PLEASE WHERE A HELMET

[Jess P]

*Wear, sorry, I am a bit frazzled

I am begging you!

I have been ground driving Dusty for several weeks now, and have walked him with the cart attached. Well, today I decided to drive him with the cart on. It was going well at first, then he got to close to the rail and spooked, making me crash down on his rump. My legs are bruised. I thought, okay. I want to end this on a good note and he only spooked because he hit the rail. I got back on, asked him to walk, and he took off. I pulled back my reins to tell him to whoa, and he went faster, at a full gallop. I screamed help several times, my grandparents didn't hear, even my neighbor who was in his driveway didn't hear.

It was time to abandon the cart. I jumped out, hit the ground, felt dizzy as heck, and got up to watch my horse break through the riding ring gate, knock several boards off, and run into the paddocks. He ended up in the unused stallion paddock, and I blocked him off from escaping.

Please, for your safety, WEAR A HELMET!

 

[justjinx]

This brings up something I noticed at my first AMHR show I recently attended. I was surprised, and bothered, that YOUTH did NOT have to wear a helmet in leadline nor driving. SAFETY first, the heck witht he fancy duds! I really think youths need to wear helmets!

jennifer

 

[WhyMinis]

I'm glad you are ok.

Coming from this mom whose daughter was in a coma for 3 days after a riding accident, ALWAYS wear a helmet when driving or riding any horse.

You didn't say how your horse faired. Is he ok too?

 

[Jess P]

Oh yes, Dusty is fine. When I stopped him I sat there for a good 5 minutes with him so we could both catch our breath, There are no wounds or anything on him. I did get back on and walk him around a little bit just to end it once again on a good note, and boy was he happy to get out of that cart.

My cart has some paint scraped, nothing big.

 

[lyn_j]

[SIZE=14pt]Miniseasons, have you had driving training yourself before trying to train dusty? This is a mistake I see all to many new mini owners making. You need to know how to stop a horse. Pulling back on your reins and screaming isnt going to stop him. You need to seesaw the reins , lean back in the cart and repeat whoa CALMLY and slowly. The more you scream behind a runaway the faster he is going to run! By the time you grabbed his reins he had probably got the bit in his teeth and wasnt feeling it anymore. Please get some training before you attempt to train your horse EVERYONE. and yes always wear a helmet. This accident could have injured both you and your horse very badly. Ask Allison King what happened to her when she started training Jack![/SIZE]

Lyn

 

[Jess P]

Lyn, I have had many lessons before. This horse has only been ground driven, not in a cart and I did not Pull back harshly on the reins, I seesawed. And I gently asked him to whoa. When he started getting faster, not responding, that is when I paniced. I was taught to say "Whoa" then gently pull on the reins. My training may not be the same as yours, but this is how I drive my mare, whom I didn't train, and that is how she responds.

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

This brings up something I noticed at my first AMHR show I recently attended.  I was surprised, and bothered, that YOUTH did NOT have to wear a helmet in leadline nor driving.  SAFETY first, the heck witht he fancy duds!  I really think youths need to wear helmets!
jennifer 

453674[/snapback]

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I have always said that as well and wondered how marked down my child would be driving with a helmet on I realize it doesnt look great with the fancy dresses but neither would her like someone else said laying in a coma due to an accident

 

[Relic]

l totally agree wear a helmet. l've seen my daughter do well for the first few times when starting someone and then unexpectly something spooks them she has been dragged through the bush into the swamp over gravel across the fields and crashed into my riding mower once and the cart was a write off. She will use a helmet plus long sleeves and boots the first few times out now because you as she says never know for sure . We have a haf acre picket enclosed driving ring where not much goes wrong and the horses feel secure and get started in there but out on the road the first few times sometimes is a different story not for all but there have been those time. l think for safety all kids should have to wear a helmet though l know youth don't always want or feel the need. You sound like a pretty smart youth who doesn't need to be clobbered in the head twice before you learn.

