Your Drive Day

[Willow Flats]

When I was driving Kriss Kross I had him in a Ultimate Tongue Relief bit and was using a bit lifter. Then when I bought Rocko I tried Kriss' set up on him and he took right to it, very comfortable.
I wondered if Rocko really needed the bit lifter so I took it off today and that didn't work! He was so busy playing with the bit rolling it around and putting his tongue over and under it that he couldn't focus!
I went back in and put it back on, only one hole looser and will try gradually loosening it as he learns to carry the bit himself.
This bit has a port and can roll all the way around. It was really pricey and gentle so I want to keep using it.

 

[charlottein]

Took Chaos out today to pick my daughter up at school as I try to do every other week when the weather and wo k cooperate. Thanks to help from my trainer and some help from my dad to drill some new holes, my cart was so much better balanced! With the new singletree, all that is left is to shorten the shafts a bit more and we are in business! It rode so smooth and Chaos did very well despite some nervousness about a couple loud motorcycles and snow chains on the busy street we drove by. So excited for the Turkey Hunt drive day this weekend my local Colorado Driving Society is doing. It will be our first time driving with a bunch of other people.

 

[Willow Flats]

My friend drove Annie with us today. Rocko was naughty! It's green everywhere and he just wanted to graze the whole time and bucked when he didn't get his way. He can't get his feet too high with the kick strap but he had a pretty bad attitude for the first half of our drive.
Once my father-in-law offered me a cookie and I said no thank you and then he waved it under my nose saying "come on ya know you want it!"
I always feel bad driving my horses at a walk over green grass because it's such a temptation for them!!!

We had the heavy rain and then many foggy days so it is too wet to mow.

 

[charlottein]

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Chaos Did great at our first drive day - the Turkey Hunt - with the Colorado Driving Society! He was acting spooky after unloading and I was worried…he was kinda freaked by all the big horses and carriages there. But he settled in great though very talkative. He even went over his first covered wood bridge with the cart, up and down steep hills on the marathon course as we collected turkeys with cards to build a poker hand. Sadly our hand was bad so we didn’t win the frozen turkey, lol! Great fun though!

 

[HersheyMint]

What a fun day. Great job Chaos

 

[Willow Flats]

Chaos!!!! He could be Rocko's twin except Rocko is one hand taller. That sounds like so much fun. Happy for you that you had such a successful outing. I like the video of him calling out to his new friends!

 

[Kelly]

What great videos! Looks like y’all had a great time!! He is just adorable

 

[Willow Flats]

We had some beautiful weather for today's drive. See how green everything is?!! Bad camera angle. He is not that big! I took some video today of zoomies and Annies antics. Will try to post them later.

 

[HersheyMint]

It is green and beautiful. I was surprised when I saw you are in northern CA

 

[Willow Flats]

It is green and beautiful. I was surprised when I saw you are in northern CA

I know! The area you see here was all under water when we had that storm a few weeks ago that dumped almost as much water as we had all of last year within 24 hours! Crazy!

 

[Kelly]

Bad camera angle. He is not that big!

LOL LOL you make me laugh . They both look AWESOME! Great pic! Can’t wait to see the video

 

[Willow Flats]

Rocko was trying to grass snatch something terrible today and he had a good spook when a cow stepped out from behind a bush as we were going by. It was a really big cow and a surprise, so I'll give him that. lol. The cow started following us along the fence line and that kept him alert but he did just fine.
I had moved my seat forward on my (Aerocrown) cart a while back because the shafts were bouncing in the tugs which fixed that but then the seat became bouncy. Andy made the comment that 2 wheel carts are bouncy when I was at the clinic. Today my low back was sore so I felt every bounce exaggerated and when I brought him in I drove Annie for 10 minutes to see if her cart was as bouncy or was it just my back. But I felt 100 times better in the Kingston cart. The Aerocrown is the first cart I have had with hard wheels. My other two carts had the motorcycle tires. Could that be the difference between the comfort in the carts?

 

[Dragon Hill]

Everything I've read says air filled tires are definitely more shock absorbing than hard wheels.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Really enjoy reading everyone's driving experiences, and about the differences in various cart styles and wheels.

 

[charlottein]

Hurray! Took Chaos to the school again today and he was a champ! I had no one to head while tacking up, but he stood so well! Standing is something he needs work on. And we actually cantered for the first time in cart, since he was doing so well and it was a blast! My daughter was delighted. I have hesitated to do so since we road drive, but his Cavallo boots are working so well for traction for him - he hasn't had any slips with them so far like he does without. Hope you all had a good Thanksgiving if that is something you celebrate!

 

[Willow Flats]

A couple bought the home across the road from us which sits on almost 10 acres. She rides and has a cutting horse who isn't there yet as they need to do some improvements on an old barn and put in fencing. She said she doesn't want me driving on the road and that we are free to drive around their property!
So today my husband and I drove Rocko and Annie over there. Rocko did so well. We had to wait for a lot of traffic and some people on foot to pass by and then there were new barking dogs bordering a section of her property that went nuts when we drove by. Annie was nervous and rushing which has been the case ever since she was chased by dogs but my husband handled her pretty well.

One of the horse parks here is holding a Christmas event on the 12th where you can drive for free throughout the whole park and all the hazards and free cookies too! I drove Annie there once when they were having an HDT just to have her around some activity, but Rocko has never been there. I trailered him and drove him once at my friend's ranch and once at the clinic and he did pretty good so I'm hoping to have some fun! My husband plans to drive Annie.

 

[Willow Flats]

Rocko did so well driving today! I have started training him with bells because I'm sure that some people will have bells on their horse or carriage at the Christmas event. He has gotten used to them rather quickly but Annie is another story. She is tolerating them but isn't a fan. I've been attaching them to my belt and to the muck bucket when I am cleaning or feeding so she can get used to them. I attached them to the top of her hay net and she would get a bite and a jingle and this really slowed her down, as she approached and retreated, but of course it didn't prevent her from eating. So if you have a chow hound that isn't crazy about bells, you might get a day out of them where they eat at the same pace as the rest of your horses! The weather report has been changing daily and now they are calling for rain the day of the event so it may get cancelled, but we need rain so I'll be ok either way and the horses will be desensitized to bells.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I put the belly sleigh bells on Midnight on our last walk. She was perfectly fine with them. But after an hour's walk I was ready for some peace and quiet--they are noisy. Munchkin wore the surcingle bells. He did fine also. Some horses really react to bells! A couple of mine in the past took quite a while to get used to them.

 

[charlottein]

Ooh fun! I asked for rump bells for Christmas. Doubt I will get them, but you never know! I will take your suggestion when I do, Willow Flats!

 

[MajorClementine]

I almost always drive with bells. The horses don't seem to spook at loud noises when they have the constant jingle of the bells. I have a ring with a single bell and a strap of 3 toned brass cast bells. They are the only bells I can stand to listen to. Regular "jingle bells" make me batty!

Hubby got me a boat seat and bracket to make it adjustable forward and back! He's going to install it on my jogging sulky along with a single tree. Basically turning in into a bike style cart for a fraction of the cost. Can't wait!