Anyone else starting driving horses this fall...

[GREENWOODMINIS]

Anyone else starting their driving horses this fall for next year? Either for your show string or for your personal pleasure? I thought it would be a fun thread to see who is starting their driving horses - or, tell us about perhaps your future driving prospect you might be saving...so, come on and share!! :aktion033: :aktion033:

This is my favorite time of year...FALL

: !!!!!

I start to plan on who I will bring out next year

: . Anyone else do that?

ok...I going first...but, you have to promise tell me about yours

:

:

I have two I am starting in harness for next year ~ A nine year old Mare Flight of Fancys Curtain Call that is a daughter to our own World Champion Herdsire Dickens, She has been so much fun ~ she loves her new job and, is always excited about what we are going to do...her attitude & mind are awesome! Here is a pic of her

My second is our own home-grown Greenwood Acres Mad about You, sired by World Champion Alliances Tender Loverboy...She is a coming three year old...and, so ready for a job - This mare is a hoot

: so excited too about what we are doing. She had been for sale...but, I have really been watching her this summer mature...I think she will make a great little 32 and under driving horse...so, she is staying put

: sometimes the one you are shopping for is right under your nose in your very own barn HA!!!!

I will try to come back and post her photo.

Its weird to have a two horses that are far apart on the age spectrum...one 9 and the other 3 - it will be interesting to track there progress. I move at a turtles pace with my driving horses...they spend a HUGE amount of time on ground work...so, it will be next year before I enjoy the ride

: but, hopefully worth the wait

:

OK...now tell me about yours

come on

: this will be fun :saludando:

lis

 

[wade3504]

I am starting one now on ground driving. He is 2 1/2 and as of two weeks ago is now a gelding. I am lucky though as I live in Florida and can continue with it through the winter which is much better than trying to do it down here in the summer. I start them and have them professionally finished. After he is driving we will have two driving horses so my husband and I can drive together.

 

[Bluerocket]

We are looking at starting 2 maybe 3 this winter -- our "stallion prospect" Legend (aka Leggs) and one or two of our mares (Dare or Gorgeous) -- possibly starting our coming 2yo gelding prospect "junior". We have harnesses that fit all these guys - but only one cart so we are shopping now for an easy entry breaking cart with multiple shafts (different in lenght) as these horses are different sizes. May get 2 sizes of wheels too - depends on what we find.

Right now we are slimming them down from summer pasture FATTIES - in dry lot and exercise with limited grazing.

JJay

 

[RAPfrosty]

I will be slowly starting training with my 2 yo gelding this fall/winter.

 

[Tammie]

First let me start by saying what a great thread! I am planning on starting at least 3 this fall, I have a 4 year old 32" mare that moves like a dream and I am so anxious to get started with her. I also have a 3 year 33 1/2" gelding that I think will be terrific in cart but the one who I am most excited about is my 3 year old 31" stallion who has been kicking butt locally this year in halter, he has the most awesome floating trot and I sure hope it carries over in the cart! It sure is going to be an exciting fall/winter and fortunately as long as I can brave the cold I have an awesome arena to work in. Good luck to everyone!!

Tammie~

 

[Magic]

I would LOVE to get some horses started for driving, but I'm not sure if I will have time, or if the weather will be decent for it-- we get some harsh winters here in the new place we've moved to. We are still working on getting fencing done, and wiring the new barn.

But, if I can, I'd love to start my four year old gelding, Magic Mist AMayZingly Rowdy. He would be in the 34" and Under Country Driving category. He looks so much like his dam, and acts like her too, so it would be fun to drive him I think. I have so many others that I'd like to drive as well: my two year old stallions, CCMF Spotted Illusion, and Magic Mist Raging Fire N Smoke-- but I'd better keep my focus on one at a time, lol!

Here is a pic of my "Rowdy-boy"

 

[CheyAut]

Neat thread!

