Really enjoying my little driving friend!

Vicki100

Vicki100

Well-Known Member
Jun 12, 2009
4,222
45
48
West Mids
Its SO much fun....we haven't driven on the roads yet but have been having so much fun in our field...OH makes me a little course with our jump stands so we can practice our turns :giggle:

Me & OH did want to take him on the lanes today for a brief drive but they have decided to re-surface the road grrr ah well always next weekend!

Whilst on the ground Roo is a bit of a sh*t (Bolshy nippy little man syndrome!) once his harness is on he goes into 'work mode' no silliness or bad behaviour, he knows his job!

We have only had him a month so hoping we can correct the bad stuff with time and NO treats...his original owner used to give him treats all the time apparently hence the nippiness :cold:

Excuse the no hat...it was genuinely a mistake that I didn't put it on!



Roo enjoys his job too...giving the camera a wee smile!


Cheeky canter, me shouting 'Woooooah easy boy not to quick' haha!!
 
I missed this sorry!roo is gorgeous and you look like you are having heaps of fun!
A old friend of mine was teaching me driving basics with her mare and I loved it just nobody where I am now who does it so I never got to continue!
He looks heaps of fun and a real cutie!
 
mystiquemalaika said:
I missed this sorry!roo is gorgeous and you look like you are having heaps of fun!
A old friend of mine was teaching me driving basics with her mare and I loved it just nobody where I am now who does it so I never got to continue!
He looks heaps of fun and a real cutie!
Click to expand...

Yay a comment thank you mystiquemalaika! :cloud9:

Thanks for your nice comments, its a shame you never got to continue driving as you said its so much fun :bounce:
 
He looks a very willing little fella

One word of caution, never leave rein excess dangling down ( I usually sit on my excess) if they get wrapped up in the wheel you have carnage on your hands !
 
diplomaticandtactful said:
he looks super!
Click to expand...

Thank you D&T :biggrin:

Jane&Ziggy said:
Well what can you say other than that he is cute!

How did you learn to drive? Or is it easy? :unsure:
Click to expand...

Thanks Jane, typical small cute pony aint he! :tongue:

So far self taught, although have long reined for years so just seems like a natural progression. Not easy though, way harder than it looks...steering takes a little getting used too...as a rider I find it very bizarre not being able to use my legs :giggle: Luckily for me Roo seems to know his job well :tongue:

Gimp said:
He looks a very willing little fella

One word of caution, never leave rein excess dangling down ( I usually sit on my excess) if they get wrapped up in the wheel you have carnage on your hands !
Click to expand...

Good point Gimp, never even thought of that :cold:

He is very willing, always happy to be in his little harness & cart :cloud9:
 
Enjoy. Fun isnt it.

We love our driving. Its wonderful for the driver in Summer, so cool, but its blooming cold in the winter.
I make a habit of hat before bridle, its the only way I always remember to wear the dam thing, but Ive had a couple of good spooks that remind me.
I had my reins shortened too so they dont dangle.
Jane there are loads of drivers in our area that give lessons. Id totally recomend Pippa Bassett in Capel near Dorking. She does taster lessons.
Being I drive shetlands we dont go onto our local roads, too many bends and blind spots clubbed together with our road is a rat run. My crews litttle legs just cant get away from nutters.
 
He is so cute Vicki! I'd love to see him all plaited up :inlove:

We take Pif & Paf out in the carriage almost every day between March and September. They only compete maybe 4 or 5 times a year - not many competitions in our area unfortunately - but when they do compete it's very gruelling so we need to keep their workload consistent to make sure they're fit enough. Sometimes we go on short trips but usually we're out for 45-60mins, they trot most of the way and it's amazing how much ground Shetland legs can actually cover in that time!

We both keep a spare hat clipped onto the carriage so it's impossible to forget. Re: the reins, as Gimp said you can sit on the excess, or if they're not long enough for that, tie a piece of string to the buckle end and hook it onto your little finger to keep the end held up.
 
Also, reins, if you can't drive coachman, hold the reins the same way as you'd hold them when riding. I don't know why folk get into a cart and suddenly forget how to hold reins!

And always keep the whip in your right hand, not in the whip holder, it's no good there, when you need it you need it instantly.

Cracking little pony.
 
he looks awesome! did you have any driving lessons before getting him? i hope in the future when we get ponies for Sophie that they are driveable as i think my hubby would love it!
 
Good thing to do before you get out on the roads is to work on or check his 'standing still' skills, They are imperative to have, ie if your at a road junction waiting for traffic. I would get the groom to jump of when coming up to junction to ensure someone is at the head when waiting ( if young or unknown), and especially is able to check the road is clear and safe to cross. Also backing up is important, you cant just do a U turn in a carriage if you get into mither.

In the event of a problem have a plan of action, The grooms competence and understanding of what to do is also just as important as the driver.



Sorry if Im saying how to suck eggs! Im quite anal about driving safety when out and about, theres almost as much to know about that side of it then the driving itself!

Im sure he is a little gem ! but at least you will of covered as much eventualitys as you can :biggrin:

Ditto about holding the whip, its your only way of communicating quick with your horse if need be, My boy would move right over just by tickling his sides with it, almost like pushing him to which side I wanted with the whip, aside from voice aids he responded well to.

My whip would come into force when we passed tractors, its about the only thing he wasnt keen on, but the whip would enable me to keep him focased and in a straight line ( he would try to do a sideways crab in the shafts otherwise!)

I would probabley long rein him out first to see how is in your area if it is all new to him, and to find any quirks he may have! Will be ideal to practise his standing still to without the worry of be being put to if a problem.
 
And on the safety side of things always tuck your girth keepers in (especially) but tuck in all the ends of your leather straps. The keepers in harness are there for a reason. Before I go out on the road too I'd lower the breeching a bit. A steep hill is going to have that up under his tail.
 
newrider.com
Top Bottom
Back