So you see an ad for a fancy (Hackney crosses, all the chrome) driving pony, he sounds good, you get the video and find out he’s Amish. What would it take to put him high on you considered list? What would be a deal breaker? What do you want to see in the video besides the obvious - a good transmission and steering:) to convince you that you have to take this one home?
One of my stallions was trained to drive by the Amish (his owner was not). I didn’t drive him for about 2yrs when he got here, decided to do some long lining, and he was perfect. Hitched him up and away he went. I’m very happy with his training.
Yes in a heartbeat. Like all horsetrainers Amish have the good bad and the ugly. But many people around here send their horses to be broke to drive, not broken down to drive, and theres a couple guys that do a fantastic job. So if the horse was healthy and what I wanted, I would keep him on the short list.
We had an Amish draft horse where I worked a few years ago and he was amazing! He was so well trained, perfect ground manners, and just plain fun to drive. I would buy one if I was shopping for a driving horse right now. That Amish guy did a great job and I have seen listings for other horses he’s trained that look just as nice.
The deal breaker for me was two years in an overcheck, along with a stiff back, not tracking up and what appeared to be a corrupted walk. It would have required a lot of retraining that I didn’t want to do when there was a lovely “clean slate” right in my own back yard.
I am fortunate enough to have several really great driving trainers within spitting distance, and my own trainers, along with two friends who are driving judges looked at the video and the pony I came home with. All agreed for me it was better to go with the clean slate than spend the time to retrain.
No problems with Amish training at all - they know what they know, they are broke and safe. It just didn’t fit with what I wanted in the long run. I’d say it depends on what your goal is.
Thanks, I’m asking as a seller, not a buyer; well the seller’s electronic enabler. :lol:
We’ve got a couple ponies who look like good CDE candidates and trying to market them the best can.
You could say Amish broke, but then list the stuff Carriage drivers want, as good points on the pony if they are true. “Uses his back, stands quiet while getting in the vehicle, bends well in circles” along with other stuff like “traffic safe, stops when you say whoa”. Horse shouldn’t be going hollow backed, checked up so tight, as mentioned above. Well started, he should be doing good head postion, driving from behind, using his back naturally. Some Amish trainers get it, are adaptable to develop what us “English” drivers want in a carriage horse. Other Amish train to a single goal of “Amish broke”, with resulting bad body postion, other issues that don’t work for showing.
If he is Hackney, you will want a good shoe job or trim on him, to show off any natural action he might have. Shoes can be flat, keg shoes, just a neat shoe job, angles not different on each hoof! No big globs of borium or Drill-tek for road traction, just ugly. Small dots can work for grip. Not a hack job on the hooves if barefoot. DO NOT let anyone trim him too short, Hackney has bigger hooves, needs a bit of toe length and size to suit his build. Not bred down to have little feet under his sturdy body, like other breeds.
If the Amish person is going to be showing him to the buyers, emphasize presentation. Horse needs to have a neatly clipped short bridlepath behind the ears, maybe leg hairs trimmed down smooth, long jaw hairs off, halter that fits. Can be done with scissors, a little practice! Nicely groomed body for shine, smooth flowing tail and mane. Don’t roach the forelock or mane, people LOVE hair there. Maybe a bath before buyers come, so horse white trim is clean. Things the Amish don’t always consider important, because they EXPECT the buyer to be able to see the quality thru the dirt. English buyers see dirt layer as a sign of other lesser care, related to the horse. Or even disrespect like “They didn’t care enough about us to even clean the horse up!”
The “Amish” sure know how to fit drafts for sale!
In the draft world, no one knows how to present a horse better than an Amish horse person… most “english” pay to have their draft horses fitted and shown by Amish handlers in the “big” auction ring.
http://www.trot.org/forum/showthread.php?t=8457
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=EMNodMrDqpQ
The obvious is there is a world of difference between drafts, pleasure driving, roadsters and combined driving etc. Each discipline requires something different - it’s like comparing a barrel horse to a jumper. They all wear a saddle, but the discipline demands are different.
Goodhors has excellent suggestions red mares and I sent you a PM. Good luck!!
Thanks for all the feedback and keep it coming!
It’s easy to look at a familiar horse or pony & say, “Oh he could do anything!” Putting that across in a 2 min video and also keeping in mind what your target audience wants vs what YOU THINK your target audience is a bit harder.
ETA: The last “mud sale” I helped at the horses were IMPECCABLE a braided to the nines, especially first thing in the morning before the test drives. Much different than what the average English person would expect from a small town Am sale.
I have 2 OA (once Amish) horses here. One has taken YEARS to warm up to affection, she is a VERY well behaved horse - but her manners may go back to the track as she’s a STB (her cynicism is probably Amish). The other horse knew nothing about manners and had only had his feet handled in stocks and would turn his butt to me in a second. 2 years later he’s a puppy dog, but that isn’t from being Amish…my 2 experiences have not been good.
