Okay, finally! Pictures of Stoneybrook

[hobbyhorse23]

These are the pictures from the Stoneybrook Driving Trial where my 33.5" six year old gelding Kody and I recently competed. It was held in Beavercreek OR and you can read all about our experience if you missed it at this link: Story of Stoneybrook. I'm sorry it took me so long but I just hate resizing and cropping all these. Anyway, here they are. No pictures from dressage as I only got video but cones was held immediately after so we looked exactly the same.

Kody bending nicely as he approaches Obstacle 20...

Going through with perfect style...

And three photos going through the "U"-

Doesn't he look nice?

Then he spent a lot of the day making people think I had given him a heart attack...

And snoozing (it was a long trailer ride you know! I figure he was about 8 naps behind at that point)...

And letting me snooze with him. We spent about 45 minutes this way.

When he woke up he had admirers...

:

And got to scare a big horse (Kody squealed just after this and the drafter jumped and ran! :lol: )...

Then he was tired again and we both chilled out by the truck.

More in next post...

On Sunday all the VSE's got warmed up in the rain for marathon

And we were off!

Coming out of the first hazard which was scaled just for us...

And walking to the finish line 5km later

to get our green card signed

and get our picture taken!

For those who are shopping our harness is an Ozark Mountain carriage harness with some resizing done locally, our cart is an Edgeman easy entry with No-Flat tires, and the marathon vehicle is a Hyperbike from Graham Carriage Works in OR. Those 'Bikes are way too much fun!! Kody thought he could fly in his.

Here's a closeup of the harness:

That's the kickstrap you see crossing over the breeching, it's made of Betathane by Iowa Valley Carriage but blends right in. I will not always use it to compete but for now as Kody is learning not to buck when he gets excited it stays on. After one or two demonstrations on Sunday morning everyone understood WHY, too! LOL

Hope you enjoyed!

Leia

 

[whitney]

FINALLY the PICTURES! You both look wonderful!

Is that Hyperbike as comfortable as it looks?

 

[ClickMini]

Leia, those are gorgeous! I am so excited for Happs this weekend, but I am not entirely well...had a run to the ER last night with kidney stones. Keeping fingers crossed for a quick "passing" otherwise I will spend the part of the day not competing "under the influence."

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Is that Hyperbike as comfortable as it looks?

Yes, I'd have to say it is.

: Those new angled stirrups made all the difference for me with how comfortable I was. The funny thing is it feels exactly the same as sitting in my car so I felt naked without a seatbelt! LOL

I am so excited for Happs this weekend, but I am not entirely well...had a run to the ER last night with kidney stones. Keeping fingers crossed for a quick "passing" otherwise I will spend the part of the day not competing "under the influence."

Oh no! :new_shocked: Amy, you'd better get better or I will do this to you :deadhorse2:

:
Seriously, I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. Did they try that new ultra-sonic thingy they do to break them up faster?

Leia

 

[Sterling]

Great pics...you guys look like you're having so much fun!! Thanks for sharing your day with us and letting us take a peek! Job well done as proven by the look of satisfaction on your little Kody's snoozing face! :lol:

 

[susanne]

Leia,

Great pics! I'm at this moment delirious with CDE lust...and you're not helping, LOL!

My back is sighing in relief looking at the back on your hyperbike...and I'm curious about the stirrups.

I assume the hyperbike is only used in marathon?

Also, is your harness the regular carriage harness or the more expensive CDE version?

 

[hobbyhorse23]

I'm at this moment delirious with CDE lust...and you're not helping, LOL!

:risa_suelos: That is of course the POINT, Susanne! If I make you guys crazy enough you will give up and start driving and come give us some competition. I figure by the time we get you and Mingus going training level I will be preliminary so I'm safe to egg you on.

:

My back is sighing in relief looking at the back on your hyperbike...and I'm curious about the stirrups.
I assume the hyperbike is only used in marathon?

I told you the Hyperbike had a back these days.

Honestly I can't imagine how anyone could stay in the older version considering how much I use the muscles in my legs to brace myself against the seatback during fast turns, etc. I use mine only for marathon but that's because I'm unwilling to lose points for presentation. Also, how the heck would you drape your driving apron with the horse between your knees?

