Saddlechariot training

"by the time I ve poo picked and the 20 mins it takes her to eat her hay Im so cold I dont want to do much else! "

I know the feeling!! .At my other job when i could take my Mules, I got up rode/walked/drove the 5miles,did the work and returned home so it did not matter if I was too tired for any further work.
By the time I've **** shovelled 18 bloomin thoroughbreds and then gone home I feel to knackered to work for a while and it gets dark early.
I worked Malaga in hand today practicing on the focus thing and now I understand it he's doing well but its a differant matter if I change lead sides so I'm working on that now.
 
I have been chatting to Simon this week and he has been doing some research including a lady in the US who is a professor at a university. This lady is autistic and has done a lot of work around moving cattle around, particularly through slaughter houses. I saw a programme about it a while ago and it was fascinating. Having autism herself she has an understanding about the difficulty of 'crossing thresholds' ie things that make the cattle wary and reluctant to move past and one of the particular things that 'upsets' them is shiny metal. As a result of her work they are now able to move cattle around in a calm, safe, controlled manner so their last minutes are of calm rather than panic (of course it is quicker and easier for the slaughterhouse also)

So, one of the suggestions is that it may be the shinyness of the chariot that is causing problems??? This seems like a potentially sensible suggestion and is certainly worth looking at - I am going to get some old tights and slip them over the shafts to make them 'matt' and see if there is any difference in her reaction.

I still havent done much recently and am concious of the fact the weather in the next few months is about to get very rainy but now that the shetland has settled in (bless her shes lovely is a little nervous and has become Rosie's shadow - follows her round like a little lost lamb - my daughter is totally smitten and takes her for long walks every day)

Anyway, so the plan is as we havent done much towards it recently we will effectively 'start again' and go back to the beginning, desensitise to all the harness etc, do lots of long reining etc and keep on keeping on :D
 
Temple Grandin. That's the lady in the US who designs slaughter houses with autism.

As a result of her work they are now able to move cattle around in a calm, safe, controlled manner so their last minutes are of calm rather than panic (of course it is quicker and easier for the slaughterhouse also)

It ruins the meat if you get the adrenaline up at the slaughter house.
 
As Wally says, Temple Grandin - she has been carrying out her ground-breaking research for over thirty years. Her website is here
I highly recommend her book 'Animals in Translation'.

So, one of the suggestions is that it may be the shinyness of the chariot that is causing problems??? This seems like a potentially sensible suggestion and is certainly worth looking at - I am going to get some old tights and slip them over the shafts to make them 'matt' and see if there is any difference in her reaction.

Does she have problems with other shiny things? Or just the saddle chariot?
 
Its all very interesting and I will certainly have a good look through the website etc. Thanks for passing on the name. I work with people with learning difficutlies anyway but dont have much experience of, but an interest in, autism.

It makes sense to me that shinyness may be one part of the equation - its all very complicated - who really knows what goes on in a horses mind??? But Im trying to find out :D. Im not aware of Rosie having issues with shiny stuff as such but in fairness its not something we really come across - she is always very curious about my car and frequently licks the bonnet (!!! I quite the mix of horse slobber nose prints and cat paw prints that decorate my bonnet) but there is nothing shiny about it, not even under that layer of mud! Perhaps Ill experiment with some stuff we have lying around. A new element to our game ;)
 
Have bit the bullet and just ordered the dr cook's bitless driving bridle with blinkers, have also ordered the extra cheek peices if we dont get on with the blinkers and also ordered a bottle of Pax and know several people swear by it.

I bought a webbing bitless bridle from ebay but it was pants :(

Guess training on hold for couple days until it arrives
 
pax is great stuff, my mum has had good results with it with her welsh cob, I use it when I have exams at uni, it really calms me down, even if I do smell like onions!
 
I was wondering what pax is? Still following this interesting thread Anna.
From what I understand pax is a spray that you put on yourselfand it is supposed to mimic the natural horse pheromone that they release when all is calm and well. The idea is that via the 'smell' they associate you with all things chilled and think that everything is OK. Gotta be worth a try hasnt it :D

Im a bit annoyed with myself (well not much, more of an awareness) for being so all over the place with the chariot training. I had hoped to at least be pulling it a few steps with me at the head by Xmas - ha ha blooming ha! Rosie has that effect on my plans :rolleyes:

I have in the last few months realised something about myself - I like to aim really high (often unachievable) without the expectation of necessarily suceeding BUT I am reasoning if I aim mega high and dont quite make it, then I am still a long ways further than when I started :D If I aim lower I am not incentivised to work hard! (slightly OT but I recently joined slimming world and set my target at losing 1 1/2 stone by my birthday which is around 3 weeks away!!!! - Im a third of the way there)

So Ill wait for the new bridle before i start again properly and think I need to write down a training plan with boxes to tick of when Ive done something :D Im too easily distracted so need to pin myself down to something concrete
 
So how was the new bridle? I'm interested to see how the Dr Cook converts to driven have you any pictures of it and how is it different to the usual Dr Cook?
 
I have let the saddlechariot side down Im afriad by getting back into riding Rosie and having so much fun with it that I have currently consigned the saddlechariot to the back of the shed for a winter project :rolleyes:

I am considering trading my full size shafts and harness for one to fit the mini shetland who has a much better temperament for driving and needs a job :p. Not really sure what to do yet. My coach Cathy says she knows someone who is into both NH and driving so I may look at getting some professional help?

I think my biggest issue has been I have been trying to do it all alone and it is impossible to handle Rosie AND the chariot at the same time so we have always floundered.

Heres a couple of pics of us trying on the Dr Cooks with blinkers - we have taken the blinkers off and use it as our everyday riding bridle :D To my knowledge the only difference is there is a buckle on the head strap that the blinkers attatch to and they slide on the check peices, plus it has a chin strap (not sure that the others do?)



 
I think my biggest issue has been I have been trying to do it all alone and it is impossible to handle Rosie AND the chariot at the same time so we have always floundered.

I thought the whole idea was that you could do everything by yourself and not need a groom?
 
I have let the saddlechariot side down Im afriad by getting back into riding Rosie and having so much fun with it that I have currently consigned the saddlechariot to the back of the shed for a winter project :rolleyes:

I am considering trading my full size shafts and harness for one to fit the mini shetland who has a much better temperament for driving and needs a job :p. Not really sure what to do yet. My coach Cathy says she knows someone who is into both NH and driving so I may look at getting some professional help?

I think my biggest issue has been I have been trying to do it all alone and it is impossible to handle Rosie AND the chariot at the same time so we have always floundered.

Heres a couple of pics of us trying on the Dr Cooks with blinkers - we have taken the blinkers off and use it as our everyday riding bridle :D To my knowledge the only difference is there is a buckle on the head strap that the blinkers attatch to and they slide on the check peices, plus it has a chin strap (not sure that the others do?)



Have really enjoyed these diary entries mainly because I am in exactly the same position as you, though I am trying to train a miniature british spotted. He seems to be exactly like your pony and I am also on my own. I do manage to get together with a friend every couple of weeks and we take him a bit further. I was interested in the shiny. He is not scared at all but just doesnt seem to like it over him or rather between the shafts happy with it behind beside or in front just not between.

I was just wondering if you had managed to get your mini shetland driving or whether you had given up the idea altogether.
 
Hi @Jubbly57 this thread is over 10 years old. I havent seen annareeves0 post on this forum for quite sometime unfortunately.
Its nice to see a new member. It might be worth you starting a new thread. There are a few people on here who drive or have driven who might be able to help you with suggestions.
 
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