# Sending horses to the Amish to be trained how to drive?



## Elizabeth Bowers

I was thinking about teaching my horses how to be driven, and how to be worked (plowing & mowing) only on a small scale. But i do not have the knowledge, skills or equipment. My grandfather knows how, but due to being in the military, he became allergic to the horses, and can't help me. :-( 
The Amish are local to us, and i was thinking about possibly sending one or two of my horses to them to be trained in driving and working. 
Would this be a good idea? 
:?
I would be there as often as i'd be allowed, and i'll keep in mind how they treat their horses along with mine. Many are brought to local farms to do farrier work, and help some local farmers and barn raisin'. I know many are good horsemen. I'd like to hear some thoughts on this idea.
Thank you!!


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## lilruffian

Depends on the people training your horse. Like any horse community, not all work with horses the same way.
I've heard of people even in my area taking young horses to the Amish to be trained to drive and any i know have come back with good results.
I would ask around your community to see if anyone has had experiences with horses trained by the particular individuals you are looking into


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## Elizabeth Bowers

That's a great idea! I'll do that for sure!


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## churumbeque

Elizabeth Bowers said:


> I was thinking about teaching my horses how to be driven, and how to be worked (plowing & mowing) only on a small scale. But i do not have the knowledge, skills or equipment. My grandfather knows how, but due to being in the military, he became allergic to the horses, and can't help me. :-(
> The Amish are local to us, and i was thinking about possibly sending one or two of my horses to them to be trained in driving and working.
> Would this be a good idea?
> :?
> I would be there as often as i'd be allowed, and i'll keep in mind how they treat their horses along with mine. Many are brought to local farms to do farrier work, and help some local farmers and barn raisin'. I know many are good horsemen. I'd like to hear some thoughts on this idea.
> Thank you!!


This idea would be a last resort for me
unless you had some VERY experienced people giving you a recommendation.
Will your horse go down the road and pull something? Yes

Will it will it learn how to bend properly? Probably not. 
Will it learn 3 different trots? Doubt it. 
Will it learn how to go go go? Yes it will.
Will it come back in good healthy condition????

Will it look as if it has lost its soul? Depends on how long they have it.

That said there are a few well respected Amish trainers but they a few and far between. You could not pay me to send a horse to the general Amish.
Now your area of the country could be different and every one has different standards.

I just saw a pair of horses that the Amish "trained" to drive. I would not call them trained. What they pulled was so heavy they could not run away.
They were so bitted up they would rear doing ground work and kick out at the slightest thing. They got so nervous just putting the harness on. One was cut up from an accident and they were very skinny. They needed completely started over.


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## stevenson

I would get references. I would want to see horses they trained. You should be able to talk to the trainer and be able to see your horse when you want to ensure good health and treatment.
I have seen some Amish horses at the large auction up north from me, that were ridden and driven by kids, and did wonderful things while be driven, backing, side passing, etc. 
All i remember about the amish that horses here is that they lived in Colorado.


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## smrobs

I agree with stevenson. Get references, look at previously trained horses. Not all horse trainers are created equal, even in the Amish community. There are always horror stories floating around (usually coming from New England) about how horses get mistreated and neglected and abused by Amish folk, but that's only one side of the story.

There is an Amish community that I'm very familiar with up in Kansas. My family is very good friends with a family there that specializes in making harness. We spent a lot of time up there when I was growing up and _always_ went twice a year to a draft horse and mule sale where there were _many_ Amish horses being sold and many _more _seen driving the streets and parking lots.

I can remember seeing very few horses that _didn't_ look sleek and shiny and fit and well cared for. There were very few that _weren't_ well trained. And there were _none _that were dangerous or had serious vices that made me wrinkle my nose in distaste...and I'm very picky about how I believe a horse should behave.


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## Chasin Ponies

I have grown up surrounded by Amish and have also watched several horses come back from training with them horribly traumatized. Most people around here leave their horses with them because it's cheap. These are people who want a quick fix and really don't care what is done to their horse.
From my experience I'd advise against using them. They consider horses to be appliances to be thrown away when they are used up and all the Amish I know who take horses from the "English" (as they call us) resorting to incredibly abusive training techniques.:-(
They still believe in the old way of breaking a horse's spirit.


