Trainers...please advise

[LittleRibbie]

For those professionals or who train horses to drive for others

Would you prefer to start from scratch

Or would you prefer to have the horse at least already used to the cart and bridle

I ask because Im not sure how I should proceed and I dont want to accidently cause problems in his training that could back fire and make it harder on the trainer/horse later on.

The horse in question is a horse that I would like to be able to perhaps show in driving later on.And I think he would do well. The horses ( only 2 ) that I have trained to drive ( I should just say ....pull a cart )are great at what I taught them and use them for. Parades, and just pleasure around my house and neighborhood. They do exactly what they are asked to do and are pretty bombproof. With that being said...in a show ring Im certain they would look silly b/c I never worried about head set, country trot, extended trot and things like that. They basically just pull the cart and walk when asked and trot when asked and turn when asked. I am not qualified to try to teach them any more than that because thats all I know.

So should I train this guy just like I did the others and THEN send him to a trainer or would I be better off having them start them as a complete virgin driving horse.

Depending where he is trained I would definatly take some driving lessons with he and the trainer before he comes home and hopefully during his training as well.

Thanks for your thoughts

Heidi

Just want to add that I have had the saddle w/crupper and breeching on just when we go for walks and have held the cart up while walking him so he has felt the shafts. Even bounced the cart behind him and hes fine but its really the bitting rig that Im reluctant to try b/c of my lack of knowledge, confidence and not wanting him to suffer from me doing something wrong.

It would not be like sending some wild knuckle head to a trainer. I just want him to properly learn to drive and not just pull the cart.

 

[RhineStone]

Well Heidi, I think it really depends on how much you want to spend and the trainer. Maybe you want to take a couple of lessons with the proposed trainer with their horse to see how they "finish" their horses. That might give you an idea where you are heading with driving training.

At a minimum, the horse should be well-versed in Showmanship, even if you are not going to show in a Showmanship class. If the horse has that foundation, it can be a whole lot easier to train to drive. If the trainer has to do a whole bunch of groundwork before even getting to the driving training, it's going to take a lot longer with more $$$.

I don't think that "playing" with "toys" is going to hurt the training process at all, like introducing the cart, bumping it carefully on the horse's sides, etc. Any other toys that you have around would be good, too, like if you were doing Halter Obstacle.

Maybe Lori will chime in here considering she takes in outside horses.

Good for you for taking the time to process this before you make a mistake.

A lot of trainers train a whole lot of horses with PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, because someone screwed them up first!

Myrna

 

[disneyhorse]

I would not hesitate to desensitize the horse to things (cart, bit, harness, etc.) as that is going to allow the trainer to go straight to the driving training, which will also save you some money. The more months of "startup" training you can do yourself, is more months of training dollars you will save.

Andrea

 

[hobbyhorse23]

I do not train outside horses as I prefer to maintain my amateur status but will say that as both an owner and someone who trains my own driving horses I agree with the others who have posted. Desensitize the horse to dogs, straps, the feel of the whip, stuff around their legs, wearing the blinders, etc., train them to longe, follow voice commands, stand quietly and ground-tie, and then hand them over to the trainer if you want a show horse and aren't confident producing one yourself. This gives them an excellent foundation to build from and the trainer can get right to the real material instead of having to put in all the ground-work. Thus- saving you $$$! If you teach the horse to haul the cart and make transitions in the cart a certain way the trainer may have to go back and re-train some of those things and that can take longer.

Leia

 

[LittleRibbie]

Leia,Andrea,Myrna, thanks...I guess I'll keep doing what I have been as far as desensitzing to things. Cant start w/the bit for a month or so but I will continue with simple round pen and lunging work. Gotta work on that ground tie thingy....he just wants to follow.

Even if he's never show horse material I just want him to enjoy driving and be comfortable w/me behind the wheel.

Thanks again

Heidi

 

[targetsmom]

I am going to offer a bit different perspective, but understand I am NOT a trainer nor have I ever sent a horse to one.

