Your Drive Day

[Cayuse]

I will check out her website. Thanks! I found a peice of fleece I had and sewed on some ties. I used!it today and he was nice and warm with it. I looped it over the water hook and then tied it to the backband and it stayed OK. The breeching held it down well enough to use. I thought he might be goosey with it at first, but I guess he decided to choose warmth over foolishness. If have to make a nicer one, I think I can. I would put ties on the bottom, too. Probably connecting to the tugs.

I also made a!fleece cover for the crupper, I KNOW that was appreciated. No more hunched up heiney ?.

 

[Cayuse]

Cappy and I went for a easy drive in the sled. We had a snow storm last night and it a was beautiful Christmas morning. It was his first outing since the vet cleared him to work so we went slow and took a couple of breaks.

I hope everyone had a nice holiday.

 

[MajorClementine]

I love the crupper cover idea! That would be COLD without it for sure. I'm glad you were able to use your sled too.

I drove Candace an hour yesterday while I was waiting for the menfolk to haul off the poop pile so we could go riding. She is soooooo fat. I've never had a mini that got fat on air like this one. I swear, you feed her one treat and she gains a pound. She did not want to go. She was walking so slow I wanted to get out and push. No amount of encouragement would change her mind. So, I reached out and gave her a slap on the rump with my hand. That got her into an easy trot that I made her stay in until I asked for a walk. I made sure to wait until she was warmed up so I wasn't asking her to trot when she was cold but geeze, talk about a pain in the butt. However, she's still my steadfast steady wonder pony.... just slow.

We also went for a nice afternoon horse ride in the desert. I imagine we were quite a site. We had a string of 6 horses none of them the same breed or color. We had:

Sorrel Fox Trotter

Black Quarter horse

Grey Percheron

Blond Belgian

Dun Fjord

Bay Thoroughbred

It was a great ride. My son rode Ferb the Fjord for the first time on the trail and he was Ferb the Fabulous Fjord! I couldn't ask for a better mount for my 7yo son.

Off to drive Clementine now!

 

[MajorClementine]

Went to drive Clem and she tried to kick and bite when I touched in front of her hip on both sides. Had the vet come look at her and he think's it a stress injury to the muscles. Maybe from her rear legs slipping out from under her while pulling our heavier cart. I asked if that would take this long (a month so far) to heal and he said muscles take a while. So we're going to bute her for a few days to see if it helps and go from there. He doesn't think ulcers since she's eating, drinking, and pooping normal still. If she's not improved when I come down again in two weeks I'll take her back to the vet for further examination.

So, since we couldn't drive Clementine we drove Candace. My son gave his young cousins a 30 minute ride in the arena. Then I took her for a 50 min drive through the neighborhood, then my son took a friend who showed up for a 15 min ride and then my mom drove her for another 15 min. She got a pretty good workout today. I've noticed that she is not very willing to trot on the asphalt (unless it's her idea) but in the deep sand arena, where it is much harder and heavier to pull the cart, she loves to trot. I'm thinking maybe she's one of those that needs driving boots to help lessen the impact on hard surfaces. Anyone else have a mini like that?

 

[Cayuse]

I hope Clem comes around for you, it is so frustrating when you can't pinpoint exactly what's bothering them.

Both my minis are happier to go on softer ground. It sounds like she might benefit from boots. She is not getting foot sore from getting too fat is she? No heat in her hooves?

The desert ride sounds nice, who rode the thoroughbred?

Here is a picture of the shafts, they look uneven to me, does anyone else see it?

 

[Marsha Cassada]

How are the bearings? My husband wonders, after looking at the picture, if one wheel is "braking" due to bad bearing.

 

[Cayuse]

No wheels, it is the otter sled.

Do the shafts look like one is bowed to you Marsha?

They are the darndest things to adjust and make even. They look even when there is no horse in them. But when one is hitched, they look lopsided from the back. Maybe the shafts are OK and its the horse that's

crooked ???

ETA: I just had a!thought. I wonder if my HARNESS is crooked? I will have to measure the straps that hold the!shaft carriers. In the picture one looks longer maybe. If it is, that would mess things up for certain.

 

[MajorClementine]

That shaft looks bowed to me. Even if that shaft loop was laying against the horse the shaft seems like it would still be bowed. It seems the shaft is pulling the harness out though, not the other way around....

On our ride the thoroughbred was mine. He's a big 16.2hh bay that didn't want to race for my grandpa. Now he's my big ol' baby with princess feet and special orthotic boots.

Candace has gotten fat so she's on a diet. No heat in her hooves but it can't be helping her legs and feet any. I think I am going to order her boots. I wanted the Cavallo CLBs but they are out of stock in the #3 everywhere I look. I can find the easy boot minis.... I may go ahead and get those.

So since we made it to our 300 driving hours I spend my time today working with Pistol. He accepted the harness with very little fuss. No problem putting the collar over his head or cinching up the saddle. He didn't love the crupper but it took him all of 2 minutes to settle in. After 15 min of walking around in harness (he was relaxed after 2 or 3 min) we added "shafts". Also known as a poop fork handle and a small broom. The poop fork rattled and he wasn't crazy about it at first. But after lunging on his lead in both directions for a bit he settled into that as well. He is still a bit jumpy and spooky when things come up suddenly so we are working on that as well. He will not be hitched to anything until I feel he is solid and confident with people and things coming at him. He's a quick learner but I would hate to have an accident and ruin his confidence and mine.

