Weight limits for driving - ponies

[EmmasMummy]

I have a wee shettie that my LO rides, but I was also thinking of maybe using her for driving - just one of the wee traps. But what are the weight limits? And also how different is it to being ridden control wise? She doesn't like to canter and doesn't have that fast a trot so I am not too worried about her tanking off with us.

There is a place the other side of where we live that does carriage driving, so will aslo see what they recommend. It just seems a good alternative as I am not sure if even after I lose this baby weight that has hung around for 30 months I will be able to ride as my back is goosed .

 

[tazzle]

that sounds like a lovely idea to keep your little mare doing a job she can do now as well as long after her little rider outgrows her

well I cant really answer the weigh issue as my mare is a much larger welshie ......but my friend has a shettie x falabella who drives and I used to groom for her in competitions so I can say what he was like.

On smooth ground he could take both of us for short distances ( two adults) but on grass I would get out and he would happily pull vehicle with friend who is quite tall. If I had to get in to do an obstacle he could still pull us but it would not have been easy for him ( he was not that fit)


as to how much any shettie could pull it would depend on experience and how much muscle / fitness had been developed.

most people drive them in pairs but if you look on this page

http://www.shetlandponydriving.co.u...shetland-group-show-sparsholt-college-250411/

the fourth pic in from left shows two not small adults in the vehicle . Shetlands have a low centre of gravity and are strong for their height so it does not surprise me they can do that .

I used to chat a lot with someone a few years back that has many, many years experience of driving sheltands so she would be the best person to guide you. I think I have seen her on here so if I see her I will point her in this direction





as to the differences between riding and driving ........ hmmm

I would say that you need a pone thats brill in traffic for a start and one that listens to the reins as you dont have legs / weight to guide . I like to to put cues on voice, many driven horses respond to that just as much if not more then the reins.

"control" ...... well its just the same I suppose imo . Depends on what pone is used to .. I suppose some riders / horses use weight aids as an aid to slowing / stopping and with driving you dont have that.

if its steering you mean ...... well we can get through gaps only inches wider than the carriage ( and our bridle has no bit) so is depends on the training / responsiveness of the pone as to how effective steering is... it can be very accurate if the work is put in


have fun... suggest you go have a drive out with a local driver and see if you like it first ........ then get some lessons before having pone put into harness. \good luck and have fun

 

[ofcourseyoucan]

they can pull a fair weight in a well balanced trap. you really need 2 competant persons to drive .. on to drive and one to jump off and on and hold if needed! a great idea .... get her on the long reins for a couple 0f miles a day and get her voice responsive then gradually introduce her to dragging tyres, then a trap or send her to someone good to break to drive.

 

[millikins]

My Shettie X is 10.3 and a bit finer than a pure Shettie. She can pull 2 adults on a good surface but struggles on grass or rubber school. I have been using a 4 wheeler (nice 2 wheeler nicked) but I've just decided it's too heavy for a single and will buy another 2 wheeler. Sycamores and Benningtons come in at around 50-55kgs. It's brilliant fun, good luck.

 

[tazzle]

get her on the long reins for a couple 0f miles a day and get her voice responsive then gradually introduce her to dragging tyres, then a trap or send her to someone good to break to drive.

If you decide to do it yourself please take advice though from someone experienced ..... its all the little things that make a big difference. ....... and a big "thing" with me is making sure anything you attach to pone has got some sort of quick release system . Have seen problems when pones panic and human cant release the tyre or whatever

Important too to habituate her to things touching her legs so she does not get scared if the reins or traces get tangled if dropped.

och theres loads ..........

 

[flying solo]

Tazzle very good point.

Can someone tell us what they would use to train a shetland to harness? I know a harness! But how would you attach the tyre safely?

 

[PucciNPoni]

I have a wee shettie that my LO rides, but I was also thinking of maybe using her for driving - just one of the wee traps. But what are the weight limits? And also how different is it to being ridden control wise? She doesn't like to canter and doesn't have that fast a trot so I am not too worried about her tanking off with us.

There is a place the other side of where we live that does carriage driving, so will aslo see what they recommend. It just seems a good alternative as I am not sure if even after I lose this baby weight that has hung around for 30 months I will be able to ride as my back is goosed .

Even a mini can pull two adults easily. Generally speaking, horses/ponies can pull 3x what they can carry on their backs!


