Your Drive Day

[MajorClementine]

MajorClem is it auction week? Good luck if it is!

Yes it is. The 30th. Anxiously awaiting to see what our buyer thinks of the horses then to see if we end up with or without a team and a new mini

Looks like everyone here is taking advantage of any good weather that they can. Happy driving!

 

[MajorClementine]

Well we have a team of Fjords now. Our buyer picked up a really nice team of 5 and 6 year old Fjord geldings today. I will be bringing them home with me after my visit to Illinois in July. Now we just need to think up new names for them. Bob and Bill just aren't going to cut it.

The minis sell tomorrow so I'll know by tomorrow afternoon if Clementine has a new teammate.

 

[MajorClementine]

So no mini teammate. The Amish gentleman that was buying horses for us called to say that he was very sorry but he had been away from home for 3 days and the mini horses weren't going to start selling until 6PM. There were a lot of un-cataloged horses at the sale so it went much slower than anticipated. He had a full trailer and a long drive ahead of him so he had to leave before the minis sold. I understand his situation and, while bummed out about no new mini, am excited for our new Fjord team bought the day before.

 

[Squeaks]

Congratulations on the Fjord team!! You must share pictures

 

[Cayuse]

Congratulations on your new team. Fjords are nice. The woman that helped me with Cappy last summer used to raise them. They are very uncommon around here. But the few I have seen have been sweeties. I love that size, very usable. Do "BillyBob" ride, too? That would be a nice bonus

Too bad about the mini. How do you hire an agent for the auction?

Squeaks is right, we need pictures!

 

[MajorClementine]

Dad is going out to drive them on Monday so he'll take pics. The gentleman who purchased them is an amish friend of my dad's from Iowa. He got to know him last summer and he's been looking at Fjord teams for us for about 6 months. He's pretty particular and really wanted to find us a team that checked all of our boxes. He's taking them back to his place and will work with them until July when I will drive out and bring them home. And yes they ride too. That was one of the things I wanted. A horse my son could ride. Raymund said he will put his girls on them to get them "kid broke" for us.

Here is their auction catalog pic. You can't see much of the second horse but if you count the legs you see he's there They are lots 236 and 237 close to the bottom of the page.

http://www.waverlysales.com/Add-l-Horses.html

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Enjoyed looking at the catalog.

 

[Cayuse]

Nice looking horse, bigger than I imagined. There used to be one at the shows I go to, she was smaller, about 13.2 so that is probably where I got that idea, lol. My friend that raised them had a variety of sizes I think. But that was before I met her so I'm not positive about that.

Sounds like you will have a busy summer.

I took Peanut out one last time in the sled today. We had a snowstorm yesterday. Today it was in the 50's. He was so good. I have to say I liked the otter sled when we had it mickey moused together, without the shafts. The curved end shafts are really hard to get through the shaft carriers and tend to rub his sides. We have adjusted them again but will have to wait until next year to see how the adjustment work out. Maybe I will do a video of it then and everyone can critique it.

I did have fun with the ottersled though and will miss that now spring is SUPPOSED to be here.

 

[MajorClementine]

Okay I know they aren't minis so this is the last I'll post about them but here are the promised pics of the Fjord team. They are named Phineas and Ferb unless someone comes up with something better in the next day or two. After that we'll just be used to Phineas and Ferb and it'll stick.

 

[paintponylvr]

I'm wondering if you have hit it exactly with the "flight" thing! He doesn't see horses being lunged and maybe he thinks it was running from something. I wonder what I can do about this? Maybe I can call my neighbor and ask her to let me know when she is going to lunge so I can bring him over to watch.

Or take him to show grounds that may have lounging going on, and first leave him tied at the trailer where he can soak in the activity, then lead him about, then ground drive him. I used to go to many shows with ponies/horses that never got shown - but just got used to the activity/exposure. It made a HUGE difference later for some with driving. Others were never "phased".

 

[paintponylvr]

MajorClemontine -

Thanx for sharing your team of Fjords!! Like others, they are larger to me than I was expecting - though I'd heard they could be that big, LOL.

They are NICE! What a terrific find for you and how great is that that your family has an Amish trainer/friend that is able to help you out. FANTASTIC!! I've always heard good things about the Waverly sales - several of the "old time" Shetland breeders used to run their previous years unregistered colts (or so I was told years ago) thru that sale - good homes and decent prices for the seller... Also a great place (again - as I was told, not first hand experience) to find mini/pony sized vehicles.

 

[paintponylvr]

Nice looking horse, bigger than I imagined. There used to be one at the shows I go to, she was smaller, about 13.2 so that is probably where I got that idea, lol. My friend that raised them had a variety of sizes I think. But that was before I met her so I'm not positive about that.

Sounds like you will have a busy summer.

I took Peanut out one last time in the sled today. We had a snowstorm yesterday. Today it was in the 50's. He was so good. I have to say I liked the otter sled when we had it mickey moused together, without the shafts. The curved end shafts are really hard to get through the shaft carriers and tend to rub his sides. We have adjusted them again but will have to wait until next year to see how the adjustment work out. Maybe I will do a video of it then and everyone can critique it.

I did have fun with the ottersled though and will miss that now spring is SUPPOSED to be here.

