# Training and the new wheels



## Southern Grace (Feb 15, 2013)

River is coming along quite well. She's gotten the hang of ground driving, so we decided to hitch her to the tire this weekend. I decided to try starting her in an open bridle, I've never driven without blinders before, but I had read a lot about it a while back and figured if I was going to try it, it needed to be from day one. A friend and I went out and took everything slowly, from leading her with someone dragging the tire behind her, to the end of the session having her calmly driving down the track and making turns. I was quite proud of her, she had a couple of moments of raising her head and eyeing that thing following her, but then decided it must be okay and took everything quite in stride.










I also purchased my first cart this weekend. It's an older Meadowbrook. The seller did not know the maker, and I haven't scowered it yet to see if I can find a name. It is in dire need of a paint job, but other than that is in fine condition. Wheels rotate straight and smooth, shafts feel even. There is a small tear on the back of the seat, but other than that, all it needs is paint to look good as new. Not a bad find for a draft cart in my area, as they are quite few and far between.

















River's still got quite some chunk of time with the tire and other joys before she'll be ready to hitch up to the cart, but I'm quite excited to be getting my ducks in a row.


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## Southern Grace (Feb 15, 2013)

Also... since it has to be repainted to go anywhere in public, I'm taking suggestions on colors. I would love if I could strip it down and just varnish the wood. Go with the natural wood coloring and paint the metal parts a glossy black, but that may not be an option. We'll see when I start sanding if I'm going to be able to get all of the paint off. So if I can't pull that off, I have no idea what color I'd like best. The upholstery and dash are black, but everything else can change color, so I'm taking any and all suggestions, as well as tips and hints on the stripping and repaint process, as I don't want to risk the integrity of the vehicle if sanding is not advisable.


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## littrella (Aug 28, 2010)

awsome! lucky you!!! I always thought red & black look good on a cart


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## Ashleysmardigrasgirl (Jun 28, 2012)

I believe that is a road cart as the meadowbrooks have the fenders and rear entry to the best of my knowledge. Beautiful find though!


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## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

Yes, technically it is a road cart, but it is defined by the attachment of the shafts to the axle. 

It is really pretty! I love the black and yellow, but with draft horses, brighter is better. The hubs should be the same color as the rest of the metal. It looks like it WAS solid yellow, and they painted the black over it.

River looks great!! Debbie Bell says so.

Nancy


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## Southern Grace (Feb 15, 2013)

Yeah, I took a few looks at that cart and thought it looked a heck of a lot like a Show cart, but I'd never actually looked into the difference, so I wasn't sure what made each, I was hinging on the fenders, but nice to know it is the shafts, as I love how the shafts turn down to the axle. And I'd agree, looks like it was solid yellow, and someone took cheap black paint and just painted over parts of the yellow, no priming or anything, so the black is chipping off everywhere. But I think solid yellow is going to be a bit too "screaming" for my taste.

I doubt I'll ever show her in more than local classes, really, I was just looking for something smaller than a carriage to tool around with, but people like to stare at the horse and cart, and I'd be embarrassed to roll around in something with that paint job.


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## Ashleysmardigrasgirl (Jun 28, 2012)

Thanks greentree, I thought it had to do with how you got in (behind or over the shafts) haha.

Looks like it's in great condition, what a find! Do you have any idea what color(s) you're going to paint it?


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## michaelvanessa (Apr 25, 2012)

*long reining with tyre.*

hiya i think your horse is ready by looking at your picture.
you are long lineing in an open bridle and your horse seems very calm in deed.
it looks like you have done a good job with your horse.
you horse seems to trust you and hows he progressing.
i like your new cart and i would like to see you driveing him drive him in a blinkerd bridle at first so he can get the feel of the shafts.
and hwen your going well you can all ways put him to in an open bridle and walk at his head and do some intaval training in walk and woah so you can guage that he is 100%.
many thanks for shareing your pictures.


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## Southern Grace (Feb 15, 2013)

MV- thanks, she really has a good head about things. I had looked a lot into blinders/open and I want her to work well in both, as you never know when something is going to go wrong and you need to use the other (she'll be a carriage horse, so mainly blindered, as there's a lot going on to distract her in an open bridle). From what I've heard, it's usually easier to start them open, and then transition to blinders, than visa-versa.

I can pull the cart up behind her, as if it were hooked, and just lead her while I pull the cart, but she has no respect for the shafts. When I asked her to turn, she just bends right into the shafts, which tips the cart right over (I used a smaller, dinky metal cart, I'd rather pay to replace that if she panics than the new one). I'm thinking about getting some wooden poles and strapping them to her, where shafts would run, so she learns she needs to keep her body straight in a turn, but does anyone else have any suggestions?