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## redpony

I get really tired of the Amish bashing! I have lived and dealt with the Amish community for many years. My father grew up in a town where his family was the only English family.
Are there Amish who abuse horses? Yep. But it's far from the norm. And when not only your transportation but your livelihood(farming) depends on how healthy your horses are, it makes no sense to not treat them well.
The Amish are good people who live their religion EVERYDAY not just on Sundays like the majority of "Christians" I know.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## redpony

I'm sorry for the rant OP, yes, get references and spend some time checking out the way they handle their horses and their facilities the way you would any other trainer you would employ.
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## SlideStop

I'd say check it out. They may be abusive Amish trainers out there, they there are many abusive "English" trainers out there as well. How many horror stories have we heard of this board about people sending their horse to be trained and they come back skinny and barely broke? I'd be just as skeptical as any trainer in out world as theirs. 

I have a friend who always complain about how the Amish abuse their women, children and animals. I think is just a matter of opinion. They aren't the kind of people who are going to think horses should be trained to collect or bend, they aren't going to do a bazillion hours of ground work or desensitizing. They just expect the horse to do the job. They view them as working tool, not as pampered pet.
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## OutOfTheLoop

Exactly what SS said. The Amish don't care if the horse bends, flexes, and collects. They train their horses to accept a harness/saddle, and expect them to go in the direction they point. Thats it, no bells and whistles.
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## Cat

Amish are humans just like the rest of us. There are some bad ones in the bunch, but not all of them. We have some Amish near by and there are some I would send a horse to for it to be trained with confidence that it will be safe, sane, and look in sleek and fit condition, while there are other Amish trainers I wouldn't send pet rocks to. But the same can be said of any trainers.

Check them out. Look at their own horses - how do they look? What do other people in the area say about them? I find bad reputations fly through the horse community and you will find out about any ill care or handling with just a little asking at feed stores, etc.


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## Elizabeth Bowers

WOW, Thanks everyone. 
I may just attempt it myself, and ask for my grandfathers advice (he's hard on everything), no he won't be touching my horses since he's allergic. My friend just found a "jockey harness" in her storage in her basement, she's going to let me borrow it. I have books on how to do it, i'v just never really attempted anything. It can't be that hard to do could it? 
I'v trained my horses thus far, nothing exceptional, and there are a few trainers in the area if i need some serious help. 
Most of the Amish in our area are very nice people, and their horses are well taken care of, my husbands great uncle does most of the trading with them. But i'v never asked about training anything by them, they used to have them come out and geld their ponies, trim their feet, and train them, but after so long they quite coming. And eventually the ponies were sold, majority of them were half-wild regardless. I'll have to ask a close friend of mine, he deals with the Amish a good bit, or maybe he knows someone else who maybe able to help me harness train my horses. 
I'll keep all of you posted!!  And i'll be sure to ask around about good Amish trainers.

*I sure wish my great grandpap was still livin, he was remarkable at training horses, though he was tough and stubborn hisself, he did a good job, always putting the animals well being before his own.... RIP Pappy Shafe.*


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## littrella

If you look up the ADS websight, you might be able to find local driving clubs that can point you in the right direction for a trainer. If you can not find anybody local to help you, I do have a driving training guideline that was given to me by my mentor that I would share with you. I used it to train my mini donk to drive, but he is an extreamly smart animal & made it really easy on me


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## barrelbeginner

Hmmm. I have to say my family has bought 2 horses trained from Amish people. I still have one of them, the other, was trained to drive and was just a bit to much horse for me. But was a good horse
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## Elizabeth Bowers

littrella said:


> If you look up the ADS websight, you might be able to find local driving clubs that can point you in the right direction for a trainer. If you can not find anybody local to help you, I do have a driving training guideline that was given to me by my mentor that I would share with you. I used it to train my mini donk to drive, but he is an extreamly smart animal & made it really easy on me


ADS website? Never heard of it. I'll try to find it though.
If your willing to share, i'll be glad to use it! 

