# First drive with my boy!



## gigem88 (May 10, 2011)

What a handsome boy! Videos are not available to watch


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## SEAmom (Jan 8, 2011)

Yep, videos are private. What a cute horse, though. Glad he did so well with it.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## CaliforniaDreaming (May 8, 2011)

That looks like SoCal all right. :lol: Are you down by L.A.?

The first time in the cart with your horse is always the best. Of course for me, with my already super experienced driving horse, his reaction was more 'what took you so long to do this'

Your breastcollar seems a little low, but that might just be the angle of the picture.


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

Your boy sure does look spiffy in blue!  Congrats on the successful drive <3


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## CaliforniaDreaming (May 8, 2011)

Duuur. Not low. I meant high. Why did I say low?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Avishay (Jun 14, 2014)

Thanks, everyone for such positive responses. 

I got a reminder from the mods that linking to Facebook wasn't ok (sorry!), so those were removed (and that's probably also why they weren't working initially) but I did go and make sure that the Youtube video was set to "public" so y'all should be able to see it now. I'm hoping once I get a bit better at this, I'll be able to nab my dad's go-pro for better quality video. 

California Dreaming - I'm down in south OC. The breast collar IS a little high in that photo, but seemed fine while diving. You can kind of see how my little arena is a bit bowl-shaped and the angle of the cart is lifting the shafts a bit and by extension, lifting the breastcollar a bit. Even so, yesterday was my first time hitching a horse to a real cart, and I don't have an in-person mentor to learn from - so I've been getting all my info from books, videos, observation, and what is probably an annoying number of questions posed to a draft horse group on Facebook lol. I do believe that I'll have to do a fair amount of fiddling with the harness to really get the hang of it and perfect the fit.  I actually don't anticipate using this harness for very long, as cute as the blue does look on him. I'd like to save up for a better quality, better fitting biothane harness.


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## Endiku (Dec 6, 2010)

What a stunning horse! How can you see around him while you're driving though?! haha. He is quite spiffy in blue.

Put your bridle on first, though- before the cart  number one driving rule. Never hitch your horse without his bridle on!


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

So jealous!! I want to teach Aires to drive. I think he'd be super cute pulling a cart. 

How tall is your boy? Is that a regular horse-size cart?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Avishay (Jun 14, 2014)

Endiku said:


> What a stunning horse! How can you see around him while you're driving though?! haha. He is quite spiffy in blue.
> 
> Put your bridle on first, though- before the cart  number one driving rule. Never hitch your horse without his bridle on!


Thank you for that info! I didn't know that (as I said, I got most of my info from books). Can I ask why that is? And when you say to put the bridle on first, does that include the reins? If so, where should I tie the reins? 

It WAS a bit hard to see around him - I found myself wishing I had a booster seat lol. BUT I figure that if I can learn to do well with what I already HAVE, then I'll be that much better with better equipment, right?  

Blue and chocolate brown are his barn colors - most people put chestnuts in green, but I think the blue really pops on him.


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## Avishay (Jun 14, 2014)

DraftyAiresMum said:


> So jealous!! I want to teach Aires to drive. I think he'd be super cute pulling a cart.
> 
> How tall is your boy? Is that a regular horse-size cart?
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


I LOVE your boy, and I think he'd be great in harness! Shay is 16.2 hh, 1450lbs. It's a regular horse size cart, but it just barely accommodates his length and width. Thankfully he's short-backed or I think he'd be too long for it.


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## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

The reason we put the bridle and lines on first is there is NO WAY to stop a scared horse with a halter....it is sketchy with a bit , but at least you have a CHANCE to steer.

He looks AWESOME!! I did not watch the video yet. Wait until you see how much fun it is when you can actually SEE!!!!


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## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

HOW adorable!! I watched the video. He did great!

May I suggest you turn the reins over in your hand, so you are holding them like you are riding? And move the bit side to side to ask him to walk, instead of slapping him with the reins. 

Attach 2 rings to piece of leather about 10 inches long, and run it through your turnback up by the breeching, then run your reins through them, and they won't keep sliding off of his rear.

Good job!!!

Nancy


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## Avishay (Jun 14, 2014)

greentree said:


> HOW adorable!! I watched the video. He did great!
> 
> May I suggest you turn the reins over in your hand, so you are holding them like you are riding? And move the bit side to side to ask him to walk, instead of slapping him with the reins.
> 
> ...