I have one I've started. He's a 4 year old gelding named Cruiser. My friend bought him at 3.5 months old, and she gave him to me last year as she can no longer have horses. She ground drove him a little with just a halter and lead ropes, so he SORTA knew how to do that, but that was when he was a baby.

Late spring I introduced him to harness, and now he is ground driving ok with it. He was confused in the beginning when I started using the bit (I have them wear it for awhile before I ever hook lines to it... I continue to use the halter for connecting until I feel they're ready for the bit control). Now I can walk him around the neighborhood (ground driving I mean), but he's not ready yet for the cart. I like a good solid ground driving foundation first

We have HOT summers so haven't been working lately. But here are pics from his first time in harness, he wasn't fond of the bit And you can see he was still shedding his winter woolies in these...

My hubby has always really liked and had a bond with my 2 year old stallion. He decided that Tracker will be his driving horse, so I get to start with him. Craig wants to train him, but he doesn't know how So I told him he can work with me to train Tracker. So that will be fun

I also want to train my 2 year old filly, Cocoa. I think she'd make a good pair with my driving gelding, Midnight. They're both the same height, and they get along really well (she follows him around). They don't match in color (he's a blue roan, she's a dun) but that's ok.

So I have 3 to work on! Cocoa is the bottom priority of the 3, so she might not get started yet...

And we're planning on moving within the next 6 months (across the country) so this will problably be a long, drawn out thing! LOL

Oh, here's Craig with Tracker (as a baby)

And Cocoa

Jessi

 

[Buckskin gal]

Fun thread! We are starting LM Apache Blue. [in Avatar] Will only do ground driving this fall and then hitch him in the spring. I know he is going to look gorgeous in harness

: and uses that neck so well! He also has a very nice disposition and think he will take to it willingly. Hubby had been working with a buckskin gelding this summer with a lot of ground driving and then a couple seen him and asked if they could buy him. We went out to their place yesterday and they hitched him. He acted like he had been driving forever. Has a nice calm dispoition and so willing to please. They are totally taken by him which makes me so happy!

: Mary

 

[chandab]

I only have one old enough for harness training and we'll start really slow; she's my little mare that foundered early this year. She is recovered enough and sound enough to start some training. I'm thinking that she'll really enjoy it, she's very easy to work with.

I'm also working with a 3 year old AQHA gelding, starting him under saddle. I did some work earlier this summer, but then got side-tracked, so need to get back to his training. He's such a mellow boy, good thing, as he's 16H tall. :new_shocked:

 

[Minimor]

Me, me! I have...let's see....8 I think....to work with this fall. One was hitched a few times last fall, several were started on ground work last fall, and some will be starting from scratch now. I'm on vacation at the moment, so hope to get lots done while I'm off work.

Last week I was busy hauling straw, picking tomatoes & potatoes & getting caught up on odds & ends jobs around the place; the next two weeks are for working horses! (I do have to fit some yard work in too, but definitely will be doing some driving.

We would have had a 9th horse to start this fall, but he's been sold and will be heading out to his new home in Alberta the middle of this week. His new mom will have the job of starting him in harness. I hope Alberta is ready for a tall "over" division AMHR gelding!

 

[Jill]

I have four that will probably start this fall, some with me, some with professionals --

* Little Kings BT Bacardi Gold, my 2yo B division golden palomino show gelding who's a BTU son

* Little Wee Klassic Show Girl, my 2yo B division loud bay leopard mare

* Tibbs Sundowner, my 8yo 9x National Champion / Res. National Champion A division halter gelding

* Ericas Echos of My Destiny, a 2yo A division show stallion co-owned by Erica and myself

That ought to keep me busy for years and years to come with driving minis! Right now, I have 5 other minis who drive as well. I love to drive and especially in the Fall

:

 

[wiccanz]

I have just started 2 2year old mares, both were ground driving for the first time on Saturday, and both have plenty to work on! :bgrin

As we are just into Spring over here, they will have all Summer and all next Winter to prepare for the following season, so there will be LOTS of ground driving over the coming months before they are put to next Winter.

I think this part of it is so rewarding, I love training them and seeing the results unfold.

