Your Drive Day

[Cayuse]

Ok, going to try to post the picture I took today of Cappy with the red harness pads. Please excuse the hair, he has quite a fur coat and it goes in every direction.

 

[MajorClementine]

Oh I do like the red on Cappy! I thought the red would make the coat look washed out but it looks nice. Your Cappy looks almost exactly the same color as Clementine. Maybe if I could get the cart in red but with a black seat and black wheels. Then it wouldn't look like the Cherry Chariot driving down the road

We are starting to thaw out here. I went out yesterday morning and it felt like Spring! Finally! Hopefully I'll be back to driving Clem once or twice a week by the end of the month. Then I can start posting in the "Hours to Drive" thread. Hooray!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I notice that sometimes when I drive Rowdy my toes are curled up in my shoes. I have to take a moment to relax my feet. I have even felt my jaw clench. I'm sure this translates to my whole body, and thus to him.

When we are at the whoa or stand, I need to remember to use that time to relax.

Sometimes I ask him to stand for the length of a Hail Mary. This helps both of us. I think I am rather like my rat terrier dog--I am either laid back or in the "terrier mode". Don't they say that people are like their dogs??

 

[Cayuse]

I have a question maybe you all can help me with.

I have been using the otter sled with no shafts and a breast collar, making sure that the traces are straight to where I connect to the sled. This means I have been using baling twine to make trace hangers and it's working ok so far.

Cappy is very happy to both walk and trot with me in the sled.

Peanut is happy to walk while pulling the manure tubs but when I get it the sled he wants to trot. When he starts to walk off and feels the weight on the breast collar he backs off and stops, or immediately "pushes" through it and trots off, with a lurch.

But he is very HAPPY to trot and will trot on doing figure 8s and tight turns without issue.

So my question is, Is he just learning how to pull the sled? Or is it too much for him with the breast collar and I should get a draft collar (which I don't want to do)?

I lowered the breastplate down a little and that seemed to help.

I worked him today and once we picked up a trot (he kept asking), he was super, and he did walk afterwards ok.

My shafts have not arrived yet, I am thinking he may be alot better with those distributing the weight and stabilizing things.

Any advice apprecitated!

 

[MajorClementine]

My dad's foxtrotter did the same thing with a heavier load. We put him in a euro collar rather than in a straight breast collar and this eliminated the problem. Do your traces swivel on the breast collar so you have a good line of draft and the breast collar isn't rotating in and biting into his chest when he starts to pull?

Honestly when pulling a heavy load a collar is the best way to go. It offers the most proper and comfortable way for them to pull. It sounds like he might be telling you he is uncomfortable with the current setup for heavier loads.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Ok, going to try to post the picture I took today of Cappy with the red harness pads. Please excuse the hair, he has quite a fur coat and it goes in every direction.

Cappy is so handsome!

 

[Cayuse]

Thanks Marsha! I think he's kinda cute. His head is not refined, he has a bit of a roman nose, but it suits him. And I like bays

MajorClem, you are right about the collar. Today I used Cappy's semi-v shaped breastplate that is MUCH wider and fits his shoulders differently and it was like night and day. No problems at all walking off and he seemed really happy with the set-up. I should look into a euro collar. I have never seen one up close, just pictures. Where did your dad get his?

Oh and congrats on the new place, I'm happy that the deal went through!

 

[MajorClementine]

Fantastic Cayuse! It sounded so similar to the problem we were having with Red that I thought I might as well put in my 2 cents. I'm glad that worked for him.

Dad got his directly from the Amish maker of Comfy Fit. I went out last October and he took me out to their shop. The Euro Collar in mini sizes is about the cutest thing I have ever seen! They are well made and are a little more forgiving in fit than a regular work collar. But they also function a little differently than a regular collar. However, for what you are doing a euro collar would be perfect I think. They seem to have really gained favor in the marathon driving circuit. I am thinking when I go back out to visit this summer I may purchase a full Comfy Fit with Euro Collar for Clementine.

Also, thank you for the congrats on the property. I am glad as well that it worked out. It's one of those things that we had to wait a long time for but ended up being the perfect thing at just the right time.

