DRIVING PEEPS ADVICE

ILuvCowparsely

ILuvCowparsely

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MY hubby moans about my pony.

brought to teach on she was younger than i needed , but now just get no offers to loan her section A (12 hhs) or lessons.

I thought maybe if she was trained to drive I can go out with her take the pressure off her as I will be using her.

Now my questions is with a lightweight trap nothing fancy. How much human weight could she comfortably pull??

ty in advance
 
My Section A, who is a nice oldfashioned sort, was very happy with two adults, spare kit for three ponies, water, picnic, haynets etc. Used to cause a stir when we *shock horror* hacked to shows and brought all the spare kit in the trap.

She did get taken out with over 25 stone of human in the trap and didn't seem to be making any more effort than normal. I stress that this was very well balanced and I tested it myself to see if I could happily shift it about.

I should add that I am NOT what I'd class as a driving person but the pony was assessed for us by a BDS coach when I decided that it was an ideal way to keep her fit after my daughter outgrew her,
 
My 12hh welsh can happily pull 2 medium/ large adults in a 2 wheel Robinson's exercise cart.

The biggest issue I have (apart from the lack of loaners) is having a second person to drive out with. It's always wise to have a groom who is competent and confident around ponies who may be upset.

Sallie Walrond's books are a really good starting point, and if looked after so can be Robinson's two wheeler exercise carts and cheap harnesses, although you must ensure they are fit for purpose and fit well. Then if the pony takes to driving you can upgrade as you go along. Unless you have the budget to start with Bennington and Zilco!

Don't forget that not every pony takes to driving so be prepared with a plan B!!
 
As a rule of thumb a pony can pull its own weight. A fit pony or on flat ground could go up 50% and an old or unfit pony with hills down 50%.
So if your pony weighs 300kg and a carriage 150kg then you could have 150kg of people on board.
 
thankyou .

I am confidant around my pony (I should be by now) (I broke her in too) 45 years plus with horses and I am BHS trained ( as per my profile):)

But driving is new, I started training my first mare to drive who had back and uveitis issues but the yard i was at was impossible to continue so i dropped it. I have been out in a trap and one livery has a trap for sale here but its too big for my pony as this pony was 14.1

I am lucky in one sense one of my liveries has exams in driving and has said she would help me.

I am thinking of selling my western tack as my late and beloved mare was the one who enjoyed it not so her son.

Its seems the best way to show hubby I am getting something back from her
 
My 12hh sec A would happily pull 2 average sized adults (20st - combined weight) on regular 10 mile drives. As previously recommended, the balance of the vehicle (if a 2wheeler) is of utmost importance, and will definitely affect the pulling weight.
 
ok to start with what are your views on LIBBYS harness???

Are they cheap and rubbish or ok?

what bit do you recommend to start with ?
 
Paddy and Dandy said:
My 12hh sec A would happily pull 2 average sized adults (20st - combined weight) on regular 10 mile drives. As previously recommended, the balance of the vehicle (if a 2wheeler) is of utmost importance, and will definitely affect the pulling weight.
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Can you explain this further

what sort would be a no no and what would be best,


I don't want showy etc just plain and simple (to start)

what are your views on Robinsons traps??

one of my liveries had one and it was quite complicated to put together and not particularly light
 
Balance: When loaded a two wheeler should feel as though it weighs nothing when you hold the shafts ie neither pulling up nor down on the horse.

I think you need to have a discussion with your livery if s/he is onsite to help you.
 
jemima*askin said:
Balance: When loaded a two wheeler should feel as though it weighs nothing when you hold the shafts ie neither pulling up nor down on the horse.

I think you need to have a discussion with your livery if s/he is onsite to help you.
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sadly she isnt , her horse pts she is just storing the trap till sells, she is out of the horse world now
the other livery is a complete beginning to driving did it herself and was ok till pony panicked and ran off in trap. She then sold the pony and sold the trap hers was the Robinsons one
 
Nothing more to add really except good luck! driving is great fun and a great way to exercise small ponies that you can't ride. I drive two ponies on rotation at an RDA stable and the 13.2 can pull me as easily as the 14.2 pony and I'm 15 stones plus another adult. I do groundwork with them like long reining on a circle so I can reinforce their voice training although they both like to take the mickey at times they are both really safe ponies who enjoy their job.
 
There must be a way to alter the balance on a two wheeler, usually by moving the seat forward and back. The early Robinson two wheelers did not have this I do not know about the currant ones. Libbys harness is strong but you must ensure that there are break points in it otherwise the pony will break before the harness in an accident.
 
Break points usually a bit of leather and are built into nylon/biothane harness so that when under stress this breaks freeing the horse. The crupper back band is one place for one as if this is broken - or cut in an emergency - the whole of the breeching is then free of the horse.

When things go pear shaped with driving it happens fast and can be very serious.
 
My pony is welsh section A 12 hh
which size is best pony or shetland.

don't want to spend money and not the correct size

what do other wlshie A use
 
We have Tedman harness for our pony and it's been really good.
I would expect her to need the pony size rather than the Shetland but if you measure her you can ask the manufacturer before you buy.
 
On our Libby's harness (and all) we use quick releases rather than break points- as is standard in HDT. Never known someone who uses break points :o
The robinsons 2 wheelers as well as the balance issue have fixed non adhustable shafts. To fit to pony carriage you need a 13hh mini LW horse to fit it in- certainly doesn't fit our section As, or 4/5 sections Bs.
 
As a very average driver who was fortunate enough to have a fantastically experienced driving pony (he really did know it all including traffic lights, right of way on a narrow road and to look both ways at a junction!) I would advise that you get your pony professionally broken to drive - it could be quite cheap if you did all the groundwork at home like long reining in harness and pulling a log/tyre. These are the things that can be done from a book or advice on the internet but the actual putting to a trap for the first few times and driving require a lot of skill to stay safe and set the pony up as a good driver.

The other thing is that if you would ever want to drive on a road that you need a horse that is already as reliable in traffic as could ever be expected - this is not a job for animals that aren't good on the road. Even off road they need to be steady and accepting of things like the shafts moving against their sides on rough ground plus spooking/spinning really can be dangerous as the vehicle can and will tip over if it's violent enough.

My personal preference is for a four wheeler with pneumatic tyres rather than solid ones (they don't call them bone shakers for no reason) with a swing spindle so you can use a breast collar rather than a full collar (much easier to fit!) and don't have to balance them. I've always found leather harness much easier to adjust size wise and since I always bought mine second hand and had repaired as needed they were good value IMHO.

Driving is great and I love it but I've also seen some horrific accidents because as EPRider said when it goes wrong it can be very serious very quickly so I would really strongly advise that you get some experienced, good help with your project - driving is the one time that 'learning together' is often when bad accidents happen.
 
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