Leo Walker
Well-Known Member
She is amazing. Shes only been away 3 weeks and has only really been in the carriage and driving for the last couple of weeks. They have been telling me how much they like her and how shes going to be really good, but I wasnt sure if they were just being nice or not until today. The man who is breaking her drove her for a couple of minutes then I drove. Considering how little shes done she is lovely to drive. She walks and trots from voice commands which I expected, but shes picked up left and right as well and was happily circling and turning from voice aids only.
What I didnt expect to be doing was doing a cones course with her. Thats the equivalent of showjumping for driving ponies. You go through cones that are set only 10cms wider than the carriage. She is happy doing tight turns and pushing the carriage round and over which is the bit that lots dont get straight away. Shes not very fit so she lost momentum a couple of times, but to let me do that with her at this stage is brilliant.
I faffed about for ages trying to decide whether to send her away or not, but its been such a good decision. They have done such a lovely job with her. She is safe and quiet, but not dead and switched off, shes bright and alert and just so happy in her job. Shes staying another week just to do a bit more, and then shes home, and we will slowly up the fitness getting out and about driving on roads and tracks, going over the basics as we go, and then go back to school work when shes a bit fitter and stronger.
Its been very, very hard to get another one after Leo. Its always been at the back of my mind that I could sell her and she would find a lovely home as shes a sweet and kind pony, but someone asked to buy her last Sunday and I was horrified. Having driven her today she is going to be 10 times the pony he was. She has all his good bits and none of the bad, and is slowly filling the enormous hole he left. I'm not sure the novelty of having a lovely, easy, straightforward pony will ever wear off!
I dont have any videos of me driving but I do have some of Bobbie with John.
A very wobbly video of her out and about. I tried to edit it on youtube but I'm not sure its helped! I was on the backstep at that point so its a bit bumpy!
This tunnel gives me the heebie jeebies! My eyes are so knackered my depth perception is terrible, so I got out and let John drive her back in though!
What I didnt expect to be doing was doing a cones course with her. Thats the equivalent of showjumping for driving ponies. You go through cones that are set only 10cms wider than the carriage. She is happy doing tight turns and pushing the carriage round and over which is the bit that lots dont get straight away. Shes not very fit so she lost momentum a couple of times, but to let me do that with her at this stage is brilliant.
I faffed about for ages trying to decide whether to send her away or not, but its been such a good decision. They have done such a lovely job with her. She is safe and quiet, but not dead and switched off, shes bright and alert and just so happy in her job. Shes staying another week just to do a bit more, and then shes home, and we will slowly up the fitness getting out and about driving on roads and tracks, going over the basics as we go, and then go back to school work when shes a bit fitter and stronger.
Its been very, very hard to get another one after Leo. Its always been at the back of my mind that I could sell her and she would find a lovely home as shes a sweet and kind pony, but someone asked to buy her last Sunday and I was horrified. Having driven her today she is going to be 10 times the pony he was. She has all his good bits and none of the bad, and is slowly filling the enormous hole he left. I'm not sure the novelty of having a lovely, easy, straightforward pony will ever wear off!
I dont have any videos of me driving but I do have some of Bobbie with John.
A very wobbly video of her out and about. I tried to edit it on youtube but I'm not sure its helped! I was on the backstep at that point so its a bit bumpy!
This tunnel gives me the heebie jeebies! My eyes are so knackered my depth perception is terrible, so I got out and let John drive her back in though!
. I know zero about carriage driving and was really interested to watch John's use of the whip. Must take many years to get that good.
