Driving - horse freaked long reining in blinkers

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kate081

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I've decided to break my rising 4yo to harness. I broke my pony to harness about 10 years ago so have got some previous experience & am following Sally Walrond's book.

He's backed & riding under saddle. I started by long reining & lunging in the roller and have gradually added all the different parts of the harness. Q has been happy & confident with every step. He's pretty easy going as he's ConnemaraxTB.

Last night I introduced the blinkers and initially he wasn't quite so confident on the lunge but soon settled. I then decided to long rein him before I finished the session & he absolutely freaked. He got faster & faster so I obviously had to let go of the long reins. He then galloped about for about 5 minutes before I managed to calm him down & catch him.

I walked him on the lunge again in the blinkers & then changed back to his open bridle to do a walk & trot on long reins. He was happy so I finished.

The question is how do I get him to accept the blinkers? Or should I just do it in an open bridle? I think he was panicked by not being able to see what was making the noises behind him. Help please! :)
 
It is perfectly acceptable to break in an open bridle, however, if you want to show you'll need blinkers and in general they are very usful for keeping horses straight and getting past scaries out and about. It's rare to find a set of harness with a matching open bridle if that concerns you too.

As an intermediate perhaps you could find a bridle with half blinkers/winkers. If you don't want to shell out I know the DofE put racing hoods under open bridles before winkers were readily available. It could be a usful halfway house. Obv you've checked the fit, the blinkers weren't gaping or flapping? I have seen on some bridle when you take a pull the cheekpiece comes away from the face for a second and can upset some.

Most importantly just be careful, if he doesn't like something think of another plan of action, driving horses don't come back from accidents as well as a ridden horse and you really need to be able to rely on them when you are a vehical.
 
Thanks for replying. I don't intend to compete unless we really get into it. It's just for fun & to do something a bit different.

I'm definitely not going to rush him although he has progressed very fast until now. I'm a bit puzzled as to how I can introduce the blinkers more gradually. If I leave him in an open bridle, how can I ensure he doesn't freak when he sees the cart behind him?

Is it common for blinkered horses to panic about not being able to see noises behind them? My pony was so bombproof that he just accepted the blinkers.

Thanks
 
if they're broken in an open bridle then they'll be fine it's if you break it blinkers then suddenly take them away that things can go wrong! If I'm honest I've not heard of horses being worried by blinkers and not come across it personally, are you sure it was them? Doesn't mean it wasn't them but horses don't rely on their sight as much as we do which is why you can blindfold them and get them out of fires/onto trailers.

If you're happy to break in an open bridle go for it. It's common on the continent. I've never done it or worked with anyone who has so can't advise much, perhaps contact you local LHHI (list on the british driving soc website)

If you want to progress in blinkers and he isn't happy then I would suggest either finding a driving bridle with half blinkers or a cheaper option would be to find a racing hood like this one
155076-blinker-hood.jpg

and use it with his open bridle as a half way house before trying the blinkers again.

I quite like half blinkers in general, it means the horse can't see the whip or wheels BUT can see posts/curbs/drains etc so can look after himself a little better. Half blinkers are more common on driving trials harness I think for this reason.
 
My girl spooked at lots of things.So do driving goats as soon as blinkers come into the equation.I don't drive my goats in blinkers so I stopped driving Blue in them.....no more spooking!
(Put a blindfold on and walk up the road in lion country and see how you feel!) :D
 
Blinkers are very useful though, with a young horse who isn't the best balanced they are great as these horses haven't yet mastered the art of just moving their head, when they turn then head to look at something to body often follows! Also for when you see those scaries out and about as soon as you get close they can't see them anymore so they have to listen to their driver, 99% of the time nothing will happen, they gain trust in their driver and next time they won't bother. Or that's the theory! lol Did know a horse who took exception to a small log pile every time we went past it.... but he still went past.

But as I said, there's nothing wrong in driving in an open bridle as long as, like everything horse based, he's introduced slowly.
 
It's definitely worth trying "can't see backs" or half blinkers. We've had variations with the pacers of anything from just "can't see backs" to shut-in's where you effectively close/restrict the vision in one eye, it just depends on the horse and how they go.
 
What are "can't see backs"? Are the like french blinkers (sheepskin)?

I was quite surprised by his reaction as he's normally very chilled. He didn't buck or anything, he just got faster & faster until he was galloping round the area on his own.
 
I've broken ponies to drive without blinkers, and 5 of our current 6 driving equines drive perfectly without blinkers. They are really not necessary.
However, as said, if you wish to attend any BDS events, you MUST have blinkers (bit, whip and groom).
I would suggest you use the bridle but for starters, do no more than walking in-hand until he gets used to them, then gradually progress to long reining.
Good luck
 
Thanks Donkeymad. I walked him out inhand this morning & he soon settled into it. Finished with a walk & trot on the lunge. I realised that coz he's young when he's going away from home he's looking back to his friend in the stable. Having me walk with him seems to have given him more confidence. Will do that every morning this week & see if he'll accept the blinkers when long reined. I'd rather have the blinkers just in case he's scared of the cart.

Collect the cart on Friday - yippee. He wont be put to it yet though!
 
I have always given them a chance to get used to blinkers. Put the bridle on in the stable first and built up slowly to actually long reining. I think maybe the only problem you had was that you forgot it would come as a shock not to have full vision.
Good luck and hope he doesnt try and get away again now he knows it is possible, after all our control is all one big con trick.
 
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