Everything @goodhors said :yes:
Once you get that harness fit corrected, Good Luck & Fun Times with your pony :encouragement:
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I have a lesson scheduled! Itās Thursday. Sheās coming to our farm and helping me fit her and start her on ground driving lessons. I am so excited! Iāve always wanted to do this. Thank you for your help. Hopefully, I can post pictures of Maggie with her cart in a couple of weeks.
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:applause::encouragement:
Great start for the New Year :yes:
Pls report back here.
And pics too, pretty please Ć°Åøā¢Ā
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Absolutely!
Lots of good info here, OP. Driving people are just the absolute best!
If you havenāt already, please check out the resources available on the American Driving Society website.
Hereās some info on harness:
https://americandrivingsociety.org/Members/New-Drivers/Harness
And some info about measuring for a vehicle:
https://americandrivingsociety.org/Members/New-Drivers/Driving-Vehicles
Claudette at Country Carriages might also have some used vehicles for sale. You might also check out the various Facebook groups/pages devoted to buying and selling equipment.
Iāll need to go back and catch up on the links and input.
The lesson went very well. The harness fits, but I had some straps too long or too short. I used my hole punch to make another just right. The trainer helped me with all that and adding some tension to the breeching so Maggie can feel it. We switched from the harness bridle, with the built in blinkers, to her regular English bridle, for now. Then, we walked her out to see how she liked it. She did well. No fussing about the breeching near her flanks. Then, we long lined her. The trainer went first, as I just walked along by Maggieās head, and gave me tips on how to long line. I did it after, but I wasnāt quite as steady, so I will practice in the round pen with my son by Maggieās head until we get it down. Maggie already knows voice commands and a light touch on her bit, so it went very well overall. We tried dragging a tire ahead and beside her. She stopped and sniffed it a few times, but no really big eyes or spooking. Maggie did a great job and we have some homework before the next step. Lots of long lining and dragging things around her until she takes it all in stride.
I found the old thread on here talking about voice commands that was really helpful. Maggie and I have been practicing long lining.
The only thing I did wrong was reverse Gee and Haw (right and left instead of the other way). I know many of you guys are against using it for horses, but I work with cattle and did some basic training for oxen, so it was more comfy for me. I didnāt know I had reversed Gee and Haw until later. Not sure how that happened. Itās been years since I trained those oxen, so maybe I was wrong then, too. Oh well. Maggie knows it the way I taught her.
I was using a kissing noise to get her to walk, but Iām going to phase it out.
Maggie is really taking to this. I havenāt long lined her on the road, yet, but weāll try that soon.
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Another suggestion, from my pony driving experiences, is to braid her forelock before you put the driving bridle on, and then put a piece of yarn thru the braid, THEN you can tie the yarn around the top piece of your driving bridle. This is because ponies are notorious at getting their bridles off their heads, whether from being fussy, or too hairy or general mischieviousness. This yarn/braid just keeps the heavy driving bridle from slipping off at an inopportune momentā¦ Itās kinda a preventative maintenance thing that Iāve always done when driving my little furballs. plus it helps to find their face, if you braid the forelock downā¦
Also, dragging of Pool Noodles is a good desensitizer, and later you can use the pool noodles to pad your cart shafts when traveling
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Thank you for those suggestions, Jingo-ace.
We are doing well. The weather has not been cooperative, but we have progressed to long lining along the road. She tested me last time, but settled down when she realized there wasnāt an easy way out of working.
I tied her up after the last session and pulled the cart past her, around her, next to her and behind. I got no reaction. Our son will pull it next to us on the next training session. I like the pool noodle idea. Our trainer also suggested a few things to help desensitize. She is almost ready to actually learn to pull weight.
I just read through your posts and I loved reading your journey. Tank and I are on the same journey.
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Thank you. Maybe we can both update here?
Sure! Thank you. Tank just got his cart over the weekend, but is not ready to be hitched. I am going to continue ground driving him and getting him used to seeing and hearing the cart.
Was this your traInerās suggestion?
If so, disregard me 
But pony doesnāt need to see the cart as much as she needs to hear it (every creak, squeak & rumble) behind her.
Are you still working her without blinkers?
That should be your next step.
Once she longlines/ground drives in the blinkered bridle you can introduce the cart as you described above so she can get used to hearing it move w/o seeing it.
Thatās something she has to deal with when you harness her to drive. Even if you have a header.
Your son can hold one shaft & pull the cart behind pony at a little greater distance than where it would be if she were hitched.
If sheās okay with that, you can try āsoft hitchā, where shafts go through the tugs but no girth strap or holdbacks attaching the cart.
This way if feeling the weight upsets her, cart can quickly come away.
Have more fun & we need pics! :yes:
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Thanks for the suggestions, 2dogs.
After we get a little more experience long lining, our trainer will come out for the next step. She would like her to feel weight that isnāt the cart. She has a tire to drag instead.
