How is everyone doing driving & all?

[drivin*me*buggy]

:saludando: Hi everyone, I'm trying to get my horse into shape so we can work on perfecting our driving. I was wondering how everyone else has been doing? Any major goals accomplished, & any new goals this year? I hadn't really had any goals set & haven't really accomplished anything yet...

Banner's not even in condition yet....! (lack of time & weather ....)

: So I'ld like to hear your goals & what you've accomplished. :flirt:

Also Has anyone heard of this book, Training the Horse in Hand, by Alfons J. Dietz? I have this book and absolutly love it.

: I haven't been able to do any of it really yet because I have to first order the bit I want to try, then wait for it to get here... hopefuly soon I'll order it.

: But does anyone have this book & progressed through it? Also if you've done so have you sucessfully transferred this training to driving? That is my goal, to have a highly schooled dressage driving horse.

: For those who haven't read it ye this book is about how they train big horses on longreins, in Vienna,Spain. and stuff like that basically it's like Ridden Dressage put on longreins...wow that's confusing, sorry guys.

: I would highly recommend this book for those who do CDE & driven dressage just at home, not showing which is what i do. I can't wait to try this stuff this year with Banner!!!

:

Ash :lol:

 

[MiLo Minis]

If yo successfully train your horse in hand in dressage maneuvers you will give him an edge when it comes time to work on those types of movement in the cart but you cannot expect that what he can do in hand will transfer immediately to the cart. It is a whole new balance and set of muscles once he is pulling a cart and will take at least a year or two for your horse to develope enough to carry himself and achieve any kind of lightness, collection or extension even if he has the idea from your groundtraining. I combine grounddriving and in shaft driving throughout their career.

 

[Dontworrybeappy]

Just got home from Today's show and I have to say that we achieved our goal of LIVING THROUGH THE DAY! :cheeky-smiley-006:

Appy continues to get more and more solid in company, even with horses cutting him off on the rail or pacing him for half an arena... His cruise control still needs more work, though!

And today we did our 1st Roadster classes! And even though we were the only "A" roadster showing, we still got 1st place and champion roadster stake! :bgrin Hahaha!

We were both so worn out after 13 hours of being at the show that I was able to exit the arena using NO HANDS to drive him!

:

AND - my "new" used truck had it's maiden gooseneck voyage today! Fun having a truck that matches my trailer in color again... not only that, but it's way easier to turn around in my parking area than the crew cab was! (this one's just an extended cab... the Pomeranians need their own seat, y'know! Only problem is that I can't fit a mini in the back seat anymore! :bgrin

 

[susanne]

Karen,

You and Appy may be exhausted, but your excitement comes through loud and clear in your post!

Any photos of Appy in roadster?

Mingus is doing great...perhaps soon to graduate from ground driving to the real thing...As I've said many, many times, I refuse to rush him, but nonetheless, I can't wait!

Ash, I'll have to watch for that book...I am inhaling everything I can find on dressage, carriage driving, etc.

 

[ClickMini]

What a wonderful day you had! I bet you both are exhausted, but you are out there having fun and success, good on ya, girl! :aktion033:

 

[drivin*me*buggy]

If yo successfully train your horse in hand in dressage maneuvers you will give him an edge when it comes time to work on those types of movement in the cart but you cannot expect that what he can do in hand will transfer immediately to the cart. It is a whole new balance and set of muscles once he is pulling a cart and will take at least a year or two for your horse to develope enough to carry himself and achieve any kind of lightness, collection or extension even if he has the idea from your groundtraining. I combine grounddriving and in shaft driving throughout their career.

That's what I plan to do, I know it will take a while until I could practice some of the in hand things in cart, but I think it'll be well worth the wait.

:

Congrats Karen it sounds like you and Appy are doing Awesome

:. Can't wait to see a write up

of course once you get some sleep

: .

Susanne, I think you'ld love that book I mentioned above. It's very interesting & well written. Glad to hear Mingus is doing good

: .

Amy, how are your girls doing? :lol:

Ash :saludando:

 

[_minihorses4ever_]

Congrats Karen and Appy! :aktion033:

I have been doing OK in driving classes with Willie (His first year out, started him in November).. As long as I get through the class without him trying to pull any radical moves, I am happy. He is getting better and better each show. I heard from someone (Oh dear, I can't remember her name..) that with green horses, don't even think about placings. Just pick one thing to work on, and if your horse does it right, be happy, and move on to the next thing you want to achieve. Say it is standing still in the line-up, having a solid back up, etc..

I don't have any current pictures of him driving, but here is one from him out in the roundpen yesterday.. Excuse his color, it is REALLY wierd right now..

:

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Kody's doing well, our trainer has gone from telling us last spring and early fall to not even think about moving up to Prelim to telling us we're ready to now saying we'll be very competitive if I can just keep him from being a dork.