 

[justaboutgeese]

Wearing a helmit might have been a smart thing to do but it might have been just as smart to have helpers (two minimum) for the first time you actually try getting in the cart. I have two helpers on lead ropes attached to the halter as we go the first two of three times. Its much easier to ease an green animal into driving than to get one over the trauma yours has gone through. One redeeming factor is that neither you or the horse got any physical damage and we are all thankful for that. I would get that horse back ground driving and pulling the empty cart around again immediatly. You need to find a helper or two if its possible to help you get him over this hump in the training.

 

[MiniHGal]

Agree with 'geese--especially the helpers. When I start a horse, I always have helpers, and even after a few 'drives'(me in) I still have people nearby, that know(or can see) that I'm driving a greenie, and are able to come help in nothing flat.

Another thing you might do/need to do is set up a 'system' or signal that is used for 'emergency stops'. This is a word or command or rein signal that tells the horse "Stop NOW". Most of my horses know that when they get flustered or worried, they need to stop/slow down and wait for me to come help or fix it. When I wrecked with Ref(big horse, big carriage), and the carriage was on its side, I told her "Whoa" and was able to unhitch her from the carriage with no problems, even though she was pretty scared. After righting the carriage, I rehitched and we drove right off(with a helper to supervise and going VERY carefully). It also helped a lot when I wound up the tandem and Dan was facing Fascination with everything tangled up--we were able to unwind and keep on going, because the horses listened, stopped, and waited for me to come make it all better.

A helmet is an excellent idea. I don't always use one with the minis...but always with the big horses.

Good luck and I am glad you are (mostly) unhurt--it is pretty scary!

 

[mizbeth]

I ALWAYS have a helper or helpers when driving a new horse. To have someone there for you if you need them. Even the show arena horses have plenty of help if you need it.

I took a green horse that had been ground driving and also with the cart, but just no one in it. With the weight of the person in the seat he spooked and took off. He could not be stopped either. I was there, my helper was driving. He bailed and the horse ran around the arena with the cart flying 90 to nothing! The cart flipped and finally caught in a fence post and that is when he stopped. I thought he would never stop. I thought we killed him.....he was so sweaty and panting so hard. Jorge was fine tho., young fella and cleared the cart and horse well when he jumped.

When hooking him up again, as we were making him and his partner the other pair in a four horse hitch, I had three helpers and myself. No way would this horse allow that cart to be attached to him. One was on his head and one on each side and me behind the cart. We walked him and walked him until he calmed down and did this many times to get him used to the cart again. We could have lost the helper (originally driving) in more ways than one and lost the horse too as a driving horse. We were lucky. I cannot even imagine had I been alone, or Jorge alone when this happened.

Boy, this brings subject sure brings back that day.

 

[Sue_C.]

Yes! Definately have a helper. I always wait till someone can be around, the first few times I drive a newly hitched horse. I am also well over the Youth stange of my life...and still wear a helmet.

I realize it doesnt look great with the fancy dresses

What I do for any female Youth driving my horses at shows, is use complimentary coloured netting, bows, and sometimes even ostrich feathers for the older girls. Looks great, and it takes away that "bucket-head" look.

 

[Crossbuck Farms]

I see everyone say youth wear a helmet why not adults.

 

[Fred]

I NEVER HOOK A GREEN HORSE UNLESS I AM ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN HE IS READY

TO DRIVE, AND I ALWAYS MAKE SURE I HAVE SOMEONE AROUND WHEN I DO!!!!!!

