Hello again after a busy spring and summer

[studiowvw]

Hello, thought I would jump right in again on my return here.

Had a disrupted spring and summer due to my mother's passing and then having to catch up on everything.

Summer is never great for horse stuff here due to deer flies and other big biting flies, but we have made it to a few events, including a couple of local fairs. We won the cones driving class at one fair and 1st out of 2 in the cart class at another

Best thing is to get to drive on the tracks at these fairs. Wish I lived right next to one! Well, I do live right next to the rail trail, which is almost as good when the bugs are gone.

We had a very exciting weekend at Randy Bird's Save the Mustangs event a few weekends ago. Our mini club did demos and one member brought a 7 week old foal with her mom - our minis were a big hit with the event attendees.

He has a great set-up on his farm as he trains full size driving horses - there is a half mile track and a bridge to drive over, also we had hazards and a cones course to drive through. Randy drove Lacey and said she has "a lot of torque"! She sure does, and as he went through the course much faster than I did, I'll bet he felt it

Some of us drove through the course and 2 others line-drove through. Lacey's favourite thing has become cantering on the track - I think she would have liked to do a couple of miles each time. She did get very strong at times and I was experimenting with how to get her to be cooperative about walking. We seem to have lost the walk, especially at the start of a drive. My fault I'm sure. Not driving often enough and was too busy to spend much training time at all.

The harness is nice (Comfy Fit which I got last fall). Tried some different adjustments, one thing not so great is that if the britchen is too loose, the traces are quite stiff and then have popped off the hooks a couple of times (once during a cart class and once while we were in the field, yikes! This happens after she has stopped or backed up. Very unsafe!)

This has been a great reminder to keep the britchen snug, and I need to have a safety device on the singletree ends. A length of light rope tied around the ends worked for when we were driving the marathon course.

Here we are going through the water hazard. It was all way too much fun. Hope he invites us back next year.

 

[diamond c]

nice pic, sounds like a lot of fun.

 

[happy appy]

It sounds like you had a lot of fun! I wish that you would include me in your email list. If I can make it to some of your events I would. This summer has been very busy for me but I'm hoping things will slow down soon.

 

[paintponylvr]

I was mixing you up with "happy appy" - SORRY!! Then got to wondering when you'd switched your name and realized that you hadn't!

I, too, didn't do much driving this past spring and summer (some work with the ponies but nothing like should have) but it looks/sounds like you've jumped right back in and are driving again. What a great pic of you and Lacey! How fun is that?

Glad you found a way to deal with the traces. I understand!

Thanks for sharing, I enjoyed reading about your events that you went to.

 

[studiowvw]

Hi Tina - This Sunday is the Madoc fair with 9 mini classes - halter, best colour, halter obstacle and cart plus cart obstacle. You can enter on the morning before the show. There is also a mystery halter class - I asked Grant what that was - he said if he told me it wouldn't be a mystery.

I am planning to go but had a freak fall 1.5 weeks ago - my sister's full size horse Eddie was behind me on the way to the barn. We were about 10 feet from the 4-ft gate opening when Diesel (2yo mini) came running over the hill. Eddie had to save his life (thought it was a bear or a lion, haha) and went right through me. Knocked me down and twisted my hand and shoulder. 900 lbs of "gottasavemylife" packs a wallop

I don't recommend being on the receiving end of that.

I think I'm up for driving this weekend, but just taking Diesel and Lacey out on line for walks right now. Haven't hitched since the Centreville fair - club members also did mini demos at the Picton fair but I had to cancel due to extreme pain, haha.

The club is going to have a potluck and meeting in Oct - I forget the exact date - maybe you are interested in coming to that and joining the club for next year. I will message you later about that.

PAintponyluvr - it was super fun! I have some video from the weekend, but haven't had time to edit it yet. Will post later.

 

[happy appy]

Hi Tina - This Sunday is the Madoc fair with 9 mini classes - halter, best colour, halter obstacle and cart plus cart obstacle. You can enter on the morning before the show. There is also a mystery halter class - I asked Grant what that was - he said if he told me it wouldn't be a mystery.

I am planning to go but had a freak fall 1.5 weeks ago - my sister's full size horse Eddie was behind me on the way to the barn. We were about 10 feet from the 4-ft gate opening when Diesel (2yo mini) came running over the hill. Eddie had to save his life (thought it was a bear or a lion, haha) and went right through me. Knocked me down and twisted my hand and shoulder. 900 lbs of "gottasavemylife" packs a wallop

I don't recommend being on the receiving end of that.

I think I'm up for driving this weekend, but just taking Diesel and Lacey out on line for walks right now. Haven't hitched since the Centreville fair - club members also did mini demos at the Picton fair but I had to cancel due to extreme pain, haha.

The club is going to have a potluck and meeting in Oct - I forget the exact date - maybe you are interested in coming to that and joining the club for next year. I will message you later about that.

PAintponyluvr - it was super fun! I have some video from the weekend, but haven't had time to edit it yet. Will post later.

Thanks for letting me know but I'm not one for showing. I like to drive just because I like it. Showing makes me all freaked out and I don't like feeling like that. Is the club all about showing and competitions? I wouldn't be interested in that. I have joined the one in Ottawa. They do lots of events not involving showing. It's just the distance though. 3.5-4 hrs each trip one way! I normally go and spend the night camping in someone drive way!

 

[studiowvw]

I sent you an email to the address I had from the previous emails.

I'm not really interested in the showing either, except that the fairs usually have a track where we can drive before or after classes

The mustang event was really great - we camped for 2 nights and drove for a couple of hours each day. We like the cones. I would love to have regular get -togethers for scurry events. So far that hasn't happened.

The club members are deciding which way to take the club. More members are needed to take part. I am more interested in just driving for fun.

I'm not interested in breed shows at all - I don't mind looking at tiny minis, but I don't want any

Lacey is more like a 36 inch Haflinger. I am taking some flak on how "fat" she is, but she has lost a lot of weight since last winter. She doesn't have a big belly, but does carry muscle and fat on her top line. She's quite fit and fast while pulling the cart. Feeding is a problem - last winter she became obese.

The equine nutritionists at the event said she was too fat and should have only 3 lbs of hay per day. There was a lot said about overfeeding. My question is "How am I supposed to keep her sane?!!!"

She can eat that hay in an hour or two - I put them in at night and give them a flake of hay in a slow feed bag.

Well, when she runs out of hay and gets hungry during the night, she chews Diesel's mane and forelock. If she's by herself and is hungry, she will rub holes in her hide.

The equine guy said the only solution is to put her on a treadmill for 16 hours a day and throw a handful of hay at her every little while - obviously can't do that.

Driving her for 2 hours per day was slimming her down just in the few days, but I can't do that all the time.

I'm going to try a grazing muzzle for outside during the day.

Well, I zoomed off topic, but I have thought about the Ottawa club, except it's 2 hours or more to their events.

Hoping to develop some fun driving in our area.

You could be part of that

 

[studiowvw]

Well, this is why I had to stay away when I was catching up on my work

I have several hours work to get through this evening and here I am posting on the mini driving forum!!!

I don't feel that some fat on her topline is slowing her down any. Thoughts?

(The head bobbing I believe is because she had a stone in her hoof - I did not realize until later.)

Here is some video from the Mustang event. It was a lot of fun and I hope our club is invited back next year. The club was invited to present at the event.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTpkza9WATc