Your Drive Day

[jeanniecogan]

I was supposed to go camping this week but everyday something came up and i never did get to go, yesterday i was a bit down in the dumps but i dragged myself down to the barn and hooked charlie to the wagon and went out for a drive. it was a beautiful day and we had a great drive. i felt much better and Charlie did too.

HEy!, i had a brain storm a few months ago. we are in the same deal as some of you, can't drive on the road. they are windey and hilly and people drive like maniacs. same small town problems. to top it all off, the ditches are horribly deep and dangerous. we have about 12 acres 2 larg e pastures and a big field (big to me anyhow). so my hubbly mowed the field and i went out with the lawn tractor and scalped myself a trail all around and through the field. serpentines , circles and figure 8's. my neighbors went crazy talking about aliens and crop circles, hehe. it gives me 4-5 times the driving space and i mix it up so the horses don't get bored. i will try to take a pic today.

 

[Cayuse]

My hubby mows me a path, too! Its getting overgrown and needs another pruning. I don't have an area as big as yours though, and the neighbors can't see it very well so we have had no crop circle excitement

I am glad that your drive was a nice one, I have heard the quote "the outside of a horse is good for the inside of man" or something close to that.

I think Winston Churchill said it, but I'm not positive.

I always feel better after working the minis.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

We have tried the mowed trail thing but don't seem to keep it maintained. And the terrain is bumpy. But it is a great idea. I need to think about redoing mine.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

No driving today, but we got a "new" golf cart and it will work well for ponying. We tried Dapper Dan on it today, tying different ways to see what worked best. He is an old hand at ponying, so he was fine. We are ordering a rear view mirror for the cart; I won't go out by myself with the cart and a horse until the mirror is installed. My dog loves it, almost as much as riding on the bicycle.

 

[Cayuse]

Cappy had a big adventure. Well, big for him. I ground drove him for awhile and he was great so we hitched him and Hubby took him out in the bigger field and they trotted all the way around each way several times.

Going down the slight hill, he cantered and I held my breath on that, but Hubby got him back after only 3 or 4 strides. And went they went around again I told him to steady him before he hit the little downward slope and that worked. I think it was a balance issue but Hubs said he thinks Cappy may have thought he was asking for the canter. If he knows how to canter in harness, he knows a lot more than I think he does,lol.

After they were done I drove him in the small paddock for a while to cool him down.

Marsha that golf cart sounds cool. Good idea!

 

[MajorClementine]

Sounds like Cappy enjoyed his adventure!

I too think a golf cart for ponying minis sounds great. We used to use a ranger to excerise 3 horses at a time.

I finally got Clementine and Major moved back up to my house. They were only half a mile down the road but this way I can go out and work with them even if I just have 30 min of down time and I don't have to load harnesses and everything in the car. It's fun to have them where I can look out my window and check on them.

 

[Cayuse]

MajorClem, did you ever get your French link snaffle and try it out? If you did, how did it go?

Oh, and I sent you a pm a week or so ago, I dunno if it went through, my computer being temperamental like it is!!!!!

It must be nice to have the horses home.

I think I found a cart for Cappy. It is a Kingston cart like my other one but it is scaled down for minis under thirty inches. My other Kingston cart is just a tad large for him so this might be just right.

The wheel base in narrower, but the cart is lower so I think it should be as stable as my other one. If anybody has a thought on that feel free to comment. My husband will be!the one using most, I think. He just mostly!walks and trots!a small amount.

The cart is lighter, too.

I had a nice little drive with him yesterday. He stills chomps a lot!when we first!start!out but gets over it.

I may need to play around with bits, but I am putting that off as he is trying pretty hard to get thing right in !most other aspects.

This ! is too much ! ?

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Cayuse, I have an extra set of shackles like the ones on my sulky. I was wondering if you would like to have them? They are perfect for a trail drive, but I would not use them for obstacles or a lot of backing. If you have a cart/sulky you would like to try them on, let me know. I thought with your hands it might be a quick and easy way to hitch. I think they are used by trotters.

I have a pinched nerve. Had it for going on 4 weeks. Usually I get over this in a week or so, but this one is hanging on. I actually am going to a chiropractor (first time ever for me) as I am desperate. Xrays show it is a vertebrae issue caused by the farm accident when I was a child. Who knows how these things can come up to bite one in future years! I haven't driven much as sitting is so painful. I did go out yesterday, stoked on Advil. Had a lovely drive!

 

[Cayuse]

Marsha, thank you for the offer! I will ask my husband if he can mount them on my cart. I will show him the picture and let you know. It is nice of you to think you me and my hands.

That is miserable about your back, I thought something might be up when you posted about getting the golf cart to use for exercising DD instead of hand walking. I hope the chiro helps. I have had back issues occasionally because of the arthritis and it no fun at all. PT is my friend.

I am sorry that you hurt.

