Your Drive Day

[Marsha Cassada]

No adventures. It's been a rainy August and my favorite roads are not usable. We've been so lucky with bugs all summer, but had to spray myself and Dapper Dan for mosquitoes this morning. There is a road kill porcupine in the road. Ick. Quills all over the place.

 

[Cayuse]

No adventures here, either. Too buggy to drive in my field and I am too tired anyway. A little hiatus never hurt, I guess. Next week it is supposed to be cooler, maybe I will be recharged and motivated!by then.

Have you any news on Bubba?

 

[MajorClementine]

Our weather has turned beautiful the last week. Cool mornings and evenings and afternoons in the high 80s. Perfect weather for horsin' around. In fact, I'm waiting for hubby to wake up (worked the graveyard shift last night) to go on a horse ride with me. I did get some work with Clem in while I waited.



Decided to get my cones out that I bought at the second hand sports store for $0.39 each. I only put the saddle and bridle on Clem this morning as I was just planning on ground driving and didn't need all the "extras" getting in our way. I also pulled the beta reins off that I had made because, while I LOVE them, they are very heavy and I am not getting the response from her with light movement anymore. I put my lightweight extra long rope lines that I made for ground driving. Started out with the lines through the shaft loops because she's started spinning on me to avoid working. I put the cones in a circle and worked her in a walk around the outside of the cones both directions while I was in the middle. Then we wove in and out of the cones around the circle. I also put them in a line and did weaving then figure 8's. Then we worked walking around inside the cones then outside. We also worked in a CONTROLLED trot (this is big for her, she likes to trot all out) around the circle both directions. Also worked our "Whoa" and "stand" commands. Half way through I moved the lines up to the turrets on the saddle and she did great. No spinning. At the end of our work she stood rock steady while I untacked her, picked up the cones, brushed her out, and went in the house for a drink. Gave her a carrot, walked her to the middle of the paddock, ordered her to "Whoa" and "stand" then let her go. It was a really good session for both of us. By the end of it she was back to gentle pressure to turn and a lot more focus than we've had lately.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Always nice to have a good, positive workout! What a good girl.

 

[Cayuse]

Your doing way better than me on the "stand", I just can't get Peanut over that hump. He has improved a lot but he seems hardwired to squirm when being hitched. I have a suspicion he may have had a bad experience at one point in his life. He gets very defensive and worried. I find the less I correct him the better off we are, but that makes for SLOW progress. But harnessing/unharnessing and unhitching he is now at peace with for the most part, so I shouldn't complain.

.39 cent cones are a screaming deal!

 

[MajorClementine]

Your doing way better than me on the "stand", I just can't get Peanut over that hump. He has improved a lot but he seems hardwired to squirm when being hitched. I have a suspicion he may have had a bad experience at one point in his life. He gets very defensive and worried. I find the less I correct him the better off we are, but that makes for SLOW progress. But harnessing/unharnessing and unhitching he is now at peace with for the most part, so I shouldn't complain.

.39 cent cones are a screaming deal!

We're working on it for sure. She was a little turkey when we were harnessing up. She kept swinging her butt over and I'd put it back. So she got mad at me and gave a little hop and kick. She didn't kick AT me just a little fit. By the end of the session she'd figured out that fighting me was pointless. She is a smart little thing I'll give her that.

We have good days and bad days I do still put the halter around her neck at least when hitching and unhitching alone. It keeps her from wandering off and keeps me from getting peeved off. It's never a good drive if I'm mad. It all goes down hill fast.

I figure some things you just have to work with a horse on. And if putting up with a little bit of the wiggles while still hitching safely is what it is then, unless you are showing, I say go with it

 

[Cayuse]

LOL, Cappy is a "butt swinger"!

Little booger is pretty strong, too. His aim is amazing. He almost knocked me flat once or twice when I first started working with him. That phase is almost over, I think (and hope).

 

[jeanniecogan]

well, the camping thing turned out to be a lot of work. i always over pack and then have too much in my way. need to get an organizer.

the first rides were nice but i felt charlie was moping or not feeling good. i was debating on taking him on his first trail drive. sunday am i got up and decidid to give it a try. when i pointed him at the trail i got a new horse, ofcourse it starts out at the bottom of a pretty steep hill. i thought he would balk, boy was i wrong, he just plowed up that hill like he did it every day. we went around a corner and there was anoth steep hill, i stopped to assess his breathing, hmmmm it was normal, so we plowed up the next hill. the trail was supposed to be 3 miles, unless you miss a trail sign, any how i was convinced we were lost, we were out for a long time, finally decided to turn around. i was really nervous as it was getting late. we turned around and charlie implied that he knew where his trailer was. sure enough he followed the trail and never made a wrong turn. im so proud of him, he listened to everything i said and even when we were stuk in the mud he listened to me, sure am lucky we found each other.

