# Can any horse Drive? How young is too young?



## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

Is that picture when he is 22 months? he looks immature and like a weanling. I start doing ground work immediatly as a baby with lots of handling and desensitizing, linedriving as a yearling. Longlining at 2, and hitching in the fall of there 2nd year and driving regularly at 3.


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## DreamOfDrafts (Jan 6, 2013)

churumbeque said:


> Is that picture when he is 22 months? he looks immature and like a weanling. I start doing ground work immediatly as a baby with lots of handling and desensitizing, linedriving as a yearling. Longlining at 2, and hitching in the fall of there 2nd year and driving regularly at 3.


That pic is fairly recent. I think he was just at 21mths. Yes he is very immature as far as growth. A lot of people think he is weanling instead of almost 2 .
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## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

I would treat him as the yearling in till he fills out and grows up little bit
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## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

That guy is ADORABLE!! I would look for some pieces of harness at antique and resale shops ( I am a native Houstonian, and used to see all types of stuff there) or check with the Equestrian Market Day in College Station in August....but start hanging stuff on him until he matures a bit. 

You can also call Tom O'Carroll in Navasota who does a good job training driving horses, and he will have plenty of pointers, and perhaps some working harness pieces.

I'll bet with some good food and care he will blossom quickly!

Nancy


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## michaelvanessa (Apr 25, 2012)

*young horse*

hiya he does look like a yearling i will sugest to you to start walking him out in hand and talking to him and give him basic commands.
teach him with some titbits and ask him to stand out and pick feet up and so forth.
i would recomend that you buy a lunge caverson and a roler and lungelines you can long line with them as well. 
also have you got a bit for him and what is it.
its best to let him grow first before you think about geting a harness and all i would do is educate him in the basics like i have said.
also working a young horse can have problems as to allow his bones and joints to grow so whilst you are waiting educate him like i said and youll have a great horse.
all my horses were schooled the same and lunged with a harness on at 3 years old and longlined as well and were put to at the age of 4 years old.
there were no problems what so ever.
quincy i have had now for six months he was four and he is broken in to harness and he is happy in his work as well.
the oldest horse i have broken in was my first pony called snowy she wa ill treated and was a rescue and my self back then was green with horses as i have not owned one.
i got her back to health and i broke her in to harness i followed instructions from a book and i have added bits in to the breaking of horses and with good results and well manord horses snowy was 26 years old.
she had a good loveing home with me for 8 years she is never forgotton and all ways remberd.
tricky was a rescue we got him as a yearling and he was in a bad way and he was broke in at 4 and he was a challange its not the brakeing in its the dammage done by the other people who had him.
he had been beaten round the head had shoes twice the size of his hoofs nailed on with roofing clout nails and he also had stragles.
ill be honest he took 18 years to settle him down he hated children with a vengence i think kids had badley beaten him when he was a foal,the best thing i can say he welcomes them now and axcepts them its taken a long time to me his my son and is treated likewise he is 29 years old and he has been with me 28 years now and he is the most loveing pony you would ever know.


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## DreamOfDrafts (Jan 6, 2013)

So thanks everyone for the advice! and words encouragment and stories of success! I appreciate it all! If you have any recommendations on books or such to read im all for it! 

As for the basics? Like just normal manners on the ground? personal space, leading, picking up feet, and desensitizing? I can move his body around too with a tap and "Scootch". He also knows what "Spread em" means, and will spread his back legs apart even if Im not close lol. 
Havent started at all on the lunge line though, he has done a few circles around me on the lead line when he was extra frisky, but nothing more then that. Ive been waiting for his leg to really heal up and Ive heard to much lunging can cause damage. I do have lunge lines though, 3 I think, and a Surcingle? is that the right word. Its older though, found it at an estate sale and thought it might fit my then draft X mare, but..it was way to small. Um No bit introduction yet either, and im alil concerned for choosing one because his mouth is oddly shaped. I think he might have a low pallet. 
But he has had blankets, saddles, and a girth on without a problem. no bucking or anything he just mozied around the round pen like there was nothing on his back. 
I know I lucked out immensly with his attitude thus far. Bass takes just about everything without blinking. Except that one time he got hit in the butt with a tennis ball at the park. He hunched so far down I thought he was going to sit. Then he just looked at me and was ****ed, like I did it. Ears back and angry eyes. 
It is really nice to know though that Ill be able to do something more then just well..walk him around the neighborhood like my over grown puppy.


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## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

Sounds like you are doing good so far. I don't think you should longe him, either. Just learning whoa, walk, trot, word commands will help, and when he gets those down, teach him gee (right) and haw(left), back ( I say "bick-bick" in a higher pitched voice to my driving horses to get them to back, but I don't know why I do that, riding I say "back"), and the very BEST command for a driving horse- STAND. stand means do not move your feet at all, and is a seperate command from whoa.

Nancy


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