Drive Me Buggy 2020 Hours

[Cayuse]

Aww, Zorro does look a bit uncertain in that first picture. What a good boy he is. Peanut would not navigate the rocks too well. Cappy would probably barge over them. Two different types just like Dapper Dan and Midnight.

 

[MindySchroder]

Ground drove Zorro for 60 minutes today. First we did some bit work, seeking relaxation with the bit. Then we went for a walk with the bitless bridle.

And when we got home he got to meet Hell Boy!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

60 minutes for Midnight this morning.

 

[Fiona]

Mindy, Majorclem, Stripe13, and Fiona, where you been??? You guys OK?
And Northwolf, are you doing OK?
I worry about everyone with all this craziness that is going on in the world.

Mindy, Majorclem, Stripe13, and Fiona, where you been??? You guys OK?
And Northwolf, are you doing OK?
I worry about everyone with all this craziness that is going on in the world.

Hiya yes we're fine, my phone is feeling it's age a bit! We're out driving most days. I was a bit worried i might get arrested yesterday but there were loads of people out walking .. even without dogs! We've had more sunshine than the whole of last year i think!
Anyway, my work as cycle instructor has stopped and my work as a farmer.. i'm restoring 2 acres of brambles to pasture... is now my main work so the ponies are proper working ponies now.
if i get stopped i have plenty of evidence in the form of thorns stuck in my fingers!

 

[Willow Flats]

Ground drove Zorro for 60 minutes today. First we did some bit work, seeking relaxation with the bit. Then we went for a walk with the bitless bridle.
View attachment 41003
And when we got home he got to meet Hell Boy!
View attachment 41004

Hi Mindy,
I think you have mentioned doing bit work and finding relaxation with the bit before. Was wondering if you can explain what you are doing, as I am always trying to learn new things.

I was taught by a trainer to very gently rock the bit from side to side in their mouth with the slightest movement of my fingers to relax my horse and keep their mouth soft. This has worked very well for me, but have always wondered if anyone else does this. When I got Annie she was pulling on the bit but as I did this consistently she would relax and lower her head and is now really soft in the mouth.

I read your blog on the driving clinic and really appreciated the lesson ideas you posted! Thank you so much I am going to set up my cones to practice those. You mentioned the trainer had you lower your hands. That would be a great post of a before and after picture of how you are positioning your rein handling now. Every time I go out I try to work on something new until it becomes habit. I don't do CDEs but the play day I go to they like you to carry a whip and so I have learned to hold it properly while driving. Let me tell you it was all over the map in the pictures my husband was taking of me in the beginning! We take photos and videos of each other while we are driving so we can see where we can improve.

They have suspended our play days for a while due to the virus and cancelled the upcoming CDE and HDTs here in northern California. But being commanded to stay home with your horses isn't all that bad!

 

[Willow Flats]

Annie = 60 minutes ground driving.
Sorry I posted such a long message above earlier today. I think I am supposed to keep that dialog to "Your Drive Day" thread.

 

[MindySchroder]

Zorro did 60 minutes ground driving today. We walked our fastest 3 miles yet in just under 40 minutes! But we did some bit work at home before we left for the walk. He is really starting to soften and relax on the bit! Whoot!

 

[MindySchroder]

Hi Mindy,
I think you have mentioned doing bit work and finding relaxation with the bit before. Was wondering if you can explain what you are doing, as I am always trying to learn new things.

I am following a class called Get That Bit Right by Anna Marciniak. You can find her on Facebook! Basically what we do is pick up some contact with our horse's mouth, then consciously relax our forearm from the elbow forward to our fingers, releasing the tension in our body and thereby helping our horse release tension in it's body. No wiggling of the fingers or moving at all. It's so amazing to watch the horse take that relaxation and then respond to it. Yesterday Zorro pretty much kept his nose on the ground ever single time I offered him that release. Then he would either push his nose into the ground or rub his upper lip on the ground. Then at the end he cocked a foot and went deep inside himself and just processed for about 5-6 minutes. It was pretty amazing to watch!

I don't have before and after photos from the clinic. I am usually the one taking photos. LOL! But I can just set that up here sometime. I am only ground driving Zorro for about a month to really work on the Get That Bit Right process but when we are back in the bike I'll get pictures!

 

[Willow Flats]

Thanks Mindy, I'll check it out.

 

[Cayuse]

Hi Fiona! Those brambles can be nasty, everytime I get stuck by one lurking in my hay it festers .
Don't forget to post your hours so you can be counted for a small award at the end of the year. You have to drive fairly consistantly during the year.

Hiya yes we're fine, my phone is feeling it's age a bit! We're out driving most days. I was a bit worried i might get arrested yesterday but there were loads of people out walking .. even without dogs! We've had more sunshine than the whole of last year i think!
Anyway, my work as cycle instructor has stopped and my work as a farmer.. i'm restoring 2 acres of brambles to pasture... is now my main work so the ponies are proper working ponies now.
if i get stopped i have plenty of evidence in the form of thorns stuck in my fingers!

 

[Cayuse]

Hi Mindy
I am going to look up Anna. I do something similar with Peanut and he responds well to it. Breathing helps too to release the balled up tension. I can take a deep breath an let it out and Peanut will do the same in his next breath and drop his head, it is subtle but really interesting to see.

 

[Cayuse]

21 minutes ground driving Peanut thi afternoon.

 

[Willow Flats]

Annie = 30 minutes driving today.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

60 minutes for Dapper Dan today.

 

[Willow Flats]

Annie = 45 minutes driving today.

We have more rain on the way.

 

[Minidreamz0581]

Coady is back! Ground drove my little man for 25 minutes yesterday. All things considered, he was great! I’ll write something longer on ‘Your Drive Day’.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

60 minutes for Midnight today.

 

[Minidreamz0581]

25 minutes ground driving for Coady on 4/6 and 25 minutes ground driving for him today

 

[Marsha Cassada]

50 minutes driving Dapper Dan today. We went 2.46 miles. Little breezy, but not bad.

 

[Willow Flats]

Annie = 40 minutes driving today.

No more rain forecast for the next 10 days. Yay!