Teaching ground driving

[Cielo_Azure]

“Fair enough.” (we walk towards the gate)
“Whoa.” (pony stops & spins to face me)
“No, no, pony! I need to be BEHIND you.” (I try walk around him, attempting to keep the lines from wrapping around his neck.)

I don’t think anyone addressed this. The trick is to use a sursingle or harness with the lines very low -so they run along the thigh of the horse, rather than on top of the croup. If you are using a harness, you can run the lines through the tugs (sometimes called the shaft loop holders) and then you can go through the britchen rings (or a carribeaner or line holders attached to the ring). That way, when they turn and spin, you have the lines alongside their butt, rather on the top of their croup. With this set-up, they can’t spin. Once they learn to spin, this is a great way to stop the behavior in its tracks. I can find a photo, if I am not being clear…

[hctjudge]

I could easily write a book on how not to train a horse to drive, but I AM lazy and innovative (I think!)

When I decided I would try to teach my mini horse to ground drive, he would do exactly what the op’s pony did, turn around to face me.

Having no help and knowing the nature of horses and how they prefer to go to the barn, I took him down to the far corner of the pasture, put the lines on him and off we went to the barn. But just at a walk. After that, he understood and I could walk him all over the neighborhood.

Shortcuts are me!

[Risk-Averse_Rider]

[QUOTE=Cielo Azure;6253766]
“Fair enough.” (we walk towards the gate)
“Whoa.” (pony stops & spins to face me)
“No, no, pony! I need to be BEHIND you.” (I try walk around him, attempting to keep the lines from wrapping around his neck.)

I don’t think anyone addressed this. The trick is to use a sursingle or harness with the lines very low -so they run along the thigh of the horse, rather than on top of the croup. If you are using a harness, you can run the lines through the tugs (sometimes called the shaft loop holders) and then you can go through the britchen rings (or a carribeaner or line holders attached to the ring). That way, when they turn and spin, you have the lines alongside their butt, rather on the top of their croup. With this set-up, they can’t spin. Once they learn to spin, this is a great way to stop the behavior in its tracks. I can find a photo, if I am not being clear…[/QUOTE]
Yes, someone suggested this, and I tried it the second day - described above - with much more success

What’s funny is that that’s how I’ve always long-lined the big boys, with the lines down on their sides, but I put the lines up high on the pony after harnessing the horses for the driving clinic.

Now I know better :yes:

[RMJacobs]

This thread is bringing back fond memories of teaching Salt, my big pony, to ground drive. He had been ridden Western with a lot of neck reining. I started the process using lines attached to his halter, and every time a line touched his neck, of course he turned. That was what he was “supposed” to do.

It went much better when I got my harness (a surcingle would have done as well, but I didn’t really want to invest the money and my friend who has one couldn’t find hers). I ran the lines through the turrets, had my daughter at his head for a while to give him a hint what I wanted, and it turned out great. You could see the lightbulb over his head when he figured out what the heck I wanted him to do.

Rebecca