My hubby also ground drove his new big Belgian cross riding gelding that we bought in October. He did well ground driving but needs some time pulling a drag before we put him to a cart.

Here's Pistol in Clem's harness. Not a perfect fit but okay for practice.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

How are the bearings? My husband wonders, after looking at the picture, if one wheel is "braking" due to bad bearing.

I thought it was a sled, but that nice dashboard made me think you were driving a cart in snow. It was a strange thought to me that bad bearings could drag one side of a vehicle, but he is a mechanical genius so I threw out that suggestion.

Have you measured both shafts to see if they are the same length? I bought a nice driving bridle once that I could never get to fit. Finally thought of measuring the side pieces and one was 1/2" longer. Threw the whole fit off. I sent it back and they fixed it.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Pistol is doing a good job so far. I like the idea of using tools. When I was ground driving Buckly last time, the whole time I was out I was planning to practice with shafts when I got home. Drive up into the yard by the barn, unhook, feed, go in the house--not once did I think about practicing with the shafts. I think I am losing my mind.

 

[MajorClementine]

I kinda felt bad for Pistol. He looked pretty redneck pulling around a broom and a broken rake.... I think I'll make a dummy shaft set out of PVC with snaps on it to hook to the collar rings so I don't have to use bale twine. I'm also thinking of making them "U" shaped so I can add a little weight to them and so he gets the feel for them not moving out to the sides when he swings around.

How did you introduce Buckley to the bit?

 

[Cayuse]

Pistol looks accepting of his new activity ☺ We do redneck here too sometimes, duct tape and baling twine are our friends!

PVC shafts work really well!

 

[MajorClementine]

Pistol looks accepting of his new activity ☺ We do redneck here too sometimes, duct tape and baling twine are our friends!

PVC shafts work really well!

We put the kids in swings hooked to the hot walker while we work the horses

Glad to know we aren't the only ones who do things a little country sometimes. If you don't have what you need, make it outta what you do have!

 

[Cayuse]

Happy New Year to Everyone!

It was ZERO out this morning. Now it is 10. No drives for me. My three guys are double blanketed, which I hate to do but they definitely needed it. It's just awful with the wind.

My husband is out on a house fire call. I worry. It is too cold to be fighting fires, but someone's got to do it. I feel for the home owners :-(

 

[MajorClementine]

Happy New Year to Everyone!

It was ZERO out this morning. Now it is 10. No drives for me. My three guys are double blanketed, which I hate to do but they definitely needed it. It's just awful with the wind.

My husband is out on a house fire call. I worry. It is too cold to be fighting fires, but someone's got to do it. I feel for the home owners :-(

Ugh, I know how that feels. Chimney fire??

Yup, no driving for me if it was that cold. I had planned to drive today but our hour and a half trail ride turned into an all day adventure. I'm coming back down in two weeks though so hoping to get Clem sorted out and get back to driving her.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

We haven't been above freezing for 4 days. Even had a wind chill of -31. By the time the day warms up enough to play with horses, it is too close to dark to do much. Hopefully later in the week it will warm up some. There was a beautiful ring around the moon last night. It's called a halo or moonbow. Ice crystals in the atmosphere.

I didn't know how Buckly would tolerate the cold, but he seems to do fine.

 

[jeanniecogan]

i seem to have missed where buckley came from. it seems that we have 3 new horses. tell me what page or a least month so i can catch up

 

[Marsha Cassada]

i seem to have missed where buckley came from. it seems that we have 3 new horses. tell me what page or a least month so i can catch up

I got Buckly in October. He is 9 years old, and was a stallion. I am hoping he will be a new driving horse. We are just getting started, as he doesn't really know anything. Some ground driving so far and I have hope.

 

[MajorClementine]

I got Buckly in October. He is 9 years old, and was a stallion. I am hoping he will be a new driving horse. We are just getting started, as he doesn't really know anything. Some ground driving so far and I have hope.

I didn't realize that Buckly and Pistol were so similar. Pistol is 8 and was also a stallion. He hadn't been handled but he's gotten over that. Have you already introduced Buckl to the bit? I'm pretty sure I'm going to need to pick your brain as to what you are doing with him because I've never started one driving before. We've gotten as far as introducing all parts of the harness and one session with "shafts". After that I'm at a bit of a loss....

 

[Northwolf]

MajorClementine, how is Clementine doing? I think Pistol looks great with the harness. I'm sure he will doing a good job

Yesterday I drove with Moony single, but he was a little bit nervous. He's kinda spooky since new years eve. Maybe the fireworks... Luckily he doesn't struggle against the harness or the shafts yet. But I'm working with him now very carefully until he's back to normal. No driving today, there is a winter storm with almost hurricane force sweeping over us. We heard the trees crashing in the forest this afternoon. So it's too dangerous out there...

New years greetings from Massai and Moony: https://youtu.be/Pgus1JVH7qE