This message is from: Karen McCarthy <weeg...@hotmail.com>
Susan, Re. driving w/o blinkers, yes, you can do this! It is permissable in all venues, however, in a pleasure show it might be frowned upon by some uber-subjective judges. Some horses are just naturally happier like this, and I have driven some horses (Arabs mostly) who actually go better in blinkers, I think because it limits their 'informational intake' and keeps them focused on whats in front of them. I always start my horses by driving "open" when hooked to a vehicle, then as they start anticipating the aids & cues, I move back to a blinkered bridle. As you have figured out, driving is not as easy as you think, and you are wise to ask alot of questions before jumping in...and you mentioned the "implications" of driving 'round the property. Well, just so you know, but not to scare you, things can get really funky in a hurry with a horse that is not a confirmed driving horse, and especially w/ a green driver at the reins. You need some buddies & driving mentors if you are going to delve into this discipline, and my suggestion is that you contact the Oklahoma Harness Horse Assoc, http://www.oklaharnesshorse.com/index.html which is an ADS affiliated club. From the looks of their website and calendar, they are very active, and I am sure as a newbie they will take you under their wing and point you in the direction of a good trainer and some beginner driving clinics. Just fyi, I have a Gjest grandaughter too who at age 5 has just been driving for 2 months. She was a bit fussier at first than most of my other Fjords, but one day she just decided that the world was ok behind blinkers and moved right along in her training. I also do TONS of groundwork before I ever dream of hooking them to a cart. Almost 100% of the groundwork is in an open bridle, then I add race track blinkers over the bridle off and on and it becomes no big deal. we do lots of standing, tied and untied while in harness, they learn a good "whoa" and I expose them gradually to ever more challenging scenarios away from home while ground driving (and riding too, I am not the energizer bunny I once was walking for miles...) I also work my horses in a draft harness during most of the groundwork phase: it's wonderful for desensitizing them to weird stuff with the bulk of the harness, the collar, heel chains clanging and traces around their legs, plus they learn to pull progressively heavier objects which teaches them to pull (which is actually not such a Fjord problem, but maybe more of a tendency reserved for Arabs and lighter breeds). Costs for a decent (read: safe!) used harness, anywhere from $350 - $600 (make sure it is American, Amish made typically), and a good used easy entry type of cart can be had for $400-$800 depending. (I like the Jerald or Houghton training type carts, esp. the ones w/ wood wheels. They are light, easy to hop in and out of and if you move on up to a vehicle you can use to show in, you can sell them pretty much for what you paid for them.) Anyway, I've digressed quite a bit here in this post, but I think with the right s-l-o-w approach to training for the both of you, you and Sparrow will be driving for many years. Bon Voyage! Karen :: Karen McCarthy :: Great Basin Fjords :: Madras, Oregon :: > From: ssext...@hotmail.com > To: fjordhorse@angus.mystery.com > Subject: Driving & Blinkers > Date: Thu, 4 Oct 2012 20:22:31 -0500 > > This message is from: S Sexton <ssext...@hotmail.com> > > > I've noticed there seem to be several driving folks on the list so I hope they > can answer this one and hope they'll have alot of patience. I've never done > any horse driving or related events before, just riding so it's all new and > interesting to me. Important FjordHorse List Links: Subscription Management: http://tinyurl.com/5msa7e FH-L Archives: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw FH_L Shirts: http://tinyurl.com/8yky94l
