Breaking a pony to drive - advice on where to start?

[cowdonkey]

Hi all, I have a 13.2 cob who is sadly getting fat currently, he's too small to be ridden by me and too green for a child so in order to shift some weight off him I've been thinking about breaking him to drive. He is totally bombproof, nothing really phases him and I'm starting to long line him which is going well. I've only driven once or twice before under supervision so I would definitely need help. Sending him away to be broken wouldn't be an option because he does get very stressed when moving so how would I go about finding a professional to come and help me? I've looked on the British Driving website but couldn't find much so if anyone knows of any websites that may help point me in the right direction that would be great. Also harnesses - what's a good starter harness? I know next to nothing about all of this so any advice or guidance is much appreciated.

 

[katastrophykat]

Where are you based?

 

[cowdonkey]

Where are you based?

Based in Staffordshire.

 

[Edgehog]

Pleasure Driving has links to suppliers, trainers and driving clubs https://www.pleasuredriving.co.uk/

 

[meleeka]

There's a place local to me that does driving lessons with their own horses. If you could find somewhere like that you'll get tonnes of info I'm sure.

 

[DaisyMoo]

Hi all, I have a 13.2 cob who is sadly getting fat currently, he's too small to be ridden by me and too green for a child so in order to shift some weight off him I've been thinking about breaking him to drive. He is totally bombproof, nothing really phases him and I'm starting to long line him which is going well. I've only driven once or twice before under supervision so I would definitely need help. Sending him away to be broken wouldn't be an option because he does get very stressed when moving so how would I go about finding a professional to come and help me? I've looked on the British Driving website but couldn't find much so if anyone knows of any websites that may help point me in the right direction that would be great. Also harnesses - what's a good starter harness? I know next to nothing about all of this so any advice or guidance is much appreciated.

Hello I've just broken mine to drive and as long as the pony trusts you it's very easy.

You need go start by getting it to long rein and moving off voice command. A normal riding bridle is fine for this. You'll prob need to spend 2 to 3 weeks or more doing this everyday for 30 mins to an hour until he is walking trotting and whoaing from voice only. Once he is happy introduce him to the harness and blinkers (use his normal riding bit, despite common belief horses go not need heavy harsh metal bits for driving) if he is happy in blinkers spend about a week ground driving him in these. Once he's settled ground drive on the road, bridle ways etc prob another week and then hitch the cart to him. Just leave him tied up with cart on and rock the cart back and forth and side to side. Jump on and off it and once he's settled with you doing this you are ready to go. The above should take you about 4 - 6 weeks provided he's not already voice activated and long reigned. If he is then you can do this in 1 to 2 weeks as you can start straight with the harness and blinkers ground driving.

I would highly recommend someone walking with a lead rein attached the first time and no matter what remain calm and steafy talking to him all the time to reinforce voice commands. Do not go on the roads until the pony is responsive to your voice as any well trained driving pony works from voice and not yanking on the reins

 

[DaisyMoo]

I'd also recommend watching Barry hook on you tube for inspiration and why voice commands a soft bit and a calm manner are invaluble

 

[cowdonkey]

Hello I've just broken mine to drive and as long as the pony trusts you it's very easy.

You need go start by getting it to long rein and moving off voice command. A normal riding bridle is fine for this. You'll prob need to spend 2 to 3 weeks or more doing this everyday for 30 mins to an hour until he is walking trotting and whoaing from voice only. Once he is happy introduce him to the harness and blinkers (use his normal riding bit, despite common belief horses go not need heavy harsh metal bits for driving) if he is happy in blinkers spend about a week ground driving him in these. Once he's settled ground drive on the road, bridle ways etc prob another week and then hitch the cart to him. Just leave him tied up with cart on and rock the cart back and forth and side to side. Jump on and off it and once he's settled with you doing this you are ready to go. The above should take you about 4 - 6 weeks provided he's not already voice activated and long reigned. If he is then you can do this in 1 to 2 weeks as you can start straight with the harness and blinkers ground driving.

I would highly recommend someone walking with a lead rein attached the first time and no matter what remain calm and steafy talking to him all the time to reinforce voice commands. Do not go on the roads until the pony is responsive to your voice as any well trained driving pony works from voice and not yanking on the reins

Thanks, that was the general idea I was thinking. My uncle has had a lot of driving horses and used to do some showing so was doing to pick his brains. He's great with voice control, the only issue I have is that I cant find a bit that he will happily accept so want to get something he's happy with before I start him pulling anything. Tried everything I can think of with him and he really isn't a fan so definitely wouldn't be waiting to put him in a stronger driving bit if I could avoid it.

Thanks for everyone's advice, lots of helpful info!

 

[SEL]

I haven't done it myself but watched a cob being broken to drive and the owner used a tyre instead of a cart the first few times.

Apparently that was because he'd had a horse panic with the cart attached and said there was less chance of injury if they panic with a tyre bouncing along behind. Made sense to me.

I found the Bit Bank really useful for bitting advice. No hard sell either.

 

[Leo Walker]

I really wouldnt be going it alone. It might all be fine, it might not and when things go wrong driving, they go very, very, very wrong and quickly. Can you send the pony off to be broken and have lessons there? Or places like Bennington do introduction days where you learn the very basics and would be able to recommend someone local to you if no one on here can.

I love driving, but its really not as simple as putting them to and trotting off.

Mine who was very fussy in his mouth goes very sweetly in a jointed butterfly pelham with a very loose curb and the reins on the top ring. Makes me cringe but its what he likes so we stick with it.

 

[JFTDWS]

I really wouldn't leap from long reining to pulling a carriage without careful preparation and - preferably - professional input. Mine has gone through long reining, pulling a tyre and towing the harrow in the school. I'm in no hurry to put him between the shafts, it will be done when he's ready (and probably not by me). And he's the most level headed pony around...

Much like backing a pony to ride, you can get lucky, and sometimes you get away with "winging it" without the proper background and experienced input, or you can get yourself into a horribly dangerous mess...

 

[cowdonkey]

I'm definitely going to be getting a professional involved, I wouldn't have tried to back a pony when I'd never had a riding lesson so I won't be breaking a pony to drive on my own when I have no experience haha. Sadly there's just no possible way of sending him away, he gets very stressed and takes a long time to settle. I'm leaning towards something that's thin and ported because he has a very fleshy mouth with not much space.
I've been going through some websites and have found somewhere about an hour and a half away, going to see if I can get some lessons there and then find someone closer to me to help with pony at home.

 

[Myboytwilight]

I found the books 'Driving a harness horse' and 'Breaking a horse to harness' by Sally Walrond, brilliant for teaching a riding pony to drive. I had absolutely no experience of this but have now taught 2 to drive safely and its much easier than I thought originally. The books were available on Ebay. Hope this helps.