Can't you also use the Otter sled on grass/dirt as a drag? The reason I'm asking is I was looking at that application for hauling manure, smaller sticks, stacklable log cuts - through our sand/leaves here in NC... More info on the shaft arrangement too, but, I will admit I haven't been thru all the pages here recently. Have you already posted that info? If so, give me a page # or thread # and I'll go find it. Haven't had time to keep up with all the forum stuff and I've let reading this thread get way behind some 30 pages ago!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Or take him to show grounds that may have lounging going on, and first leave him tied at the trailer where he can soak in the activity, then lead him about, then ground drive him. I used to go to many shows with ponies/horses that never got shown - but just got used to the activity/exposure. It made a HUGE difference later for some with driving. Others were never "phased".

There are no shows around here. There are some playdays, however. Good suggestion! I will plan to take him to one, just so he can be exposed. Of course, HE will probably scare those big horses silly!

 

[MajorClementine]

Can't you also use the Otter sled on grass/dirt as a drag? The reason I'm asking is I was looking at that application for hauling manure, smaller sticks, stacklable log cuts - through our sand/leaves here in NC... More info on the shaft arrangement too, but, I will admit I haven't been thru all the pages here recently. Have you already posted that info? If so, give me a page # or thread # and I'll go find it. Haven't had time to keep up with all the forum stuff and I've let reading this thread get way behind some 30 pages ago!

This is a great idea. Do you have other horses or animals that you can use Peanut pulling the otter sled to feed? Wouldn't that be fun. It would take longer for sure but if you did it several times per week he'd be a pro in a month. I need to do that with Clem. Maybe she'd be stand for harnessing better if I worked with her more...like every day....

I may have just become convinced to build a feed wagon/sled....

 

[Cayuse]

Paula, on page 55 there is a picture of Peanut with the sled and the shafts. You could use the sled by itself for pulling some light stuff I think but it would scuff up the bottom a lot without snow. If you don't mind it getting scuffed and scraped it would do.

BUT,

The otter sled with the shafts attached does NOT make a good skid as without weight in the back, the front of the sled tips forward and digs into the ground. This is one of the reasons I dislike the shafts. I could not use the sled with the shafts to pull manure tubs without getting IN the sled with the empty tubs for the return trip. I did not want to have to do this with the green mini.

We have tried to tinker with the balance of the sled but it really needs a load in it to stay level. That concerns me as I worry it is putting a lot of stress on the horses anatomy somewhere (back, chest, shoulder).

I hope this explanation makes sense. The next time it snows I will post a picture of the sled tipping. But I hope we get no more snow until November!!!

MajorClem, those two are adorable!

 

[Cayuse]

This is a great idea. Do you have other horses or animals that you can use Peanut pulling the otter sled to feed? Wouldn't that be fun. It would take longer for sure but if you did it several times per week he'd be a pro in a month. I need to do that with Clem. Maybe she'd be stand for harnessing better if I worked with her more...like every day....

I may have just become convinced to build a feed wagon/sled....

We just have the two minis and my welsh pony. I don't have to move feed more than a few feet thankfully!

Peanut stands better when he is used more. He can be a stinker to harness/hitch sometimes. Very fresh! The last time we were out he was amazingly good and stood while we did a lot of fiddling with the sled and harness. I was astounded!

 

[MajorClementine]

Isn't it interesting that the way we "rig" something is sometimes (a lot of times) better than a "proper" setup. The new mini wagon I've got had a problem with the trees hitting the cart so they were always a little to one side. Uncomfortable for the horses I would think. We called and asked about it and the answer was that "it was the best setup that we have come up with so far". Dad and I figured there had to be a better way. Why would you drive knowing you were causing your horses discomfort. So we turned the pole upside down. It makes the draft a little lower since the trees are now under the pole instead but the horses are much happier. It's more like and axle draft now so win-win I say

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Rowdy was an absolute brat today. I am tired of going backward instead of forward. I finally give up on him. It makes me feel like a failure, but I've definitely decided.

We had not been out for about 10 days. Lots of rain. Then I had to wait for my circle field to not be a swamp. I will not drive him anymore without doing circles first. He stood nicely for harnessing and we did fine entering the circle field. Then he turned into his bratty self.. He would not turn, and when I finally got him to turn, it was back to the old head-sideways-body-straight mode. I thought we had worked through all that. Then he decided he would not leave the gate area. I had to unhook and ground drive him then. We went around and around the field. Every time he got to that point he had a fit. No improvement on the turns. It was as though he was possessed by an imp today. Finally did hook back up to drive back to the barn. We never went on the road. There was no way he was going to be safe there. I have been working with him for nearly 1 1/2 years. A professional trainer had him for 3 weeks. I just don't see that he and I have a future.

 

[Cayuse]

That darn Rowdy. I am disappointed for you, you have put in so much effort into making it work with him.

Don't feel like a failure, sometimes it is just a bad fit between horse and human or the horse and the particular job chosen for him. If he is proving not to be safe it's a wise decision not to continue.

Maybe he can find a home as a companion with someone who needs a pasture pal for a lonely horse or something like that. Or he can hang out with DD if you want three ☺. Three is a nice number, no one is ever left alone to raise heck when another one leaves for awhile. I had to get a third one to keep peace in the barn, I didn't really WANT three but there they are.

Anyway, I hope that you are able to get a mini or pony to drive that is safe and that you can have FUN with.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I really feel he has potential to be a driving horse. That's why I'm so frustrated. I am thinking someone else can take him forward. He just doesn't care whether he pleases me; he is all about himself. I posted him on two horse sites today.

I only have two horses. That is the most I can take care of. My experience with three horses is one is always an outsider and the dynamic isn't good. Sounds like you have a nice little herd, Cayuse!

Don't know what I will do when Rowdy leaves for a companion for Dapper Dan. He may have to be alone till I can find something else.