: I find Kody works better and steadier with some weight behind him and with him set in front of the cart you can get a good look at how he's moving and how engaged his hindquarters are- something that is a bit more difficult with the 'Bike. But the thing is absolutely priceless for trail drives, hauling to lessons on rainy days, deep footing, steep slippery hills, anything and everything where a normal cart is a hassle. I initially looked at the Hyperbike for Kody so he wouldn't have so much weight behind his weak stifles coming down hills on marathon, but in the end the convenience sold me and I bought it for me! PM me with specific questions on the stirrups.

Also, is your harness the regular carriage harness or the more expensive CDE version?

Good question. It's the original, regular, $400 leather carriage harness. I LUST after the chain browband on the CDE harness but other than that I think this one really does well enough. I've gotten a lot of compliments on it from harness-makers who've seen it in person.

 

[susanne]

how the heck would you drape your driving apron with the horse between your knees?

Thumbtacks?

Actually, one of the things I love about CDE is the presentation...the elegant turnout. You look quite classy in the dressage segment. I'd especially enjoy that, but I have to figure out how I'm going to swing all these carts!

I love the photo of you and Kody by the truck, where he can barely hold his eyes open!

 

[Triggy&Blue&Daisy Too]

Leia those pictures are wonderful. We've got to get Blue going, I want to do CDE too

: :517:

 

[joylee123]

What an awsome little horse!

: You guys are quite the pair :aktion033: That one picture where you're in the Dressage arena, Kody is bending so beautifully in the corners :aktion033: GOOD JOB!!! You two are a match made in heaven

:

 

[Margo_C-T]

GREAT photos, Leia! Gosh, just look at all of that GREENERY!! Such a far cry from what we have to deal with around here, especially with our ongoing drought....

!

Looks like you all had a BALL-that's the best part! Does look like a good little harness for the $$-tell me, is that a treeless harness saddle? And, where did you get the pad? I like the fact that the kicking strap goes over the breeching hanger strap, instead of just where the crupper buckles in-seems like a better spot to me! Did you have to have the kicking strap sized, or is that a standard miniature horse size? (I have never but once had one of my own horses kick up/buck in harness,but after the incident with a friend's horse, when he 'blew up' and took off bucking and kicking sideways, and all that resulted from that(!!), I think a kicking strap is a VERY good piece of 'preemptive insurance'!) Sandee seems very good to deal with, too.

 

[maryann]

We drive in shows and we are not familiar with CDE driving. I noticed that you are not running an

over or side check. or a martingale. Is this so the horse can use his head more for pulling on

uneven turf? Is there any time that you would use either of the above ? Your harness is just beautiful

I love the browband. I hate to be so dumb about this and ask so many questions but I am kind

of intrigued with the CDE shows. Would you want a horse that is very low key and calm or would

you want a horse with a little flair and finesse for this type of driving?? One more question . How.

would I find out about CDE driving in my area in North Carolina.?Thanks maryann

 

[GREENWOODMINIS]

LOVE your photos!!!!!! Great job!!!!

 

[CheyAut]

GREAT pics and BEAUTIFUL horses!!! Those are GREAT!!!

JEssi

We drive in shows and we are not familiar with CDE driving. I noticed that you are not running an

over or side check. or a martingale. Is this so the horse can use his head more for pulling on

uneven turf? Is there any time that you would use either of the above ? Your harness is just beautiful

I love the browband. I hate to be so dumb about this and ask so many questions but I am kind

of intrigued with the CDE shows. Would you want a horse that is very low key and calm or would

you want a horse with a little flair and finesse for this type of driving?? One more question . How.

would I find out about CDE driving in my area in North Carolina.?Thanks maryann

I can answer, as I do them, too (well, I do ADTs, which are one day versions of the 3 day CDEs.

You can NOT use checks or martingales in combined driving, they are NOT allowed. And you MUST use breeching.

