Driving for amatuers

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Lil Timber Buck

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Ok, I know I am WAY WAY WAY away from needing this info, but I am taking in all the information I can take. I have a three month old little foal that is going to be coming home next month if he can be weaned succesfully. I am looking at the future for us in the show ring. He is in the process of being registered with the AMHA and we want to show him however we can in the sanctioned shows. We are however totally new to the miniature horse world. I have never driven a big horse or a mini. Where would I start on my training? I would imagine I can't train him to drive if I am clueless. Also, on regular horses, usually you start riding them at two. Is it the same for driving minis?? I live in SOutheaest TN. Are there any good shows in TN or surrounding states?? Our little man is out of boone and Buckaroo if that tells you anything about his lineage. Does he needs certain conformation traits to drive? What should I look for?THANKS!!!!!
 
Congratulations on your new little one!

You will have plenty of time to pick up lots of good information, waiting for him to "grow up".

Most people just work on basic ground manners until the horse is about 2. Then they can begin harness lessons. They are not allowed to show until they are 3 in the AMHA shows.

A horse with reasonable conformation will work in harness, even if he isn't "perfect". Naturally, the better he is the better he will be for competition.

Of course, if you can't wait 2 years to start harness work, you can always get an older one to start working with right away!
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Good luck!
 
I have never driven a big horse or a mini. Where would I start on my training? I would imagine I can't train him to drive if I am clueless. Also, on regular horses, usually you start riding them at two.
Well, the first thing I suggest is that you take some lessons with a "finished" driving horse. It doesn't even have to be a mini, but if you consider that you probably wouldn't train a horse to ride if you have never ridden, it makes sense as to why you should know at least what a driving horse feels like before you go about training one. I would look for a carriage driving instructor or a breed ring instructor, but not a Draft driver. While some of it is the same, it really isn't what you are going to be doing in the future and you will get confused with the terminology and the methods. We were "led astray" early in our driving "career" by some draft guys that do things just a little differently than light horse drivers.

Then, the next best thing to do is to see if your instructor can 1) either help you through the process of training your horse to drive, or 2) recommend someone who can. There is only so much you can get from forums and books, especially if you want to show your horse someday. If you make mistakes, it will take a professional a lot of time to correct them, which will cost you more in the long run.

In the mean time, work especially on Showmanship type halter work and show him in Halter, even if he isn't a Halter horse. This will prepare him for the stresses of the show ring and teach him ground manners. Horses that have good Showmanship training are MUCH easier to teach to drive. Use the same verbal cues for the Showmanship as you will for driving, such as "Walk, Trot, Whoa, Stand", etc.

You can also work on "desensitization" when they are young, by having them do such things as walk over stuff, have stuff put on them, drag stuff next to them, etc. We have safe "toys" that we "play" with, like old rugs, a piece of at least 1/2" plywood, pool noodles, bubble wrap, playground balls, plastic recycling bags, and PVC pipes. Do a search on this forum for desensitization for ideas on how to go about doing this training. Make sure that you have a very "matter-of-fact" attitude about it though. Don't transfer anxiety to your horse by how you go about it.

Hope this helps.

Myrna
 
There are several shows in TN, KY and GA. You can check the AMHR website for next years dates. If you are near Friendsville, TN my trainer, Ricky Wardlaw of Cygnet Farm trains and gives lessons. You can pm me for more info if you want.

Good luck!
 
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WOW THANKS!!!!!! I know it is a lot to take in and we are only at the very very beginning. I appreciate the advice and contacts. Tammy, I may PM you later on to get his info once we are settled in and ready. Thansk again.
 

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