I STARTED A GREEN HORSE HAD HOOKED HIM SEVERAL TIMES AND HE WAS

DOING QUITE WELL UNTIL HE DECIDED TO LEAVE!! HE IS ONLY 30 IN TALL BUT

HE LOCKED HIS NECK, HIT TOP SPEED IN TWO JUMPS, FLIPPED ME AND THE

CART [ON PURPOSE] AND RAN TO THE GATE TO BE UNHOOKED. THE SCARY

THING IS HE WAS DRIVING FINE AND HAD GONE AROUND ABOUT 10 TIMES

BEFORE HE PULLED THIS STUNT. I DID DRIVE HIM AFTER THAT BUT AS HE IS

MY YOUNGEST DAUGHTERS HORSE THERE WAS NO WAY I WOULD TRUST HIM

WITH HER DRIVING SO HE NOW JUST DOES PERFORMANCE. DRIVING IS MORE

DANGEROUS THAN RIDING. MY KIDS WEAR HELMENTS WHEN WE DRIVE HERE

AT HOME. IT SHOULD BE MANDATORY FOR THEM TO WEAR HELMENTS IN THE

SHOW RING. I HAVE TRAINED ALL MY OWN SADDLE HORSES OVER THE YEARS

AND SOME OF MY DRIVING HORSES, AND I HAVE THE LUMPS TO PROVE IT!!!

IF YOU ARE NEW TO DRIVING NEVER DRIVE ALONE AND IF ITS A GREEN HORSE

ALWAYS HAVE SOMEONE HANDY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LINDA

B

 

[rabbitsfizz]

This , of course, is where the experience bit comes in!! And yet, whenever I caution "please do not do this yourself, please get experienced help" people shoot me down, on here, and quite recently. So, I am glad you are not hurt,it is now going to take an experienced person, which you are NOT, to get this poor chap back in harness. You did post that you screamed at him to stop, which, as Lyn pointed out, was entirely the wrong thing to do. If you do not have the experience to handle a runaway DO NOT GET IN THE CART!!!! A helmet is the least of your worries. I can see so many things wrong with how you approached this whole thing I will not even start to point them out. You are lucky that neither you nor the horse, who never asked to be shoved, far too soon, into a cart, are dead, let alone seriously injured!!! Sorry to be so harsh but I did tell you NOT to do this on your own, but you knew so much better. You know what, sometimes, just sometimes, we old hands, with hundreds of years of experience under our belts, just do know something

 

[whitney]

Helper is a MUST.

Screaming and Horses don't mix.

A helmet is a GOOD idea, and I'm guilty of not wearing one. So I will take everyones advice and pull mine out of the closet.

My old beat up one, that I have used on ALL my green horses has

"STUDENT DRIVER" in glow in the dark letters painted on the back. For those crazy drivers on the road.

Surprisingly they usually smile and give me a WIDE berth.

I'm so glad that you and your horse are both OK.

 

[Jess P]

I admit, I know what I did was stupid. I really thought Dusty was ready, he is the horse I trust. I have had minis for 5 years and have been around them for 7, so I am not new to this. I am going to start him back up in ground driving for a few more months, and then get some helpers out there

 

[Sterling]

Jessica, it can happen to anyone. I'm glad that you and your little horse were not hurt, and think it's a good thing that you are thinking on backing up a few steps in order to get him going again.....a helper is an excellent idea too. Just for the record.....in all my many years of experience with horses (over 20), this will be my second year driving my well seasoned show horse......I still make sure someone is around when I hook up and go out. I look at it this way, with a horse no matter how seasoned they are, you should always leave room to expect the unexpected. Before long you guys will be up and at 'em again.....remember, slow and easy.

 

[Kim Rule]

Having formally been known as the "helmet lady", I can only say "HERE, HERE!" Helmets should be worn by the youth whether riding or driving. Actually, us old folks ought to wear them too! I have seen lives saved by helmets when I taught riding.

I used to give parents written instructions on what to buy, and tell them that bicycle helmets aren't good enough. They would fret about the expense, and then I would tell them, that fixing brain injuries costs much, MUCH more!!! They usually didn't argue after that!!!!

Kim R.

 

[JO~*]

As long as we are talking about safety, here is something else you should NEVER do.

One time when I had my mare all hooked up to the cart I noticed that one of the tires needed some air, well I was to lazy to unhook her so I preceded to air up the tire thinking I would be able to feel when to stop.

Well that tie blew and it sounded like a gun shot when it did. It was one of them kind filled with green slim.

The slim flew everywhere. I have no idea why my mare didn’t freak out but she didn’t by some miracle.

It could have been a really bad outcome if she had. I will never air up the tires when hooked up again.

This same mare came totally unglued when my friends dog ran up behind the cart, just goes to prove you never know.