Pony not happy in his cart - help for a friend

[CurlyWurlyRach]

My freind has a stunning 12hh welshie who she's trying to break to drive. He's 4.5 years old and she's had him since he was 2.

She's never broken a pony to drive before but has been longlining him out on the roads in harness, he happily pulls a tyre in harness (shes spent just over a year doing this training and has taken him slowly and he's been exelent so far, had a bit of a 'ooh' moment when he was blinkered for the first time and abit of a buck when his crupper went on but he's a really chilled out pony).

Today a professional came to put him into his carriage for the first time - he was harnessed up, walked forwards, stopped and went mad. The professional said that if he hadnt been stood at the ponys head he wouldnt have been able to control him. (the man did come reccomended btw but i dont know his name).

Friend is understandably beside herself but the breaker said his cart is wrong for him. Im not a driving person but its a 2 wheeled metal one with a seat on top. What would be better? hes registeed as a welsh A but looks like a B.

What can she do? is there any hope to make a driving pony out of him? he's taken to everything like a duck to water so far and she's devastated that its all gone wrong at this stage. I keep telling her not to give up but shes worried that he's not going to be happy with a cart.

x

[Frances]

It is all in the balance, ie the balance between the pony, his harness and himself. If one of these is out of sync, then it puts tremendous pressure on the pony and he will react.

If your friend does not know how to set up the harness, the cart and the pony properly, then she can do alot of damage to the pony's back or his shoulders and his attitude to being driven.

It is not just a case of bunging on a harness, shoving him between the shafts and off you go. Oh no, you can spend hours tweaking this, shortening that whilst you get everything set up.

Ask Wally. She will tell you.

I think your friend needs to seek expert advice from someone on site who can help her set everything up properly and then take it from there. This is not a game of guesswork, there is alot of skill involved in getting the correct harness for the correct cart to suit the pony.

[CurlyWurlyRach]

i think she had his harness fitted but im not sure. Its a black synthetic one if that makes any difference :o (you can tell i dont drive eh?).

shes totally committed to getting this right btw, she bought him to drive (doest ride but hes been lightly backed).

[Libbyo]

This is why I send my drivining ponys away to be backed over a priod of time, rather than an afternoon. I do the ground work, the long reining, tyre piulling, harness wearing( after a professional fitting) , into to blinkers/crupper etc, but the final stage of the carriage, needs much skill.

I know of a young pony who was put into a harness that was very heavy and inapropriate and put to a very heavy cart, who pulled that cart without complaint, but had an injured back( Fully repaired by a back specialist now). It is unlikly that he will drive again.

[Palomino Mare]

poor pony.

Is this Dan per chance??

[Libbyo]

Sadly yes. He has now been passed as fully fit by the Mc Timmony lady and the vet and as suitable as a childs riding pony. Fortunatly we bought him soon enough that the damage was limited and repairable, but Im an adult, hes 12.2, so our relationship cannot continue. He is being gentle broken to ride now and doing very well.

[Wally]

We spent this arvo with a pony introducing him to the actual cart.

He will pull a tyre, he'll long rein with false shafts, he don't give a damn about much.

Putting to for the first time though did give him a bit of a gluff. With small carts and pones I do not do up the traces and leave the belly band really loose. I get someone to lead, with a headcollar AND a bridle, I then pull the cart for the horse and if he says NO WAY, I pull the shafts out of the tugs and let the pony realise he's not going to die in horrible ways.

We only walk for three or 4 strides and stop, give him a bravery handfull of food, let him have a think, then walk another 4-5 strides and give another treat. If he explodes I pull out the shafts, and let him calm down again.

Not every pony will happily accept the feel of shafts and weight of cart without question. I have absolutely no worries that he won't end up pulling happily.
Has you friend done work with the cart and the pony, long reining while someone rickshaws the cart in front and behind the pony so he sees and hears it and associates it with something that isn't going to kill him? Has she put false shafts in the tugs and let him feel them?
What EXACTLY did the trainer say was wrong with the cart? It might be something easily sorted.

Don't let a small set back like this put her off, it's what I expect and am ready for whenever I first put the cart on, somedays they shrug and trott away without a second look, sometimes it might take a week of 10 minutes a day just putting too and taking out, doing 5 steps and then finishing.

[Wally]

BTW I am a terrible tweaker, I will stop and adjust stuff a lot, sometimes I end up back on the same settings as I started out, but there's no harm in trying a different setting on the harness!!!

[Gurnosstud]

Sometimes its not the pulling of the cart that frightens the pony but the noise. If it is a metal cart that was tried, it may be that it made a lot of noise when she went forward. I feel that 4 wheeled carts are best with the phneumatic tyres as there is a lot less noise and a lot less movement with these carts, they are however very expensive.

As for the trainer saying he wouldn't have controlled her if he wasn't at the head, well you should ALWAYS have someone at the head for the first few weeks, or longer until you are confident that the horse won't do anything silly. When we do remove the person from the head we then sometimes have someone in the cart with a lunge line to the bit, again just incase.

Whatever your friend does, please don't let her give up because of this one incedent!

[Wally]

I aggree with the pneumatic tyres, but I really cannot agree with putting to with a 4 wheeler for the first time for the beginner. If the pony does freak big time it is so easy for him to lock the turntable and tip the cart making a bigger crash. Some exercise carts can be a bit rattly, We have a metal backstep cart on pneumatics and it is really quiet, except sometimes the swingle tree will rattle, this can make them jump.

The main reason we do a lot of work with someone pulling the cart in the arena with the pony is for him to see and hear it before he is expected to pull it close behind him.

We have a very sensetive pony who has been showing nicely this season, but even he, who will tollerate showrings with all their sights and sounds, if we change to a vehilce that makes different noises he will have an opinion about it and it takes him time to be comfy in a rumbling cart.

The lunge line held by the groom is a good trick, and totally agree, keep someone at the pony's head all the time, even when the driver gets in and out for a long, long time until the pony is predictable.

Training ponies to drive canot be done without the odd litle bouncy moment
Ask your friend why the cart was unsuitable.

[CurlyWurlyRach]

thank you :) Pony is off work for a while now as he's been kicked right where part of the harness goes - typical.

I'll print this off and show it to her, i refuse to let her give up on this one.