Anyone want to Break a Shetland for me

[Leeana]

We are trying to break our shetland Joey for Harness. He takes the bit after about 3 minutes and is really good with the harness being on. We have had the cart on once today and WOW ..we need help.

Is there anyone out here in OHIO that could help? We would pay and bring the harness and cart.

Leeana

Thanks

 

[lyn_j]

[SIZE=14pt]Leeanna, PLEASE dont try to do this by yourself. He needs to learn to wear the harness, be ground driving for a long time till he understands what this is all about, then walk behind him with the cart and in a couple of months maybe you can get in it. Always use two people......forget trying....someone is going to get hurt. Find a trainer. He would have to be there about 60 days to get it done right.[/SIZE]

Lyn

 

[Leeana]

were trying to find a trainer. me and dad have gotten him started over the past 2 weeks.

I got him use to the bridal when we brought him home, then a few weeks ago put the harness on him and lunged him then walked him. I let dad and david (local trainer which helps out sometimes) do some ground driving (w/ no cart) for about a week. Today we just tried the cart on him to see if it fit because if it didnt we only have 30 days to return it. It was only on him about 30 seconds and he moved only about 1 step but i could tell he was VERRY alert.

Leeana

where did you guys get yours trained at? do you usually send them away to get trained or do the trainers come to you?

 

[lyn_j]

[SIZE=14pt]We send ours away to get started and then finish them at home. Mine go to Bruce Abbott in NY stay about 60 days and come home. I have trained horses for just driving at home but since the ones that go are my show horses I dont want them to get a chance to mess up and then have to unlearn bad stuff. Even tho I have been doing this most of 35 years I know what my limitations are.[/SIZE]

Lyn

 

[Marty]

Leanna, I have been ground driving some of my horses for 3 months and still haven't hooked them up to the cart. I think a week is really rushing it. What's the hurry anyhow there? You rush that horse to shove him in a cart like that and he's going to blow and wreck himself and the cart too I'll betcha. Slow down ok?

There's no 30 day wonders.

 

[Leeana]

I'll slow down!

The only reason the cart was on him yesterday was for sizing. The place we get our carts are in Southern OH and with winter coming we didnt want to be making any long trips with inches of ice on the road.

I dont plan on putting the cart on him untill i get someone to train him for me, david has never worked with shetlands. He has worked with some of my friends mini's but thats about it. Joey is allot of horse for 40'.

thanks Lyn. How much does it cost normally?

Leeana

 

[Marty]

Good question Leanna. I'm going to have one of mine trained and don't have a clue what it will cost me. I'm just laying the ground work for it. I know how to ground drive a horse and work one in long lines but that's about it so I have to get someone else to do the training. I'm probably going to end up just buying a horse, a mare, that's already broke to drive that I can show too. Meanwhile, this gives me some well needed exercise and it's fun.