 

[shane]

oh i would just LOVE

: to start my boy at driving, he already ground drives in a roller and i would really love to teach him ,but i dont know how :no: so ill just watch ya all instead lol, how much does it cost send a miniature or any horse for that matter to go away and broke by a professional???? hmmmm theres a thought lol

OH JUST EDITED TO ADD...............GOOD LUCK AND PROGRESS PICTURES PULEEEEZE

 

[_minihorses4ever_]

I am! I am starting Willie for both pleasure and show reasons.. Hoping to make his debu in obstacle and country pleasure driving next show season! I can hardly wait..

:

 

[Tammie-C_Spots]

My 3 yr old stallion, Justin, I started last winter and I hope to get to hooking him up and driving him this fall/winter.

This is 26" Squit and I'm going to teach him to pull a tiny little cute cart for the parades. I expect only light children will be able to sit in the cart but should be fun!

Tammie

 

[CyndiD]

Oh this IS a fun thread!!

:

I had a "trainer" work on a gelding for me this summer and then turned around and sold him. (Kicking myself now) Then I sent out a 2 yr. old mare that I thought would be great at driving and she did "OK" but he said she needs to grow up mentally. She is very spooky right now.

The driving mare I take in parades with my grand-daughter is in foal and big as a barrel..so she will not be doing much driving this fall since I cannot get the shafts around her belly. SO..I will be just working the spooky 2 yr. old with ground driving off and on and plan on sending another one out this spring.

Also have some GREAT NEWS...well, for me anyway... :lol: ...my hubby has finally agreed to make me a driving ring in one of our hayfields next summer!!! I almost made him put that in writing!! I have been wanting that for a long time!!!

:

 

[CKC]

I have four to start. They range in height from 31"- 35 1/2". After my baby is born in February and spring rolls around I can work with them more. Also have a QH gelding(yearling now) that will be sent to a trainer for 1 month to get some ground work in June. He is already 15.2(will probably mature to 16 hands or so). I believe I have my work cut out for me next year.

Have to have an arena built in the spring as right now we don't really have any flat land. Looks like there will be a lot of ground driving which will be good.

Kim

 

[Leeana]

I'm not starting any this fall but after next show season im sending one of mine up to Michigan for 2 or 3 months of training with Jim or Becky McKeith hopefully. I talked to them about spending a month or two with Royal on basic halter skills but i dont think he will need it now and started looking into there driving training.

So after next season chief will be with them 2 or 3 months for driving and in 2008 we will show Country Pleasure Over. Chief is trained to drive, just needs miles and i figure i could learn what i need to know for County pleasure along with him.

Also i'm going to do some more work with Coco on the ground in the harness as well as Royal. I have allot of catching up to do as i started working with Royal back in June but then we got sidetracked.

 

[Millstone Farm]

Count me in --

I plan to break my 5-yr-old stallion, Millstones All Revved Up, this fall when we get back from the World Show. He's a really fancy mover and has a naturally high head carriage.

 

[Vicky Texas]

I am hoping to start several on driving. 3 of our foals, all full brothers. Out of our

Black Leopard Stallion, SW Flashing Leopard, and Black pinto mare, SW Look

At Me Again. News flash their full sister this year is a Black Leopard Filly. We

are really excited with her.

High Chaparal Leopard El Dante - (for sale)

High Chaparal Leopard Mystical Spirit - (for sale)

Sorry not a very good picture, he is really a flashy colt, looks a lot like full

brother below. I think these two would make a wild flashy driving pair. Both

very spirited colts, both lots of action.

Texan Star Leopard Midnight Dream - (for sale)

These guys have tons of action, lots of spirit, so they should be so fun to drive.

I just have find the time, time is a big issue and space to do it. I was so hoping

to be moved and have more land for driving. But these guys need to be started.

I also have a mare I would love to train as well, Sweetwaters Just A Whisper Two.

She also have a high stepping gait.

Wishing all of you the best with yours.

Vicky