Driving Experts Please help

devilwoman

devilwoman

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 August 2009
Messages
1,804
Location
Sat Day Dreaming .....
Visit site
Can anyone give tips on starting to break a horse to cart. She has been fully harnessed, bitted, long reined and lunged lightly - have tried tying a water cannister on the back of harness (on advice from someone else) which was not very successful she was terrified of it - literally scarpering mad kicking and bucking, any suggestions how to go to the next step please - we have also tried drainpipes down the side of her, again she went mental and threw a wobbler.
 
Tyres are a good thing to drag as they are fairly weighty but also do not rattle or flap around and you can start off with say two tyres then build up the tyres untill you are dragging a fair amount of weight behind the pony.

edited to add make sure you have at least one helper with you,two would be good one at the head and one walking along by the rump incase you have to unhitch in a hurry.
 
is the knife to cut her throat !!!!
grin.gif


yes we always have the knife handy and hubby is there ready to cut when she goes off on one, i'm usually the one hanging on the end of the lunge rein for grim death !!

we have tried a tyre which she did pull for a while but then got to know that we were doing and was evading letting us get it tied on - she just keeps spinning round and trying to tank off.
 
Until she will pull somthing like a tyre without going nuts do not take her any further. You have to remember that not all horses will take to driving.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Until she will pull somthing like a tyre without going nuts do not take her any further. You have to remember that not all horses will take to driving.

[/ QUOTE ]

Absolutely. Many horses long rein beautifully but can never go the next step and pull.
 
[ QUOTE ]
send the pony to a proffessional breaker who specialises in driving! the blind leading the blind is NOT a good combination!

[/ QUOTE ]

Although this ^^ is'nt quite how i would have put it ( a little blunt, i think) i have to agree, it would be safer for all concerned.
 
I start all mine with the traces down(through the breeching straps so as not to get trodden on ) and a chain attached to each trace. Hopefully you have a school or enclosed space you can use. Lead to start with,if your horse shows worry at the noise, stop, make much, and when relaxed go forward again. When this is all taken in its stride, do the same on long reins on a circle, with changes of rein. The horse has to get used to pressure against its legs, and the noise. When thats well established, attach with quick release knots on baler twine (the thicker stuff is better)a thin swingle tree. I use a fence stake. Again, start leading, and then if really relaxed, but NOT before, long rein again. Its important not to trigger a bolt, as this can leave a lasting memory, and the last thing you want is doing a "Ben Hur" impression in your cart down the road!! I'm sure other drivers have been there and done that! You have to get the horse used to lots of noise, I tie plastic milk bottles with shingle in them, to the swingle tree. Remember to go over every step until the horse is completely relaxed in its work. I second the comments about beginners, but its all about trust between you and your horse, and if you are nervous, your voice will give you away, the very last thing you want when driving. Hope this is some help.
 
[ QUOTE ]
send the pony to a proffessional breaker who specialises in driving! the blind leading the blind is NOT a good combination!

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree totally - I had today been quoted for her to be sent away - unfortunately I cannot afford for her to be completely "done" by them due to how many weeks and how much per week, but if I can do some of the groundwork myself they will then do the "finishing" and it will cost me less as it will take them less time.
 
Thankyou cundlegreen that is very helpful - I need to rest her for a few days I think to let her forget about the cannister scaring her and then start again - she;s such a trusting young lady I don't want to ruin our bond by making her afraid of me and what I might do to her, if that makes sense.
 
It sounds to me as if you may already have spoiled this horse for driving. If it is a very forgiving horse, you may retrieve the situation, but many a promising horse has been denied a driving career by a dodgy start.

The horse should be working well to the voice aids on lunge and long reins before any attempt is made to introduce weight.

Introducing noise, and then weight, behind a potential driving horse must be done very carefully. I start, when longreining, by scuffing my feet, and progress to a plastic bottle with a few stones in it. This can be carried so that it can be discarded if necessary. Short 'sound bytes', rather than constant noise is usually best at first. Different sounds and longer exposure to them can be progressed to.

When starting a horse to weight on the traces, its best to have a helper who can lift the swingle tree by a rope attached to it. The helper can walk alongside you, and can lift and lower the swingle tree, put some drag on it now and then, and control the amount of contact from the traces on the horse's legs as the horse turns.

Others have spoken of safety, but I agree with using string and quick release knots everywhere. I use rope through rings or clips on the swingle tree so that, if necessary, the end of the rope can be dropped, will run through the ring and out, and the horse will be free of weight and equipment.

I do lots of desensitising work around young horses long before I start them for driving, so I don't usually use broom handles to simulate shafts, but if that is desirable it's wise to have a helper to be in charge of the 'shafts', through the tugs, and you walk to the side of the horse. This allows the helper to let the horse feel the shafts as he turns, and also allows easy removal of them if the horse panics.

You'd do well to learn a bit more about breaking a horse to harness before you try any more.
 
I agree with AengusOg -- sorry.
Why do people think that breaking to drive is a DIY job?
confused.gif
Even more strange if the same people wouldn't dream of starting their own riding horses.
Would you break horses to ride yourself?? If yes, then I apologise, a slightly different scenario but even so, sounds to me that you need to brush up on your driving knowledge.

A small tip though -- try leading/long-reining the horse and make noises around and about, so it becomes the norm. My wheelie bin has done a few miles
grin.gif
1st with someone else pulling it around, then alongside the horse and moved on to leading the horse with me pulling behind. All this way before the horse is asked to pull anything, just in every day life ie. leading to the field and back - as long as thats not down the road!!
crazy.gif
It's just a case of breaking things down into bite size chunks and not moving on until 100% happy.
 
Yes I would break to ride - have done many times in the past and will do her next year when she is 4 (with instructors help)

Sorry to disagree but I don't believe she is ruined to drive, knowing her personality as I do she is a very robust young lady and this episode will not knock her confidence for long.

I often lead her and a wheelie bin as a matter of course as on the farm she is liveried at the wheelie bins go out for collection right by my field gate but the stables are down a long sandy/stony track, once empied me and her take it back every week - she doesn't care aless.

Thankyou for the opinions though I take them all on board.
 
Sorry, forgot to add, I do everything in an open bridle,when it all goes easily with relaxed and confident horse, then I do every thing again with blinkers on. I don't care what "experts" say about horse reasoning things out, I find if the horse can see the problem and find that its not going to hurt them, then the training goes a lot quicker and better. I broke and drove my first driving horse (welsh D stallion) open bridle contrary to what it says in all the books, and never had a problem with him.He liked to see everything, and then it wasn't a problem. HOWEVER, I'd had him from a foal, so lots of trust.I broke another 10 yr old, and she went mad when put to with no blinkers, and we had to blinker from the start,so every horse is different. Heres pics of them both competing, they both ended up going really well!
IMG.jpg

IMGB13313VF1.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top