My Chili Pepper (you can see him in my avatar) is NOT low key and calm. In fact, we RACE around the cones and hazards, he LOVES it. HOWEVER, you DO need a VERY obedient horse, one that will work calmly when you need him to... VERY controllable. After all, the first phase is dressage, and that weighs heaviest on your score. My previous horse was VERY low key and calm, did fine in cones and hazards, but lacked a good enough amount of impulsion, and didn't bend well, so he wasn't good for dressage. So, for what kind of horse... I would say a good moving, controllable one. Not lazy, but not crazy

As for finding it in your area, you should join your local driving club. You can find them on the American Driving Society's website, http://www.americandrivingsociety.com/

Their list of local driving clubs direct link: http://www.americandrivingsociety.org/ADS_...ing_clubs00.htm

They list three for N Carolina:

Carolina Carriage Club

P.O. Box 816

Tryon, NC 28782

864-457-4038

Central Carolina Driving Club

1708 Phelps West Rd

Fuquay Varina, NC 27526

919-552-4618

Moore County Driving Club

Box 282

Southern Pines, NC 28388

910-692-8863

Jessi

 

[nootka]

Wow, thanks so much for the pics! I loved seeing your Hyperbike how it's different from mine, yet I agree, there is nothing finer for rougher terrain and/or just plain comfort.

Mine is the older style, but it does have a nice seat, just not quite as posh as yours though I will say I've yet to have any back pain from it and I rode in it for hours at a time while 8 months pregnant and all the way up to that time.

You guys look great and Kody is amazing! Congratulations on your experience. I truly hope to get to one of these and Mousie will just have to learn to love it, too.

I think Kyan would be an awesome CDE horse (Mouse's little brother), too.

Likely I will need a LOT of help to tackle this as I'm not sure I'm good with lots of rules and details.

Liz

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Thank you so much everyone!

: I promise we'll get Mingus and Blue and Mouse going and hit all these events together next year!

: Susanne, I'm still fairly pleased with the carriage harness as what I initially bought it for, which is to say a harness that can do everything. It's not perfect- I'd like to change the breastcollar a little bit for breed shows and change it a different way for CDE's- but overall it is a very versatile, very nice harness. Substituting a deep v breastcollar at CDE's would solve it perfectly for most people...Kody just doesn't happen to like mine.

: But you don't get to complain about carts- I figure cart-wise for me I need a closed-wheel show cart for shows, a wooden road cart for dressage/cones, the Hyperbike for marathon and trail driving, and a Frontier easy entry for training and goofing off with more than one person. If I magically got all those I'd sell the Edgeman to someone with a slightly bigger horse for whom the weight wouldn't be such a pain. It's a very "sturdy" cart! LOL. But it can be done with one vehicle, trust me.

:

Gosh, just look at all of that GREENERY!! Such a far cry from what we have to deal with around here, especially with our ongoing drought....

!

Consider it a tradeoff. Under all that lovely green grass was slick slime from the two solid nights of pouring rain. People were tossing dice Sunday morning to decide whether or not to wear rain gear on course because one minute it was sunny, the next the sky was falling in little droplets. At least we don't have to worry about bathing our horses. Just stick 'em outside with a little shampoo and they're done! :lol:

Does look like a good little harness for the $$-tell me, is that a treeless harness saddle? And, where did you get the pad? I like the fact that the kicking strap goes over the breeching hanger strap, instead of just where the crupper buckles in-seems like a better spot to me! Did you have to have the kicking strap sized, or is that a standard miniature horse size?

It is treeless, which is why I always use a pad with it. I just got this waffle pad from Smucker's through Chimacum Tack for $9.95 for the saddle pad, $18.95 for the breastcollar pad. I wanted something that wouldn't get nasty with sweat and would look a little more "carriage" than "show." I did order a tree on my synthetic harness but found it made the entire harness so much heavier that I really didn't like it. I came to the conclusion that for minis, treeless is not necessarily bad if properly padded. Kody certainly prefers soft things that contour to him. The kicking strap seems to work where it is and is easily removable before a class without having to undo harness, I haven't gotten to try the other configuration but sometimes wish mine was a little further back. It is a standard mini size although I did specify the width to make sure it blended in with my current harness, I don't know if Sandee had to modify it to match or not.