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## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

Use some pvc pipe polestied into the tugs on your harness with a bungie or some hay string, so they stay in, but are not fixed (they need to come out in case of a major panic, but not FALL out), and you don't want someone walking beside her all the time to hold them, although you can start out that way. 

You could also build them with two elbows, and hold them level with one hand.

She will figure out how to turn in the shafts on her own, as long as there is no panic when she hits them. She will need enough width in the the shafts to bend her body. 
How tall is she? and how tall are the wheels on your cart? I had a road cart for a 16.1 H horse, and the wheels were 50" tall. Somewhere on the internet, there is a chart with suggestions on horse/cart size. Maybe ADS, or CAA website.

Nancy


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## Southern Grace (Feb 15, 2013)

she is 18hh, the wheels are 51" it is a full draft cart and should fit her well. ADS has the chart, I scoured that thing before starting cart shopping. She doesn't panic about the shafts hitting her, they didn't even bother her, she just tries to turn on her haunches, rather than walking a full circle, though it may have been because I was at her shoulder, as she does walk the circle when we do ground driving, rather than turning on the haunches.

Would the suspended training shafts help her at all, or really, since she's not bothered by the contact of them, does she just need to go on to the cart and figure it out? I'm just trying to protect the cart as much as possible.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Time to put her to work. Bolt another tire to your training tire so they sit side by side. Hook up the single tree and drag a dirt road to smooth it. Plus it adds more weight.


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## michaelvanessa (Apr 25, 2012)

*poles and blinkers.*

hiya i would dispence with the pole option all to geather. from the pictures you have shown me she is going realy well in an open bridle.
i would highley sugest as she is going well like she is to put her to in blinkers.
i think there is and will be no issues with her wanting to work in the shafts.
ill be honest you have a good mare.
i have a little pony as wild as the hills and he was a rescue pony and had to compleatley erase from his mind his past and show him the milk of human kindness and it has worked.
so as i have said looking at your mare i think she is ready to put to.
if there is a few of you i know this might sound crazy get a frend to pull your cart about 50 fet with her beside it to guage how she would react in an open bridle.
i took a gamble with my little boy i did the same lol and he was fine so i put him to in an open bridle.
i had plenty of apple with my so i walked out with him and we went for 20 yards and gave him a quater of an apple and so forth untill i climbed on board and we just walked for 20 minuits and he got his reward again so we left the lesson on a good note and he was in his stable thinking what he had acheved.
i can drive him in walk trot and canter in an open bridle.
he is a very stroung willed pony and he uses a lot of his gray matter so to speak and he is all ways on the button.
looking at your pictures i think your on the home straight.
my beleif with poles thay get tangled and end up under the horses hind legs so if she is happy going as she is i would stroungley beleave youll upset her and confuse her.
turning she will learn to do that have no worrys it takes time and she will get better and better as you both pratice.
in no time at all youll have her turning on a dime and she will suprise you doing 180 turns.
keep us in the loop ok and she is a great looking girl and your doing an awesome job with her.


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## Clayton Taffy (May 24, 2011)

How is River coming along?

I like a draft in a bright colored cart, black with yellow wheels and opposite pin striping, yellow with black striping and black with yellow striping.
Nice harness, have you added some more weight yet?

More photos please!


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## Southern Grace (Feb 15, 2013)

Sorry guys, long time no update. River is now lightly working in cart. Posting a picture of her hitched, but I have yet to get one of me in the cart with her... She can make 90 degree turns, starts and stops smoothly. She's still not solid on keeping her rear end in line with her front end, she really just wants to swing her but around, so we're sticking to wide turns until she gets the hang of it. The breeching gave her some confusion first time through, but she's got it figured out now. But strap gets tight, but I still expect her to stop as she was told. She's quite comfortable with most things.

We also saddled up and went for a "trail ride" down some neighborhoods in the area. Just getting her used to the sights and sounds, cars passing, manhole covers, kids on bikes. All with a little less at risk under saddle than with a cart behind.


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## michaelvanessa (Apr 25, 2012)

*driveing.*

wow sg your horse and medowbrook look awesome ans she looks so well.
and many many thanks for shareing your pictures.
and keep us posted on how things are going and you can look back on it as a gernal on how well every thing has gone.
many thanks michael.


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## Southern Grace (Feb 15, 2013)

Updates again.

She's up to 3 days driving with me in the cart behind her (I was kicked by a Percheron, so we've had a few weeks off). She hitched up just like she hadn't missed a day. We worked on getting turns tighter, she's still having trouble with it, her but can't swing out, this thing hits her shoulder, but I still want her to turn. I feel this is one of those things that is just going to take time a practice, but if anyone has any training tips, I'm all ears.

Now for the pictures.


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