This message is from: "Dave McWethy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >I plan on doing the ski-joering with a mounted rider pulling a skier, or >someone on a snow tube. How do you do that with no rider? Do you have a tow >rope and reins? Must be hard to do both.
I have equipment that has two shafts of flexible plastic tubing which hook to a bracket on the girth. At the back, they have a cross bar of the same material, with two levers that swivel fore and aft. You attach lines to these, which go forward to the bit. The whole thing allows you to drive the horse and ski at the same time. A friend, Laurie Neely, imported five of these from France, where I guess they are in common use. We are hoping to generate some interest around this area, and who knows? even events at some point. Alls I know is there is snow from Maine to Washington, and lots of horses standing around. Driving the horse while skiing is definitely a challenge to me. The horse has no idea what the plan is, so she doesn't help by being an automatic participant. When the horse is seasoned to this, and I have regained some ability to stand on skis, it gets easier, lots easier. I think to do the skiing behind the horse on a rope, with rider on horse, is good too. There, instead of driving the horse, you probably spend some time yelling at the rider to slow down! Or go faster. With a rope, you could swing wider in the corners, and that is definitely fun. Doing it with a rope and breast collar is a quick and inexpensive choice. I would recommend it. I have seen video of people racing in Europe, and others doing some form of ski ballet. Maybe we'll get to that next week. Or next lifetime. My problem now, like in WI, is poor snow. We have some icy snow, but the paths I had plowed have bare spots. I welcome the next snow. Dave
