| This thread has been locked, it will not receive new replies. |
|
Locked on 12/30/2004 7:09:47 PM PST by Admin Moderator, reason:
Thread III: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1311311/posts |
Posted on 09/18/2004 6:56:23 AM PDT by HairOfTheDog
Free Republic has a lot of horse people that have found each other on other threads…. And since we all like to talk horses, how about a thread where it is not off-topic, but is THE topic?
A few of us thought it would be interesting and informative to have a chat thread where we can share ideas, ask for input from other horsemen, and talk about our riding and horse-keeping. We have a lot of different kinds of riders and horses, and a lot to share. In the last thread we had a great time and were a great help to each other working through lessons and training, horse lamenesses and illnesses, questions and challenges and always just our stories we like to tell.
I always have a link to this thread on my profile page, so if you have something to say and can't find the thread in latest posts… look for it there and wake the thread up!
I also have a ping list for horse threads that are of interest, and Becky pings everyone most mornings. Let Becky (Paynoattentionmanbehindthecurtain) and/or me know if you would like to be on the ping list. As FreeRepublic is a political site, our politics and other issues will probably blend in…. There are many issues for horsemen that touch politics… land use, animal rights/abuse cases that make the news…. Legislation that might affect horse owners.
So... like the last thread, this is intended as fun place to come and share stories, pictures, questions and chit-chat, unguided and unmoderated and that we come together here as friends. There are lots of ways of doing things and we all have our quirks, tricks and specialties that are neat to learn about.
No no no... Just my bachelors.
Heh.... Don't we all!
I've never ground driven Tuffy but I doubt he'd have a problem with it. There is a guy down the road from me that has a beautiful buggy for sale and I want it. I also think it's time for Tuffy to learn something new and I want him to pull it. What do you think?
That did sound kind of funny, didn't it? Yes, drive as in pulling a buggy. Tuffy is quiet and good natured, I think he'd be fine to pull a cart.
My husband taught his horse to drive before he trained him to saddle. It's pretty much the same as training with long lines from the ground. Biggest hurdle is getting them hooked up and accustomed to the buggie. That's pretty spooky at first.
I think it sounds like great fun!
Have you ground driven any horse? Teaching to ground drive is especially easy on a broke horse. Need a snaffle bit, if he'll be obedient to that, and two lunge lines. Either a circingle or a saddle will help keep the lines where they need to be. They'll get frazzled and turn around to face you a few times till they figure out what you are trying to do.... and I would desensitise him to ropes getting tangled in his legs if he's the type to blow up if that happens.
You can really do a lot ground driving, especially with a circingle. You can run behind, or run alonside, or even stand in the center of a circle and lunge them, including reverses in direction and figure 8's.
Hooking them up to the cart for the first time is a nervous time, and it's good to have lots of hands on hand, though both my mare and my stallion took to it with no trouble. You can make a rig from two long poles like the drags I've seen in indian paintings to get him used to the ridgity of moving with the cart attached.
Inge_Cav has certainly done this many times, and can offer help too.
Heh! Quit complaining and count your blessings, at least you do not live beside a busy highway now. : )
Tried it once with a mule colt and it worked well but that was the extent of my ground driving experience. The trainer taught my colts to ride used ground driving, only he walked beside them holding the reins.
The team I have was already trained when I bought them.
Couldn't you walk the horses to the trails?
Lead them down the road?
Certainly, but that isn't always better, IMHO. I'd be pleased if other riders chime in and agree or disagree, but in my experience, they'll act squirrelier when you are leading and they are ~not~ responsible for watching what they are doing and where they are going... and they act more responsible under saddle, especially with Bay. He'll sometimes act hot and snorting like he's barely touching the ground in a new place while saddling, but as soon as we are under way, he's fine.
And, honestly, if they spook, they can pull out of your hands easier than they can get out of control under saddle. I have a lot more leverage mounted where he can't get away than I do on the ground where I am smaller. I know it's a comfort level you'll arrive at, but I think over time, you may notice it being a lot less safe to dismount and try to lead them across things than it is to stay with them. They'll often leap right into you.
And I didn't get a horse so I could walk a mile ;~D
A false security? Makes sense. Interesting. As for the just walking to be walking though, sometimes I feel like riding, sometimes I don't. It's very , hmm, peaceful for me just walking and talking to mine too:') There isn't any practical purpose that I can see Of course, and I wouldn't do it in a non secure area but I like when I can get them to walk with me with out halter or rope.
That's real good groundwork to do, if you can get them to not only walk with you, but yield to you too, with body language rather than just leadline.
Lovely!
Good morning.
20 degrees this morning
Becky
Just cold (and windy) here.
UUUMMMMM....I think alot of it depends on the rider, and their experience. I do think you have more control on the horse. But that being said, a beginner or someone who doesn't have a good seat or quick reactions would have trouble on the horse. It's an experience level, IMO.
You can get a horse to go some places leading easier then on their backs if the horse is being ridden alone. They follow alot easier then they lead usually. But...and this is a big but:)...just because you can lead them past something does not mean they will do it when you come back on them. I think that's where the false sense of security comes from for someone leading one past a booger, the person feels because they got them past it leading, it's going to be alright when they ride, A riding horse needs to be rode. In my experience, it's like 2 different things entirely. They should lead past scary things and then ride past them, and from a horses prespective, IMO, that's 2 very different things.
The easiest way to get a horse past something that scares it is ride him to it with another horse that won't be scared of whatever, and let the scared one follow, get him use to it, then go back and let the him be in the lead.
In the case of your riding down the road, it sounds like it's not the horse that is the problem but the people driving past. That's my problem too against riding on roads where there is not much room to have a good buffer zone between me and the road. So that's a different situation. I'd ride the distance too rather then lead, but I wouldn't like it:)
Becky
Morning .. Nice spotted horse!
We had a frosty morning here in the Houston area!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.