Thank you!


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## littrella

Google the American Driving Society (ADS) It's alway best to learn from an experienced person. PM me your e-mail & I'll send you that training guide


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## Rideabighorse

An Amish community has grown up around my parents. My father is good friends with them and they have been very nice and helpful to him as he is about 90. He is not a horseman now but grew up with horses. He is not a fan of Amish horsemanship. The thing to remember is that a horse to the Amish is like a tractor or truck to the rest of us. You get it to just what you need and get rid of it when it no longer performs like you want. That said there is a little girl of 10 or so who drives by my dad's house on the way to school so their methods are certainly effective.


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## Rideabighorse

Just noticed the OP is named Bowers. The best driving trainer I know is Nate Bowers in Ft Collins, Co. He isn't Amish.


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## michaelvanessa

*breaking a horse to harness.*

i would rather do it my self and take my time and get the horse i want not a horse that has been pulled to bits like churubeque said no soal.
start from scratch and make the schooling fun and enjoyable.
do a little bit each day and reward for the work done.
you should have a horse that will walk slow walk fast working trot trot and extended.
work on the lunge first to get your horse responsive to voice commands.
then add bits of the harness the pad bridle you can have a lunge line atached to the out side bit ring over the top of the head and back through the bit ring if you have not got a lunge caverson.
all the horses i have broken are with respect and love and you get that all back.
i have helped a relative of my barn owner i broke his pony over 6 months and he is a beautiful pony to drive thay were on there yard and some guy thay know mucked the pony up as the pony reared backwards and fell over.
i found out and i was furious thay said the pony got spooked and this guy pulled on the reins and pulled him over.
my self id like to punch that guy in the mouth for doing that.
the ponys name is baggy and thay have him at home i went over there.
when he saw the harness he was shakeing so i slowley worked on him calming him down he was a nervous wreck.
so i decided to reward him and lunge him he then decided to start rearing and i was giveing the rein not takeing so that one was out the window.
i then asked them to lunge him in walk in harness with both reins im with him at his head with tit bits and talking to him and built up his trust again.
after 10 circuits each way i tryed him on his own and all was ok and rewarded him.
we then put him to and he started to rear im by his head and calmed him down and wakled beside him talking to him and feeding him tit bits i did that for about 20 minuits half hour.
i then made sure that in his mind that he was ok and got on board and drove him in walk for 10 minuits and he was very jumpey i let him settle down and hardley no contact on the rein asking him to trot and back to walk building up his confedence.
there daughter turns up and says has he been rearing i said yes and we are out of that phase now then has an argment with her mom and dad she wanted to do him.
her and the pony dont get on i would state that she would have distroyed him.
his a beautiful pony and so genuine.
the moral of the story is it can take 6 months to loveingley produce a horse that enjoys his work and it could take 6 seconds to distroy and undo every thing you have taught.


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## michaelvanessa

*breaking your own.*

in breaking your own you both learn from each other so in schooling you both learn and you can understand how to get your horse working and makeing it enjoyable as possable.


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## Elizabeth Bowers

Not sure if there is any relation there Rideabighorse. I could be wrong, husband has family he doesn't even know about. 

I do plan on doing it myself, and i know all about that for sure. I don't plan on allowing any other people to work with my horses for that reason. I enjoy learning with my horses, it keeps it interesting and entertaining. But i will be sure to have some help, i'm new at this so it will take time, and be a fun learning experience.  
Thank you everyone!! Your tips and opinions are appreciated!


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## greentree

Elizabeth, just be sure when you use that dumb jockey that you use the rings on the side, not the top turrets. I will try to take some pictures of how I rig my training rig. It looks like heck, but it works for me. 

Nancy


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## jimmy

one of the main things to remember Elizabeth is trainer just like plumbers and any other tradesmen all may do things slightly different to each other,but end up with the same result,there is no hard and fast set of rules,and if at one of the stages the horse Is,ent getting it,be prepared to change how you are asking it and what you may be doing wrong


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