 

[Cayuse]

Charlie knew where the dinner bucket was! What a good boy

I hear you about over packing, I always take too much stuff to the shows when we go. Two of everything!

 

[KLJcowgirl]

Took Miss May off the road yesterday. To get to the trail I usually ride we have to walk up a rocky, hilly field, and I thought we'd try it. She chugged up like a champ. I was ready to get out if she struggled, but she hauled my butt up no problem! It was pretty cool for me. I did get out going back down, she didn't seem very stable. It was so fun. Gotta get out and find me some more cart accessable trails!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Took Miss May off the road yesterday. To get to the trail I usually ride we have to walk up a rocky, hilly field, and I thought we'd try it. She chugged up like a champ. I was ready to get out if she struggled, but she hauled my butt up no problem! It was pretty cool for me. I did get out going back down, she didn't seem very stable. It was so fun. Gotta get out and find me some more cart accessable trails!

They are so strong for their size!!

 

[KLJcowgirl]

They are so strong for their size!!

For sure! I keep hearing that, but finally got to see it in action. Pretty fascinating. I'm thinking I'll take her up that often, give her some buns of steel

 

[Northwolf]

Trail driving... I love it

this weekend we planned a super hike 3 days in the high-altitude mountains, but maybe we have to delay due to very cold and rainy weather... In that case, we will do some driving tours. Both possibilities are great, so I'm looking forward to the weekend.

@KLJcowgirl: yes, driving is one of the best you can do for the horses condition and shape especially trail driving! Keep going!

Teddy is currently in driving training since 4 months and is great how he developed until now.

And Massai, he's getting a machine

I always have to hurry Teddy a little bit when driving the team, otherwise Massai would pull the cart all alone... he's quite become very enthusiastic

Actually, they're both a bit skinny although they can eat a lot of hay. But they're healthy and very powerful at work. I now raised the grain a bit.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I love their colors, Northwolf.

Today the temperature was just right for a nice drive. A few bugs, but a light breeze kept them off mostly. We went the route this time that is impassable due to mud sometimes. And no pavement, which is better for Dapper Dan's arthritis. A few pictures of scenery. This is along the edge of our property.



One of the mud holes. Today it was passable. I walked behind and lifted up the sulky so it wouldn't mire.



Then a nice straight stretch to get a good trot going.



I tried to take some pictures of the beautiful cotton field, but camera ran out of juice. Next time we go out, Dapper Dan must wear the overcheck. Too many tempting clumps of grass under his nose on these roads.

 

[KLJcowgirl]

Beautiful pics you two! ^^^

Northwolf, buckskin is my absolute favorite color of horse! One day I'll have one. You've got two awesome looking little horses there

That drive looks awesome Marsha!

 

[Cayuse]

I enjoyed everyone's pictures.

Is that Buddy up ahead of you, Marsha. If it is, its good to see him out and about.

Peanut was feeling good in the cool weather today and gave me a happy drive. I drove Cappy out in the bigger field a couple of days ago for the first time ever. We even trotted quite a bit.

 

[MajorClementine]

Loving all the pictures! It's so fun to see the diversely different areas we all drive in. That's a lot of mud Marsha! Is it like that all year? We get mud and creeks across and down trails in the spring but now it's all just dry, dry, dry.

Dad picked up an untouched 8 year old sorrel stud mini for me as a winter project horse. He was going to auction and would have gone for meat I'm sure. He's quite nervous but not aggressive so I have hope that after gelding and working with him he'll be a good boy. Still looking for a good steady teammate for Clementine in the meantime. This guy, I'm told, was just to good to let go to a kill buyer. Dad and 6 other guys all agreed...so he's coming home to me. Wish me luck! I posted about him on the main LB page and a pick of his registration papers.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Yes, that's Buddy. I figure since he is on steroids, he might as well go along. That road is usually dry, but we've had a wet summer so it's been unuseable for the most part. Further on there are deep ruts where farmers got stuck, or 4-wheeled through mud areas. The road grader should be able to work on in pretty soon.

I think the new sorrel sounds like a good size. Isn't it odd that someone would go to the trouble to send in a stallion report and register a foal, and then not take more pains to market him?

 

[Cayuse]

Does the new guy have a barn name? I am looking forward to seeing more pictures of him.

 

[MajorClementine]

I think we're going to call the new guy Pistol. We're a little "redneck" around here so we figure it fits. He's getting gelded tomorrow. I was going to pass on getting this little guy but I had 6 lifetime horse guys all telling me what a great looking and great moving horse he was and that I should take a chance on him. I have to admit, for never having his feet trimmed and being in a small pasture for 8 years he looks pretty good. They are going to trim his feet while he's a little drugged for the castration

Anyway... just thought I'd post this pic they sent me. He's a handsome guy for sure. I figure we take it low and slow like gentling a mustang.