie



oh yes, i'm actually ordering it now lol! and i guess i'll be ordering some pads for her harness too. thanks for the advice everyone


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