We drive in shows and we are not familiar with CDE driving. I noticed that you are not running an over or side check or a martingale. Is this so the horse can use his head more for pulling on uneven turf? Is there any time that you would use either of the above? Your harness is just beautiful I love the browband. I hate to be so dumb about this and ask so many questions but I am kind of intrigued with the CDE shows. Would you want a horse that is very low key and calm or would you want a horse with a little flair and finesse for this type of driving?? One more question. How would I find out about CDE driving in my area in North Carolina? Thanks maryann

Maryann, don't feel bad for asking questions! You have no idea how flattered I am that you are interested enough to post and ask.

: CheyAut was better able to answer the question about driving in your area than I would have been. I will however add to the other answers to make them a little more complete.

Sidechecks are actually permitted in training level but that is mostly so young drivers with determined horses that want to graze can still compete while they are learning. I have never seen anyone actually go in with a sidecheck as it is severely frowned upon. Overchecks and martingales are prohibited as CheyAut said because they don't fit in with what dressage is all about. In the show ring what you want to see is that finished picture- a horse with their head in a particular carriage, moving a particular way, and altogether looking finished. Dressage is all about the journey. Each level is designed to show that your horse is coming along through the training process and learning to use their body. First they must learn to balance and bend and maintain a rhythm, stretching their topline and reaching down for the bit if you ask them to. A little hard to do with a check, you know? Eventually you turn that into collection and extension and all the rest and the horse will develop a raised topline and compacted frame without the use of artificial aids to teach them to "hold a pose." There is nothing wrong with doing it that way, but like so many things the aids can be misapplied and become torture devices. ADS prefers to avoid that possibility and force you to do it the longer and ultimately more correct way.

: (I know, we get a bit stuffy about that. I've checked Kody up semi-loosely and taken off his breeching and you know, in the short term he doesn't care a whit!

So basically the only reason you would ever use a sidecheck at a CDE is to prevent grazing.

As to what kind of horse you'd want, the best description I ever heard said that a good CDE horse is brave and energetic, yet willing and responsive. You want the kind of horse that will go where you point them but won't blunder blindly into a wall if you aren't paying attention. The kind who can go all day but will stop and stand for an hour if you drop the reins, and the kind that will move on if you ask but doesn't feel the need to race around like a maniac just because he can. He should enjoy the feel of a good workout as much as you do. A more timid horse can be given confidence through careful training or even put in a pair with a braver horse, and one who is always in a hurry can be taught to relax but both will be a lot more time-consuming than a horse who is ideal to start with! :bgrin Sane, sensible, sound, and sensitive would also sum it up.

Likely I will need a LOT of help to tackle this as I'm not sure I'm good with lots of rules and details.

It looks so scary to start with but I'm finding the more of these I do, the simpler the rules really turn out to be. You know all the VSE people in this area will help you! Come volunteer at the VSE driving trial in September, then attend one of the "Intro to CDE" clinics Maureen holds twice a year. Those are priceless.

:

Leia

 

[maryann]

Sorry I am late getting back to thank you for your answeres. Been a bad work week. Is there a book of

rules that I can get my hands on?That would keep me from asking such dumb questions on here and showing my ignorance. Would love to start getting my feet wet with this. Looks like fun and

much more chalengeing than just driving in a circle. Thanks again for all your answeres. Maryann

 

[Shari]

I love the pictures! :aktion033: Looks like all were having lots of fun. :aktion033:

Your Hyper bike looks different than the one I tried and my body couldn't handle. Yours looks more comfy.

Maggie has been going really well and would have a blast at any VSE shows. Some day I will get her to one.

:

 

[BFS_Simon_Says]

I feel really dumb asking this but what does a harness with a tree look like?

ETA: You guys look great. There must be a huge amount of trust between you and Kody for him to let you lay down with him, as someone else already said you two are a perfect match.

Congratulations

 

[hairicane]

What wonderful pix as usual!! U both look great working. But I love his snoozing pix too, sure looks like he has no problem relaxing in his down time, lol. Keep posting. We finally have 2 horses cart trained and are driving them on trails, on the streetsides alongside traffic and they are getting steady wiith all that. Now that most of our 06 foals are here I am contacting the Fl. driving clubs and we are going to get started too. I love your posts!!!!