If anyone ever wants to drive in the Southern Utah desert I have a place you can board your horses

 

[Cayuse]

The desert sounds pretty nice right now! We are at the start of a big snow storm with lots of wind. Our snowblower gave up the ghost on Tuesday so we had to scramble to get another last night, most every place was sold out. But hubby ended up with a pretty nice one, he's happy. One and a half feet of snow expected. I don't mind the snow so much, but the wind takes the fun right of it.

Do the euro collars have to be connected to the girth with a strap between the front legs?

I will look up the Comfy Fit collars when I get a chance, I want both minis to be comfortable while they are doing their job. They like to work so I want to keep them that way. Thanks for the advice!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Too warm yesterday for driving--a record 96!! My yaks would have fainted. Today a front came through and the temp dropped 50 degrees and the wind is howling. Aw, weather on the prairie...

 

[MajorClementine]

Holy cow! 96*??!! No kidding the woolies would've dropped. Send some of that heat this way... maybe half of it... I don't want all 96 degrees.

We can now see the ground in some places. We had 4' of snow a week ago but then warm temps and rain made quick work of it. The hardest part about winter driving here is that when we get heavy storms people don't shovel their sidewalks and the road has no shoulder... only snow drifts. Another week of this weather and I'll have sidewalks and a wide road shoulder to get around on. Hooray!!!!

 

[Cayuse]

96! That's a complete opposite of here. We just had two huge storms in four days. It has actually snowed for four days if I stop and think about it. If not heavy snow,then flurries.

 

[Cayuse]

I just got the pictures from today downloaded so I thought I would post one of Peanut and the otter sled. I have had no more problems since changing the breast collar to the shaped one (thanks again MajorClem!) and he even offered to canter today but I put the kibosh on that idea! I'm still waiting for the shafts, I hope they come soon.

 

[MajorClementine]

That looks like so much fun! I'm glad he's feeling more comfortable in the shaped breast collar. He looks great pulling the otter sled. He really is a handsome guy!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Against the snow, he makes a great picture. That sled looks like so much fun. We've had over 2" rain here; bet I could use it as a boat, too.

 

[Cayuse]

More snow tomorrow! We've been getting slammed.

I bet it's coming from Marsha's rain clouds headed my way.

MajorClem did you decide about a cart yet?

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Nice weather today. I took Rowdy for a walk and would have loved to drive him, but my circle pasture is nearly underwater. I'll have to wait a day or two before we can work. I don't want to take him out on the road without doing our circles first.

 

[MajorClementine]

Sounds like everyone is getting the crazy rain and flooding like we are. I may invest in scuba gear for my minis and use them as dive buddies...

I'm going to have to groom a few extra dogs to save up my pennies for a cart but I think I am going to go with the Frontier that I posted. I'm still going back and forth on red vs black though....I loved the red on Cappy but in the end I'll probably go black because I have a few custom harness parts in lime green. Might look a little funny with the red cart.

As a side note. We've kept this thread alive for over a year. It's been so much fun for me to get to know everyone on here and their horses a bit and to follow your drives and progress. I can finally see sidewalks and the shoulder of the road is no longer a big snow bank so, when this rain passes it's time for me to contribute actual driving posts to this thread again. Oh! And hours to drive posts on our other thread! Hooray! Happy driving and I hope we all dry out a little very soon for some spring drives.

 

[Cayuse]

Lime and red would be bright, all right. I'd probably go with the black, too. I think I remember your driving lines are lime? Black would look sharp with that.

We've been thinking about getting a cart for Cappy so I understand about saving the pennies. I have a feeling he will need one with smaller wheels as he is a bit smaller than Peanut and IIRC the cart balance was off. I have to look at my pictures to jog my memory.

I had him out in the sled yesterday and he was such a good boy. He had one tight turn to make and he crossed over with his front feet and did an almost perfect turn on his haunches. I did not teach him that and I was impressed with the little man. In the past he was used to pull logs and I think that move may have come from that time in his life. He sure had it all under control.

 

[MajorClementine]

So finally all of our snow was melted away and it was warming up. Then February happened. I woke up to 10 inches of freshly fallen white stuff. Gah!!! When will this end. I'm too big a wimp to go out in the snow so looks like I'm bummin' around in the barn for a little while longer.

In other news, I've got my dad looking at the Waverly Midwest Horse sale for a teammate for Clementine. I've got my eye on one or two in the catalog.. We'll see how it goes...