Thank you so much for the advice! I will definitely change my grip on the reins and I'll put the leather rings in. Would a pair of all-leather chin straps convert to that purpose well, do you think? 

I bought a driving whip today, so that should help with the forward motion. I usually ground drive with an extra long dressage whip, but I was a bit uncertain about carrying a whip for my first drive, just in case he was worried about me using it from his blind spot.


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## Endiku (Dec 6, 2010)

If the horse is trained right it will stand stock still to be hitched and shouldn't be tied at all...so don't tie your reins at all  until then if he moves around, have someone hold him. To keep my reins from dragging while I tack, I loop them through the rings on the saddle loosely.


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## MaximasMommy (Sep 21, 2013)

I was fast forwarding through the video and stopped at 1:05 and I saw your huge grin and thought "who thought staring at a horse's butt could be so fun!"


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## Avishay (Jun 14, 2014)

Maximus - it is fun, indeed! You should try it (if you haven't already) 

Endiku - he does ground tie reliably and has always stood loose to be hitched to the drag. Now that you mention it, I'm not sure why I thought to tie him while I hitched up. 

I


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## DocsPocoSanBar (Jul 22, 2014)

Awesome! I am jealous! Spud - our Fjord gelding was used for driving before we got him, and I would love to get a cart and harness for him - but they are so pricey!!


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## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

tieing the horse to the wall or fence or trailer is how MOST drivers hitch up, honestly. It is not the "recommended" way, but if a driver is usually alone, it makes sense to me. My previous barn aisle was too narrow to maneuver in, so I trained them to stand alone. That is not the safest thing to do, either, but I work by myself 99% of the time. 

I am glad you got the whip! Use it like your leg(up by the saddle) to encourage a bend in the turn. 

I think attaching 2 curb straps together, then putting rings on it, will work fine.


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## Endiku (Dec 6, 2010)

I tied my mare while putting her harness on, but not once I backed her between the shafts and started hooking her up. While I was training her to stand to be hitched while I was alone, I just looped her halter around her neck and tied the lead rope to a post. That way she was tied securely but not by her bridle/bit.


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## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

Endiku said:


> I tied my mare while putting her harness on, but not once I backed her between the shafts and started hooking her up. While I was training her to stand to be hitched while I was alone, I just looped her halter around her neck and tied the lead rope to a post. That way she was tied securely but not by her bridle/bit.


Oh, no, I would never tie with the bridle or reins!!! But either leave the halter on, or buckle it over the bridle. Driving halters have the additional buckle on the nose for that purpose.


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## Avishay (Jun 14, 2014)

So I had my second drive today, and it was a complete success!

I took a lot of what you said to heart, Greentree, thank you. He's been taught to ground tie from an early age, so it was no trouble at all to hitch him while he stood still in the arena (bridled). He never moved a muscle as I lowered the shafts over him and got the traces and everything else attached securely. I did struggle a bit with the change in hand position you suggested, but mostly because of the change in feel due to the angle, and the upright position of the whip (I've ridden dressage for years, and it was odd to have the whip essentially reversed in my hand). Though the whip DID make it MUCH easier to help him understand what I wanted, especially when turning. 

We were able to successfully work though a few basic figures, and I introduced a bit of trotting, and backing up. He backs up like a total champ, but he got a bit over excited when trotting, so we basically did some quick transition work to help him understand that he has to rate his speed and stride length differently with the cart vs. the drag or under saddle. Once he realized trotting was something he COULD do (he was skeptical at first), he then wanted to do more, and a bit faster, than I would have been comfortable with. He's the type of horse who, if you praise him for something thinks, "If a little was good, more must be better!" 

I was also once again reminded of just HOW smart he is. Since he was more comfortable with the cart this time, I actually WATCHED him start to experiment with using the harness to affect what happened with the cart. He slowed down and sped up several times, and attempted different levels of response to my rein and whip aids until he found the most balanced, comfortable way to do what I was asking. All of the aids were already in place, and I walked behind the cart for awhile before I got in, and it was neat getting to watch him think through what to do when the angle and weight of what he was pulling changed.


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## Endiku (Dec 6, 2010)

Smart boy! Some horses just weren't meant for the cart and struggle heavily to rate themselves and use their bodies correctly under cart. They can do it, but often rely very much on their handler for every part of their body. Others, like your boy, figure out by themselves that if they use this muscle or that, turn like this instead of that way, etc., they make the job much nicer.


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