blinders on horses

[freemotion]

Please, please, please have your horse hitched to the cart for the first time by a professional. It will be worth every penny, assuming you researched the trainer and found a very good one. You can save some money by doing as much of the ground training yourself, such as voice commands and getting the horse used to the harness and the noise of the cart.

Even if no one gets hurt if you try this at home, your horse can be easily traumatized and it will take months or years to get him safe to drive.

I don't know your skill level, so I don't mean to insult you, I just want everyone involved to be safe and have fun....the whole point of having horses, right? Having fun! I trained and showed for several years and saw and heard of all kinds of bad stuff that didn't have to happen.

One month in training, with a few lessons for you at the end to learn the trainer's methods, could very well be enough to get everyone past the most dangerous time, especially if you have the horse very well handled in advance.

I plan to get a driving pony or two when I am too old to ride....

 

[Rusty Hills Farm]

Im not hooking them up until i have complete control on the lunge line.

Way off topic here, but maybe it will help someone else: Before I ever ride my saddle horses, I drive them using lunge lines for long reins. I clip one to each ring in the bit and thread them through the stirrups and we "drive" until the colt is pretty much spook-proof with that saddle and completely comfortable stopping, turning, backing, and changing directions. That is my step in-between lunging under saddle and the first ride. I am a big believer in ground work.

Like I said, it really doesn't apply here but maybe it will be helpful for someone else who is just starting a colt for the first time and looking for ideas for how it can be done.

HTH

 

[ninny]

Frist I want to say Pat thank you for caring enough to take a stand and saying what you said. It did not fall on deaf ears. I should have explained a little better. When I said lunge line i meant lunge line. These ponies are my sisters' and i can't start working with them till spring. She lets them get a way with murder and she is afraid of the younger one. I have to start them from the beginning at first. I am not going to start any driving train expect teaching them to stand for the harness until i have them under control on the lunge line and round pen. THEN I'll start driving training not until then. I want this to be a great expercene for the three of us and to get a couple blue ribbons of course. Im also gonna a have vet check them over before I start any heavy training with them. I would like to buy them someday from my mom hince the driving training. My sister is going to out grow them in a year or two and by that time i would like to have them trained . So when i get them off into the sunset we go.

 

[FarmingFever]

Ninny, If you decide to work without Blinders, you do not need a whole new bridle. You can just replace the cheek pieces with ones that don't have blinders on them. I ordered some for my driving bridle.