: He's having issues suddenly with tensing his topline and fussing with his head so I'm going to have the chiropractor out to make sure we didn't pinch something or put something out of alignment.

Other than that though he's doing very well. We improve on something every drive even if it wasn't what I intended to work on and he's really coming along fast at this point. I let my trainer drive him briefly for the first time in awhile and she said he's much lighter and more responsive than even four months ago, she's very happy with him. Even her much tougher trainer-hubby grudgingly complimented him after taking the reins to show me something! LOL.

His work on everything other than dressage is going well too. I've started concentrating on breed show stuff like obstacle driving and in-hand jumping again to liven it up a little and he loves it! He's getting much calmer about pivoting to position the cart and since I finally got a set of real jumps the other day I think his manners will be much improved by the time we go in Jumper the first week in June. He learns so darn fast it freaks me out! :bgrin (Okay, gotta share. Yesterday I set up the new jumps for the first time and told my mom that just for fun I was setting the goal of having him free-jump over all four jumps set in the center of the arena on command by the end of the summer. I use clicker training for this sort of thing so he learns fast and he loves to jump anyway. I turned him loose to run around and warm up before I even intended to start working him on anything and the first thing he did was start running through the open jump standards! So of course he got clicked and in less than 15 minutes he was happily cantering around the arena from one low jump to the next, bouncing over them and waiting to see where I would point him next in order to get the click and treat. :new_shocked:

: That's my Kody.

: )

Leia

I heard from someone (Oh dear, I can't remember her name..) that with green horses, don't even think about placings. Just pick one thing to work on, and if your horse does it right, be happy, and move on to the next thing you want to achieve. Say it is standing still in the line-up, having a solid back up, etc..

That's a really good philosophy to have for showing.

: I've found it not only makes you a better sportsman and more forgiving of your horse but also keeps things funner and eliminates frustration if you've set realistic goals. And believe me, some days you need the humor more than others! LOL

Karen, I sure hope you'll post a general progress report separately like Amy did with pictures. I want to see Appy in roadster!

Leia

 

[drivin*me*buggy]

:aktion033:

I love Willie, Breanne, He's got a very nice trot.

: & he's handsome sooooo

: . Simple goals are definently the key I think whenever you work with horses. Now if I can remember that i'll be good

: lol.

Very glad that Kody's doing so good Leia

: . Hopefully I'll get my brat out for some jumping... not so sure about that though....

:

Ash :bgrin

 

[Dontworrybeappy]

Karen, I sure hope you'll post a general progress report separately like Amy did with pictures. I want to see Appy in roadster!

Leia

I will - this time I have to wait until the show photographer gets his proofs up... we were so busy (showed 4 horses in halter!) that we never even got the camera out of the trailer!

 

[shane]

hi ash :saludando: hi guys :saludando:

well unfortunatley things have slowed down for me a bit, ive in and out of hospital with my astma , i only have to open my front door and breath fro an attack to come on so it seems :no:

but ive had Twinkle out a couple of times and hes coming on brilliant, the thing i found that helped a lot, is before i even thought about harness trraining him i got him used to voice commands like, trot, and then slowed my voice downn to and w a l k ......and stand, and it has helped so much now that hes in the shafts i only have to talk to him and he listens!!!!!

another big thing im doing is having him gelded this autumn, which is a big thing for me, he has a foal due out of my mare shortly so it will be his only baby,and with hte possibility od it going grey also , i might just train it to drive and have a matching pair!! lol

im going to a show this saturday as i wouldnt let my friends down and we are all rooting for each other, we dont care who wins, its just the success of this time last year none of us ever thought wed acheive our goal of having our horses broke to driving, and thanks to good friends that have helped us no end, we are there, weve got as far as even staring the first ever miniature horse driving club in IRELAND!!! hows that then

congratulations to all of you that have fullfilled the dream, and come on here to cheer each other on,in the world of driving!!!! :aktion033:

 

[Sheryl]

I have accomplished alot of my goals in the last few months. Mostly, my mini and I have developed a much stronger partnership and trust in each other! I feel like we could go just about anywhere together -except maybe up steep hills!! He is just so much fun and so bold. Even when he is nervous about something new (try flying motorcycles going over jumps!) he stays calm and steady and listens to me. What can be better then such a good pal?

 

[drivin*me*buggy]

Sorry to hear about you asthma Shane :no: I hope you start feeling better soon

: That would be cool to have a matching pair of grey's

: . Glad to hear about the driving club starting up too

:.

Sheryl, i just love the bond you get w/ mini's through driving... though it's hard not to have a relationship with them lol. :lol: & nothing better than a good pay

: .

Ash :saludando: