Your Drive Day

[MajorClementine]

You and Midnight seem to be doing very well. I think you guys will do great moving forward. It really sounds like she's learned to trust you and take cues from you. Hopefully you will build some self-confidence as you two continue to progress.

Apparently I only get out for one good drive per month.... It's kinda sad. Every time I think I'll go out I end up working on a project. Right now it's building bedrooms in our basement. But this morning I decided it was time to slack off on the work and go have some fun. My parents are up helping with construction so we put down the tools and hitched up the horses. Candace took me for a 5.5 mile ride around some backroads in town. We drove an area we haven't driving the horses before and it was nice to get out on some new roads. We also made some new friends and gave a few rides. One mom told us thank you for driving by because she home schools and she and her kids are reading "Little House on the Prairie" so it was perfect for her kids to see horses hitched up and pulling wagons.

 

[Cayuse]

MajorClem I hope your bedrooms are done and that your were able to get out again for a drive or two. Did you order a new cart? Has it arrived yet? I would love to see pictures of it.

You and Midnight seem to be doing very well. I think you guys will do great moving forward. It really sounds like she's learned to trust you and take cues from you. Hopefully you will build some self-confidence as you two continue to progress.

Apparently I only get out for one good drive per month.... It's kinda sad. Every time I think I'll go out I end up working on a project. Right now it's building bedrooms in our basement. But this morning I decided it was time to slack off on the work and go have some fun. My parents are up helping with construction so we put down the tools and hitched up the horses. Candace took me for a 5.5 mile ride around some backroads in town. We drove an area we haven't driving the horses before and it was nice to get out on some new roads. We also made some new friends and gave a few rides. One mom told us thank you for driving by because she home schools and she and her kids are reading "Little House on the Prairie" so it was perfect for her kids to see horses hitched up and pulling wagons.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

My sister came out this morning. She drove Dapper Dan in the sulky and I drove Midnight hitched to the Jerald Runabout. This is the first time I have sat in the cart while she is hitched. Roads were muddy so we had to stay on pavement; maybe a good thing as she didn't have to work very hard. We drove 1.3 miles then turned to come home. About a mile from home the valve stem on the tire failed and we had a flat. So I had to get out and ground drive the rest of the way home.
I did ask her to trot, walk, whoa, back. We did some zigzags on the road. I do think she might be better with blinders; still waiting for my bridle parts.
She had no trouble at all with the weight and had plenty of stamina. We would have done more trotting without the flat.

 

[Cayuse]

That's a pretty picture. She looks nice in the natural colored cart with her dark coat. Her ears look happy and relaxed. Forward but not on alert.
Hope that you and your sister can get out again soon.

Is your sister looking for another mini?

 

[Marsha Cassada]

That's a pretty picture. She looks nice in the natural colored cart with her dark coat. Her ears look happy and relaxed. Forward but not on alert.
Hope that you and your sister can get out again soon.

Is your sister looking for another mini?

She has Jackie O to drive. She didn't want to load up and bring her + cart, so we took Dapper Dan. Midnight lived with Jackie O for a few months so they know each other. They would drive together fine.
My sister is a natural rescuer. I'm sure she will find another little horse to help soon.

 

[MajorClementine]

MajorClem I hope your bedrooms are done and that your were able to get out again for a drive or two. Did you order a new cart? Has it arrived yet? I would love to see pictures of it.

Bedrooms are getting soooo close. I thought the drywall/mudding/taping would never end but we textured the last wall late last night so I can prime it today. Then on to painting. But it's a huge relief and feeling of accomplishment to have the walls DONE! After painting is doors, floors, and trim then we are good to go. It's been a long haul but after this our home remodel will be done from top to bottom. It only took us 13 years.....

And I do have to admit that I've been taking a few hours off here and there to drive. Especially when my folks come up and I have someone to drive with. Life can't be all work can it?

I did put a deposit on a new "Cricket" cart from PPP back in June. They have been working on some new designs through the summer so it looks like they have been pretty busy. I've also got a new suspension for my Kingston EE on order with them to be shipped at the same time as my cart since I'm not sure the new cart will have enough adjustment to fit both Clementine and Candace. I figure I can at least make the old EE cart a more comfortable/functional vehicle.

The only down side to a new cart is I get to make it any color I want... which, of course, means I may need a Marafun harness to match

 

[Cayuse]

The new cart will be fun
I have been thinking about a new Kingston. I went directly from driving Peanut to Cappy the other day and noticed how much smoother the Kingston is.
Glad your remodeling is in the home stretch. We always have something going on here as it is an old house. Last year it was new windows. Made a huge difference in our heating bill.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

The new cart will be fun
I have been thinking about a new Kingston. I went directly from driving Peanut to Cappy the other day and noticed how much smoother the Kingston is.
Glad your remodeling is in the home stretch. We always have something going on here as it is an old house. Last year it was new windows. Made a huge difference in our heating bill.

What makes a cart smoother? I've only ever driven in my Jerald Runabout. My sister put solid wheels on hers but I do like my tubed wheels better. I have an expert tire changer here. He can remove a tube, install a new one, and have it ready to go in less than 5 minutes. Which is great, except when one is a mile from home and the valve stem fails!

 

[Cayuse]

You know, I am not sure why one is smoother than the other. Dan says it is the springs under the seat. One has bigger springs. But I am not so sure that's it. The bouncy cart's seat sits back behind the axle by a few inches and the smooth cart's seat is right over it. Bouncy cart does have a higher seat by maybe four inches. I really am stumped why there is such a significant difference in the ride. If anyone knows, please tell me!!!

There is a such a difference that I am wondering if all the "bounce" is transmitted to the horses back. I am going to drive Peanut in the Kingston cart this weekend (the smooth cart) and see if he pulls any differently.
Both have solid "no flat" tires. One carts tires has heavier spokes, I don't think that would matter though.

A five minute tire change is pretty darn good! I'm impressed with that!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

May not hear from Mindy for a while. Montana is snowed in with power outages. I am getting my Equine Fusion boots from her, so I've been watching her weather. We are still way too warm and sultry here in OK. Wish we could divide our weather and level it out a little!

 

[Cayuse]

The next time we see a picture from Mindy, she'll be in her sled! I can't imagine snow in Sept.

I drove Peanut yesterday in the Kingston. No bounce. So it definitely is not a difference in the horse's way of going that is causing the rough ride. It is the cart itself.

I need to bust out the WD40. I have developed a squeak in the singletree. And it's a loud one.

 

[Cayuse]

Cappy reverted to his old self today. I tried to ground drive him and it did not go well at all. Spooking and spinning and barging. I have not seen this from him in a year. Dan drove him and he went OK and then I drove him and really worked him. He did get over himself but it was very discouraging to realize that the behavior was still there.
It was our first cool day and the squirrels were everywhere, but to blame it on that is just making excuses. We still have holes in our training.

 

[MajorClementine]

Silly Cappy! That's what I thought Clem was going to do last week. It's strange how one day they get a bee in their bonnet!

Okay I have to share.... Look what I just scored at auction. A Jerald viceroy! Wheels need new bearings as it sat in water (thus how it looks) and it needs a new dash and fender covers. But I'm in love!!!

 

[Cayuse]

Oh, that is really pretty. Viceroys have always been one of my favorites. Very elegant!

 

[MajorClementine]

Oh, that is really pretty. Viceroys have always been one of my favorites. Very elegant!

Thank you! I'm so excited. Can't wait to get it home and fix it up. And.... it may be coming home with a new teammate for Clementine. We'll see how the sale goes on Friday!

 

[Willow Flats]

Love it! Good score, happy for you!

 

[Cheryl W]

Oh Awesome @MajorClementine !! Am sure we would never find something like that up here (in Maine).

 

[Cheryl W]

The next time we see a picture from Mindy, she'll be in her sled! I can't imagine snow in Sept.

I drove Peanut yesterday in the Kingston. No bounce. So it definitely is not a difference in the horse's way of going that is causing the rough ride. It is the cart itself.

I need to bust out the WD40. I have developed a squeak in the singletree. And it's a loud one.

Ah ha, @Cayuse -- different cart made it better. Was wondering this myself about the EZ Entry. Ezzie trots and I end up with a horrible back ache. Driving was supposed to be easier for our backs. LOL Hmm...am going to be refinishing the EZ Entry (removing all the paint, cleaning the rust spots and putting on a better paint). Maybe we should consider selling and investing in something better.

 

[Cayuse]

Cheryl, about the bounce. I also swapped back to my old harness with wrap straps instead of those infernal buckle down tugs things and that helped some with the bounce. It was mostly the cart though.
I must be doing something wrong with the buckle down tugs/shaft carriers. I have never had them work right. Too much play in them no matter what I do.

MajorClem, have you picked out a new mini to bid on? I am looking for one myself and there is absolutely nothing in my area, or New England even

 

[MindySchroder]

So our team driving experiment has begun! Things were a bit dicey but interesting and we survived

I wrote a blog about it that you can read here: https://www.theessentialhorse.com/post/driving-my-team-part-one




Today we will do it again with some adjustments and on Sunday I am hauling the ponies to my friend's house in Helena, who has an indoor area, and we will hitch them to my tire drag for the first time! I need that extra hands on help for that step and don't want to do it in the field where things can go very wrong very fast and create problems where I currently don't have any. My friend drives Percheron teams so will be a big help!