Driving and a 12.2hh pony - educate me

Gingerwitch

Gingerwitch

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Ok the little welshie has not worked out on loan - so i am back with a pony that needs work but no rider..... so if i wanted to start to drive him where on earth do i start ? what do i look for in a cart ? what type of harness do I need and how do i start him off ?
 
A book I found useful for the basics is "Make the Most of Carriage Driving" by Vivian and Richard Ellis and Joy Claxton. Good luck, it's great fun
 
I've started the process with our sec a (temporarily stopped whilst I produce another mini CCW to bring on as a replacement jockey for elder mini CCW).
I've done lots of long reining with him, then bought a lovely English leather harness from a friend...popped it on him and have been marching up hill and down dale with him like he's been in harness all his life!
Next stage will be to restart this process once I've podded, build up to long reining in harness on the lanes...my said friend is an experienced driver so once I've found a cart, she will help me with the putting to and so on.
So looking forward to seeing if he takes to it as well as I suspect, he is a great character and older mini CCW is also really looking forward to having a go.
Hope you have fun with yours too! :-)
 
Best idea is to see if there is a local driving club and who will be able to help you. For a start, the pony must be 100% quiet in traffic, and also be ok about things around its back legs and not be frightened of trailing reins. Like if you lunge it and you drop the rein and it gets in a knot the pony doesn't freak. And have a reasonable mouth and obey the voice - obviously this can be improved.

I saw one chap who had a young pony take it to a driving meet and long rein it round amongst the other carriages and then put it back in the trailer, to give it a sight of horses pulling carriages.

You have to take it very, very slowly because if you have a set-back or give the pony a fright it might never be OK with driving and a driving accident can be very nasty for all involved.

Having said that, it can also be great fun and some horses and ponies seem to prefer being driven to being ridden.
 
Gingerwitch said:
Ok the little welshie has not worked out on loan - so i am back with a pony that needs work but no rider..... so if i wanted to start to drive him where on earth do i start ? what do i look for in a cart ? what type of harness do I need and how do i start him off ?
Click to expand...

I would think you would want small pony harness, ebay or dragon driving. Ihave just bought a synthetic one for my shetland, I have leather for bigger ponies but this was only £58 new on ebay and its quite good quality to be honest. Carts are harder to source I would think you would be better looking on Dragon Driving ask what size pony they have had in it, better with a two wheeler to break then in.

Step 1 lunge in driving tack, one bit at a time before adding any more.
2. Long rein in all situations and lots of it, must be obedient to all your voice commands.
Drag a tyre, get a helper to be at the front first few times and have it on quick release, so helper can just drop the rope and its gone if things go wrong.

3 to put to for the first time (I spend lots of time with them standing and bringing shafts down at their sides prior to putting to), get at least 2 extra helpers one on either side of the shafts bring them down to horses sides but do not attach in any way, walk pony forward with the helpers keeping the cart in correct position at horses sides as though is was attached but they can drop shafts in emergency.

Do this for a few times before putting them in tugs this will put weight on pony but do not attach traces just get helpers to carry on walking either side holding the shafts so they can remove quickly if pony freaks.

Eventurally attach traces to cart and you are away

Thats how I do it anyway, I am sure other people with have some other advise.
 
My advice is to find someone who knows what they are doing to break your pony to drive. Have lessons yourself to learn to drive properly. When you are both ready have lessons driving your pony.Make sure
tutor can advise you about correctly fitting harness and vehicle
 
I had an outgrown section A. My advice would be to send him away to be broken, that way you find out whether the pony is going to take to it before buying the harness and trap. My pony was good but I never really enjoyed it so I gave up, its a lot different from riding and you have to take into account other road users who scare the c*** out of me.
 
Go and have driving lessons first- it took me ages to not want to be sat on the horse rather than behind it- and it's not for everyone.

Then send the pony to a pro, keep the lessons up, and have lessons together before he comes home. It's twice as bad driving on the roads round me as it is riding, poor Gunner has almost had his nose taken off a few times.

If you want to see how he will react, don't buy a full harness, yet! Just get a driving bridle, and a couple of tail bandages- one round his chest from a roller and the other where the breaching will sit- not tight- and long rein in a safe area with assistance.
 
daughter's groom said:
My advice is to find someone who knows what they are doing to break your pony to drive. Have lessons yourself to learn to drive properly. When you are both ready have lessons driving your pony.Make sure
tutor can advise you about correctly fitting harness and vehicle
Click to expand...

Couldn't agree more. Driving is far more dangerous than riding and when it goes wrong it goes horribly wrong.
 
If you search Britishcarriagedriving, or British Driving Society, there will be a list of instructors- and BC has a forum you can post on as a guest... I only know the northern trainers, but someone on there will be from your area. Good luck!!
 
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