I said I'd never do it but..........

[Miriam]

I could not resist the urge to actually break Peter in to drive. I'm now sat at home with a huge grin (and now I have a chocolate fudge in my hot bananna flavoured milk :eek: why you ask cause some silly person just dropped one in my milk thinking it would float:confused: :eek:) anyway back to the point. Started long reining him a few days ago and he took to that without a problem. Have long reined him on the roads and one problem we need to overcome is his sillyness with the blue builders mark which is obviously a hidden tiger in waiting:eek:. Borrowed a cart today to take Rhi for a spin as she has not driven for ages and took the opportunity to take her into the paddock and have him long reined round the cart and school whilst she whizzed around. Took her out of the cart and introduced him to it slowly. Letting him sniff and have a good look. 2hrs later

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a33/mimbly/100_0414.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a33/mimbly/100_0415.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a33/mimbly/100_0416.jpg


before anyone shouts I know some of the parts of the harness are not attached but that was for safety to get him out quickly if it went **** up.
Eventually had him walking round the paddock pulling it behind him without any fuss whilst pony chops was standing on her own in the middle of the paddock with a bemused expression on her face turning as he walked round the school to keep him in full view almost like a riding instructor stood in the middle of the school. Should have got a picture of it but the camera died :(

[Peanut]

Well done - he looks pretty relaxed about it all.

Btw, chocolate fudge in hot banana sounds divine. ;) :D

[Gimp]

Ohhh WELL DONE!!!!!

:D :D :D

He looks very at ease with it all!

[Miriam]

I did try him in the past but he hated the cart shafts touching his side. So gave him a huge break of two years. Only long reined him. The yesterday he took to it like a pro. Next step is to attach all the harness to the cart and get him to pull then slowly add the wieight of the person. Biggest problem is that we cant have driving horses in the arena the same time as ridden horses. So cant do anything with him on a night and have to be careful on a weekend

[Miriam]

Btw, chocolate fudge in hot banana sounds divine. ;) :D


I'm not that keen on chocolate bananna flavoured stuff. It was ok I guess

[shandy84]

He looks really good Miriam you must be well pleased :D why did you say you'd never do it?

[Miriam]

I'd had enough of driving and as he was a th X who looses the weight in the winter thought he'd never take to it. The fist year I had him he was also a bit of a kicker if you touched his back legs. I originally bought him for dressage

Oh and yes I am REALLY pleased :D I just cant believe it and need to keep pinching myself

[april]

*groans and covers eyes with hands*
oh noo... thats thrown a spanner in the works for the new vehical i was going to get then... it now has 2 specifications.. must be able to fit a 14.2hh AND a 15.2 hh AND not get punctures, AND not get run over by the YO (who still has done nothing about it being repaired) :( :(

[Miriam]

Peter went solo for the first time last night. No one by his head. he's getting the hang of it slowly. Even my young daughter drove him last night. He is such a good boy. Loves every minute of it. Biggest test now is for the roads.

The other thing to watch is hitching up and last night once the cart shafts were in he started to walk off:eek: Silly boy thought he was totally hitched.

[Miriam]

Updated photos of him going solo again. Even went on the road today for the first time. Really did well. No photos as of yet as he still needs more work and we needed all hands on deck just to be on the safe side.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a33/mimbly/100_0451.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a33/mimbly/100_0431.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a33/mimbly/100_0429.jpg

[EMMYOH]

Wow. Miriam, he looks really good! You have stolen my riding horsey!!! :eek:

[Miriam]

You can still ride him. Meena was asking if you drove him :P

[Gimp]

What a clever boy!...Has he ever been broken before to drive?:)

[domane]

How lovely! Well Done Peter (and you Mim ;) )

[Miriam]

Not as far as I know. When I bought him nothing was said about him ever having been driven before. He was only seven months into jumping :D

Domane its not all down to me. I did have a helper by the name of April :D As you can see its her thats driving. She was also taught by me :D


Of course you should see him pulling up a hill. His nose is almost on the floor :eek:

[domane]

I am moving yards with my two at the end of next week and will have the space to to attempt breaking Cherry to drive as I feel that pulling weight will be better for her than carrying it. I have wanted to try this for a long time so I'm excited at the possibility of it.

So I may be pm'ing you for hints!!! :)

[Miriam]

Good luck. I find that with Rhi it keeps her wieght down over the summer

[shandy84]

Good luck. I find that with Rhi it keeps her wieght down over the summer

Bramble is the same we don't get summer podge if we're driving :)

[Miriam]

Another update on Peter.

Went for a good drive round the block today and he was a really good boy. Seems however I have another speedy on my hands who thinks he should only drive in trot :rolleyes:

[Esther.D]

Looking good!

[stevielee]

Switswooo! I love that blue against his colour looks dead good :D
I would be scared of driving anything me, can you imagine if the horse decided to have a funny un and started bucking and galloping!
I think you are very brave hehe :D

[Miriam]

Thanks Esther. If your down this way let me know you'll have to drive him. Then you can say you drove both :D

Stevielee no kidding been there and done that. Rhi took off and bounced me out of the cart, She has taken or at least tried to take off down the road (something spooked her) had to unhitch her in the end she was so wound up, lead her, push the cart then get YO to pick the cart up so I could lead her home. I NEVER go out without a groom and if that groom is terrified (ahem jennj on here came with me and think Rhi scared her before we got our as she totally refused twice to go out)

[april]

Domane its not all down to me. I did have a helper by the name of April :D As you can see its her thats driving. She was also taught by me :D




correction thats not just me driving.. it's only me driving in the top picture of the second lot of pictures.. the one that if she was sat in the seat properly her feet wouldn't touch the floor :eek:

and as i recall it is mainly self taught.. your contribution to it was... "just pretend you're riding" as you got off the cart to fiddle around with things in the paddock on my first time in the cart.
i still have a picture somewhere that Kalypso took that shows my expression nicely.. i'll have to see if i can dig it out :D