Did you ever try a TENS unit? I have one that I got at Walmart or Walgreen's and it helps.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Marsha, thank you for the offer! I will ask my husband if he can mount them on my cart. I will show him the picture and let you know. It is nice of you to think you me and my hands.

That is miserable about your back, I thought something might be up when you posted about getting the golf cart to use for exercising DD instead of hand walking. I hope the chiro helps. I have had back issues occasionally because of the arthritis and it no fun at all. PT is my friend.

I am sorry that you hurt.

Did you ever try a TENS unit? I have one that I got at Walmart or Walgreen's and it helps.

Don't know what a TENS is; will check it out. My husband is actually the one who wanted the golf cart. Walking is okay; it is sitting that is hard. But, sometimes I like to walk without the horse; I have found few horses that it is a pleasure to go for a long walk with. Going for a walk is not natural for a hrose and after half a mile they generally let me know it. The golf cart will give me another option to exercise them after I have had my walk.

You do have to drilll a hole in the shaft to install the shackle, so you may not want to do that. I did have them on my Jerald at one time, because I didn't know about regular harnesses.

 

[Cayuse]

Good thing I measured Cappy before ordering the Kingston cart. He grew! He officially to big by 1.75 inches and just too rotund through the middle for the shaft width. He is 31.75 inches. When we got him he was just a hair under 30. Dang!

Marsha, I haven't had a chance to show Dan the picture yet. I will try tonight.

 

[Cayuse]

Marsha, I finally got to show Dan the picture. He pointed out that since I am using one cart on two horses it won't work because they both need to be in a slightly different spot in the cart. I didn't think of that. But that you very much for the offer.

I hope that your back is improving. The TENs unit is a device that give electrical impulses to calm the nerves and help with pain. It is a patch with an electrode in it that you place on the sore area. It has a control box and you can adjust it to what is comfortable for you. It tingles and feels "zingy" but doesn't hurt.

We went to a show today and I am all pooped out. I don't think I will be driving for a couple of days.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Dapper Dan introduced another child to driving today. Grand daughter of our neighbor. She has been over before to sit on him, but this time she got to "drive". She didn't want to quit; we got tired before she did.

 

[MajorClementine]

MajorClem, did you ever get your French link snaffle and try it out? If you did, how did it go?

Oh, and I sent you a pm a week or so ago, I dunno if it went through, my computer being temperamental like it is!!!!!

It must be nice to have the horses home.

I think I found a cart for Cappy. It is a Kingston cart like my other one but it is scaled down for minis under thirty inches. My other Kingston cart is just a tad large for him so this might be just right.

The wheel base in narrower, but the cart is lower so I think it should be as stable as my other one. If anybody has a thought on that feel free to comment. My husband will be!the one using most, I think. He just mostly!walks and trots!a small amount.

The cart is lighter, too.

I had a nice little drive with him yesterday. He stills chomps a lot!when we first!start!out but gets over it.

I may need to play around with bits, but I am putting that off as he is trying pretty hard to get thing right in !most other aspects.

This ! is too much !

I did get my french link and I've only tried it out a few times. I do feel like I have more directional control with it. She seems happy in it her head and mouth is more calm with this bit. I am happy with it and we'll see if I can get more collection with it.

I'll check for that PM. I may have missed it. I'm a bit slow sometimes.

With this minis at the house I'm able to work with them more and it's great. I spent 2 hours bathing them on Thursday so they could go roll in the dust right after

I did get Clem clipped again though and Major isn't an itchy dust ball anymore so that's good. Totally worth the 2 hours right...?

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Marsha, I finally got to show Dan the picture. He pointed out that since I am using one cart on two horses it won't work because they both need to be in a slightly different spot in the cart. I didn't think of that. But that you very much for the offer.

I hope that your back is improving. The TENs unit is a device that give electrical impulses to calm the nerves and help with pain. It is a patch with an electrode in it that you place on the sore area. It has a control box and you can adjust it to what is comfortable for you. It tingles and feels "zingy" but doesn't hurt.

We went to a show today and I am all pooped out. I don't think I will be driving for a couple of days.

No problem! I have a dedicated harness and sulky for the quick hitch so it works for me.

 

[jeanniecogan]

my hubby went for a ride with me with my wagon. he has never wanted to do that so it was a very happy day for me.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

my hubby went for a ride with me with my wagon. he has never wanted to do that so it was a very happy day for me.

That is very cool! I've been driving for more than 15 years and mine has only been in the cart once. He will build fences, dig water lines, buy shelters--but he isn't a horse guy and just isn't that comfortable around them.

 

[Cayuse]

Wishing you many more buggy rides with your husband, Jeannie!

 

[Cayuse]

Has anyone had any adventures lately?

 

[jeanniecogan]

thursday, i am hoping to go on a camping, will be there for 3 or 4 days. will hopefully get some pics.