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A lot will depend on your horse. I've seen those that start with blinkers right away (that's what we did with my Shetland gelding) and I've seen others recommend starting with an open bridle so the horse gets used to things going on around them from the beginning. I prefer to always start...

Mikey wears Equine Jogging shoes and does great in them. I only put front boots on as that is all he seems to need. You can see them in his picture. Well worth the cost vs shoes (if you can even find a farrier willing to shoe a mini)

I'm coming late to the topic but also have to put in a good word for the Comfy Fit. I went through the same process as you when I got Mikey and ended up buying the black/brown synthetic Comfy Fit with the deep V breastcollar. I love it and will be getting another one when I get a slightly bigger...

Darn! Sorry to hear that, it would have been great to see you! They do this show every year so hopefully you can attend next Labor Day. I'll be sure to let you know about other fun shows I hear about. The next one I know of (but don't have any solid info yet) is September 18th in Spanaway. It...

Looking at the pictures it appears you go through the footman's loop, around the shaft, then back through the loop to the buckle? I like that because it also is easy to undo quickly if needed. Let me know if I didn't see it correctly!

Mikey and I spent all of yesterday at the fair (Monroe, last day of the Evergreen State Fair for those that are local) and participated in a fun show for minis and ponies. There were mostly minis with one or two Shetlands in attendance. I took part in all the carriage classes. It was great...

Though they aren't cheap, I went with the Equine Jogging Shoes on a recommendation from a friend. She drove her mini 5 days a week on asphalt, gravel, and dirt for a year with little wear on her pair. I got the Ultimates and they have been working great. You can see he is wearing them in my...

My trainer recommended using a kicking strap if only because of the damage a horse can do to itself and the cart IF they have any issues. I am a firm believer in it is better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

The carriage in my pictures is a Pequea and I love it. Very well built and solid. I was lucky enough to get it second hand from someone local to me. While I haven't personally seen their wagons I can attest to the quality of the product and the service I received when I needed some parts. I...

What a great place to drive! That's one thing I haven't found a lot of around here (at least in Western WA) open places without lots of gates to maneuver around with the cart. It looks like you had wonderful weather, too.

I think Rowdy's got the right idea. Now that Mikey knows that I mean it when I ask, most of the time we take our time and enjoy the scenery!

I had/have this issue with Mikey. He can definitely be lazy if allowed. When I spoke to my trainer he asked me, on a scale of 1-10, how hard I was using my driving whip when needing the aid. I told him probably a 2, he suggested upping it to a 4. We then went around again with a couple of...

A video or a picture would probably help. I was just watching a video of Mikey and I can't say that his breeching moves around all that much whether trotting or cantering

All of the carts I've used have footman's loops and the holdback straps wrap through there. You will most likely need to add some so that the straps stay put when you hook them Do you have a picture of cart shafts?

Great to see everyone getting out and about! On the topic of husbands, mine is more into horses with me than going fishing with me so that helps. He's learned to harness and hitch Mikey all by himself and I think I'll get him driving soon, especially now that I have the new easy entry cart.

What a great idea, Peggy! I never thought of that and will have to give it a try. Much easier to see than looking at your wrist while trying to drive

I picked up an older Garmin watch that works great for me. It can do miles per hour or kilometers, keeps track of lap times if you like and will let you upload all the data to the Garmin website where you can view it over time. Plus, being an older model (since I didn't need the extra stuff) it...

You're welcome! I'm still finding things to watch. I think the most amazing (crazy?) thing I watched was the World Championships for 4 in Hand cones and obstacles in an arena. That was nuts!

The track at my barn is 500 meters (3/10th of a mile) with a slight rise. When we started out we'd only go for a mile or so, mostly trotting and walking with some rests in between. After a few months of work and Mikey being in condition he did 10.5K (just over 6.5 miles) in two parts over the...

Great job! I love the color too. It's so nice when you can actually FIND all of your stuff!