Whenever we have started babies to harness we always used an older, heavier, sturdy trap (two wheeled) and got them used to feeling the shafts in and out of the loops on the harness. Some people will have just a set of false shafts (not attached to anything) to sort of "sack them out".

Again I agree with Tazzle, don't undertake this yourself without an experienced driver. This could go horribly wrong!

 

[EmmasMummy]

Even a mini can pull two adults easily. Generally speaking, horses/ponies can pull 3x what they can carry on their backs!


Whenever we have started babies to harness we always used an older, heavier, sturdy trap (two wheeled) and got them used to feeling the shafts in and out of the loops on the harness. Some people will have just a set of false shafts (not attached to anything) to sort of "sack them out".

Again I agree with Tazzle, don't undertake this yourself without an experienced driver. This could go horribly wrong!

Oh I dont think I would try it myself, I could do teh long reining, but not the actual part of attaching equipment.
I am planning to send my sec a to be back in this summer for a month and the place is right next to the carriage place so as one cant stay without the other, migth see if she can go there for a month.

 

[tazzle]

Tazzle very good point.

Can someone tell us what they would use to train a shetland to harness? I know a harness! But how would you attach the tyre safely?

you can use baler twine if you use a quick release knot and hold a long tail of it .... or preferable first few times have someone else hold it .... or not even knot it just loop it through and someone hold both ends.

remember to put the traces through the trace holders or the line of draft will be too low.


or you can use these from the traces to chains or rope or webbing / straps ... if you pull the tab the clips release.

http://www.chandellessaddlery.co.uk...e-harness-quick-release-snap-shackle-13c.html


I drag anything behind them loose first so they are used to the sight and sound of something following .... also drag something while holding the traces so that they get the feeling of some weight behind them as well as hearing /seeing it.

also its not just pulling..... pone has to get used to breeching and weight of vehicle pressing it against the behind when going downhill .... soooooo much to think about


But best of all please, please do plenty of reading and thinking and planning and watch someone else do it before trying it yourself .... best to get lessons . Especially once you start attaching things its really, really important to get it right and not have the pone scared by things going wrong. .......or them getting injured. Pone needs to have trust in you much more than riding imo

migth see if she can go there for a month.

brill ...... month should have her well on the way to being a driving pone !!!

 

[Miss L Toe]

You need to get deep into the driving thing, ask to go to the local BHS or similar night meetings where there will be knowledgeable people, and interesting talks.
Sally Waldron is the UK book person, and I loved Heike Bean Logical approach to carriage driving, which is good for breaking any young horse.
With a Sheltie you need to make sure you have their respect, lunge them regularly, with a harness on [no blinkers], and when they are tacked up, they must stand still when asked, for tacking up and un-tacking particularly.
When they are lunging nicelay you can fit "false shafts" to the harness, [slip through the tugs and the trace hangers], this gives them the feel of something solid against their flanks.
You can do lots of long reining on the roads, and use this time to get used to two reins and one whip, it takes a bit of getting used to.
For showing [BHS style] you need to learn to drive "coachman", which I struggled with, but it in only essential if you want to show. I managed fine with my own version of rein handling.
It is much better to have a small carriage made for shelties, look on the SCDA website or BHS website, also Dragon Driving.
They will struggle on grass with two adults, but I have seen pairs competing and apart from the timed compulsory walk section they do fine, but have to be fit.
For showing it looks best if the groom is a youngster, so be prepared to yoke in the family.
Before you spend any money do the wheelbarrow test, will they accept someone walking behind them with a metal barrow full of metal implements and not worry about the noise.

 

[Zarkaz]

My welsh used to have 4 of us on my trap and had no problems we used to use him like a car because the nearest shop to stables was a good walk away. He loved his driving days and i am slowly bringing him back into it

 

[EmmasMummy]

With a Sheltie you need to make sure you have their respect,

Hmm, this particular one (its the one in my avatar) is a law unto herself - FAB with kids but not so keen on adults (she was forcefully broken in when she was younger (not by me I may ad!) and so I think that has affected her) But she is not a fearty - she had tried to climb on the wheel barrow, and through gates, on my daughter trampoline..........

She does like to be out and about though - super happy when we go for walks up the road. She hates cantering and jumping - and really being ridden by anyone over 4ft so this is why I was thinking she might like driving. But then, she might just not really like any form of work at all! I also thought that with driving, my mum could participate as it would require no physical input from her.

 

[tazzle]

glad to see my scottish aquaintance saw the thread ........ if I am not mistaken we used to have a lot of chats on other forums Mrs D123