Heidi - I think you are not giving your self enough credit. I'll bet there are plenty of people - myself included - who would just as soon have a bombproof driving horse that does everything you ask it to than one who was trained for 60 days or so to drive around in circles inside an arena. As my Father used to say "Be careful what you wish for".

What I did, because I did not want send my horse(s) out to a trainer, was I found a local trainer who comes to my house and teaches ME how to teach the horse. That way I don't have to worry that I will end up with a horse that I can't (or am afraid to) drive. Maybe it is taking us longer, but we did not want the 60 day wonder horse anyway. We have done pretty well in the show ring, showing mostly at Pinto shows where a lot of the competition is ADS-style drivers, and also at ADS events.

One more point I will add from a clinic I went to with Jeff Morse: he says the most important attribute for a driving horse is good TEMPERAMENT - not movement, not conformation (although that does matter), but temperament. I'll bet your boy has the temperament and you have the desire to make him into a very nice driving horse. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[RhineStone]

What I did, because I did not want send my horse(s) out to a trainer, was I found a local trainer who comes to my house and teaches ME how to teach the horse. That way I don't have to worry that I will end up with a horse that I can't (or am afraid to) drive. Maybe it is taking us longer, but we did not want the 60 day wonder horse anyway. We have done pretty well in the show ring, showing mostly at Pinto shows where a lot of the competition is ADS-style drivers, and also at ADS events.

I will agree with this perspective, too. Actually, I prefer to teach the owner vs. the horse, but sometimes some owners just don't have "horse sense", and that is hard to teach. Those people need to send the horse off, but if you do have horse sense, training your own horse with the help of a professional is a nice option.

Myrna

 

[MiLo Minis]

I much prefer to get horses that have never been touched by someone that doesn't really know what they are doing or have little horsesense as that can just make things take so much longer and quite often the result is not as good as what it could have been. From the sound of it though YOU are giving your horse a good foundation from which to work and I always appreciate that. I typically spend the majority of the first month working on ground skills in hand and loose in the round pen teaching them their commands so that I know once they are in the cart I can depend on that whoa, etc. and they know that they can depend on me. No matter what I am told by the owner when the horse first arrives they go through all the same stages but a horse that has been well handled before I get him goes through all those stages much more quickly than a horse that is straight out of the pasture. Yes it can save you money but the key here is that you must know what you are doing and be confidant that you aren't introducing bad habits that can make a trainer's job much harder and slower thus more expensive.

If you are looking to have the horse trained for you to show that is different for me than training a horse for me to show in the breed ring. I don't like to send a horse home that the owner is not going to be capable of driving. I have gotten too many horses in for retraining because someone bought an already broke driving horse that was "professionally trained and shown" and scares the crap out of the new owner! I like to work along with the owner in that case because what I, or the other trainer, am very comfortable handling is not necessarily what the owner is going to be comfortable with.

A horse that can win in the show ring is not necessarily "broke to drive" in the same way that a pleasant trail/driving horse is - after all they have no real need to learn a pivot for instance or to be traffic safe necessarily. You need to be totally upfront with the trainer you choose and let them know exactly what you are expecting from the horse - WIN in the show ring or be a pleasant trail animal and do well in the show ring, etc. - and about your capabilities as a driver.

Every horse that I am sending home has a free lesson with me and the owner before it leaves here so that I can be sure they will be happy with each other.

 

[Marty]

HAHA! Folks, LIttle Ribbie doesn't give herself any credit. She's a good hand on a horse and that's Nick she's talking about. Nicky has a very good foundation in pivots and backing, 360's etc but he's rusty as sin and needs a good tune up and conditioning. He's got a natural head set and quite a lift to him but she's always worried about screwing him up. Besides having a brain and being quiet and willing and used to all kinds of things, I think Heidi should take him as far as she can by herself, then let the trainer put the finishing touches on him and critique him for the ring. Like you said, driving for your own pleasure is one thing and in the show ring is another.