Regarding the Horses in our lives...

[perchie.girl]

@SD Bird Lady

Hi

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:

deb

Thanks! The people we bought here from were the ones that imported her.

-Kathy

whew.... importing is an ordeal.... Not as bad as chickens but still....

deb

 

[casportpony]

whew.... importing is an ordeal.... Not as bad as chickens but still....

deb

Some of the Welsh breeders import lots of them... it isn't cheap!

-Kathy

 

[Bunnylady]

It has always been a goal of mine to teach my minis to drive. My husband, bless his heart, gave me a cart and harness last Christmas . . . .*sigh*

The harness is the kind that has "made in India" in larger letters than "miniature horse harness" on the packaging . . . the kind which has the reputation among mini fanciers for having all the structural integrity of wet cardboard. My husband designed the cart himself, and had a welder friend make it up for him. Unfortunately, neither of them had any idea what they were doing. The wheels were mounted on curved pieces of spring steel, about 10" or so behind the seat. The shafts are hardwood shovel handles. As originally designed, there was about 80 lbs. of down-pressure on the shafts when I sat on the seat, and there was no place to attach the traces. After a discussion with me, he called the welder, whose first words were "what doesn't she like?!" They moved the wheels under the cart, slightly in front of the seat, and retro-fitted a sort of singletree so that there is now a place to hook traces to. The seat is now about 3 1/2 feet off the ground, the shafts (when level) are about 36" off the ground, the whole rig weighs about 150 lbs. and is about 5 feet wide - and it's supposed to be pulled by a mini, the tallest of mine being 40" at the withers. Yep, even for Syd the Man-eating Mini (whose philosophy is, 'wig out first, ask questions later') the shafts would go downhill. Oh, and when I sit on the seat now, it has negative weight, and tries to go over backwards . . . .

. . . . and he wonders why I haven't hitched Blondie up and driven her, yet.

 

[perchie.girl]

It has always been a goal of mine to teach my minis to drive. My husband, bless his heart, gave me a cart and harness last Christmas . . . .*sigh*

The harness is the kind that has "made in India" in larger letters than "miniature horse harness" on the packaging . . . the kind which has the reputation among mini fanciers for having all the structural integrity of wet cardboard. My husband designed the cart himself, and had a welder friend make it up for him. Unfortunately, neither of them had any idea what they were doing. The wheels were mounted on curved pieces of spring steel, about 10" or so behind the seat. The shafts are hardwood shovel handles. As originally designed, there was about 80 lbs. of down-pressure on the shafts when I sat on the seat, and there was no place to attach the traces. After a discussion with me, he called the welder, whose first words were "what doesn't she like?!" They moved the wheels under the cart, slightly in front of the seat, and retro-fitted a sort of singletree so that there is now a place to hook traces to. The seat is now about 3 1/2 feet off the ground, the shafts (when level) are about 36" off the ground, the whole rig weighs about 150 lbs. and is about 5 feet wide - and it's supposed to be pulled by a mini, the tallest of mine being 40" at the withers. Yep, even for Syd the Man-eating Mini (whose philosophy is, 'wig out first, ask questions later') the shafts would go downhill. Oh, and when I sit on the seat now, it has negative weight, and tries to go over backwards . . . .

. . . . and he wonders why I haven't hitched Blondie up and driven her, yet.

Oh Bunny There are lots of mini easy entry carts out there that are pretty inexpensive.... let me do some research and figure out the ratios. but your hubby still could make you a cart.

those indian harness arent too bad.... I actually have one... a third the cost of a gig harness. I have used it a grand total of ten times..... The leather is pretty strong just examine the stitches within an inch of their lives. to be sturdy they must have a wax coating on them if you notice anything fraying you can restitch through existing holes with a hand awl... Believe me i have rebuilt lots of things over the years using a hand awl and little bits of leather I had hanging around


My very first harness for Katee was a farm harness made of bits of this and that... Three different sizes... I rebuilt everything...

deb

 

[Bunnylady]

The turrets are bent pieces of wire that have been welded onto the top of a bolt; the buckles are cheap things with wire tangs. There is no tree in the saddle; it's just a few layers of leather and vinyl with a bit of padding. A good bit of the harness is a single layer of leather - no stitching. BUT, I figure I can use it for the long-lining stage, and maybe the drag; if it breaks then, my life won't be on the line. There's a lot of learning to do before we hitch, by which time, maybe he'll figure it out.
This summer, he asked me, "is Blondie losing weight?"
"No, I don't think so; does she look ribby or something?"
"She just looks a lot smaller than she did."
"That's her summer coat; that's really all there is to her. The rest was just hair." (Blondie is a "refined" type of mini, and may weigh 250 lbs, tops)

 

[perchie.girl]

The turrets are bent pieces of wire that have been welded onto the top of a bolt; the buckles are cheap things with wire tangs. There is no tree in the saddle; it's just a few layers of leather and vinyl with a bit of padding. A good bit of the harness is a single layer of leather - no stitching. BUT, I figure I can use it for the long-lining stage, and maybe the drag; if it breaks then, my life won't be on the line. There's a lot of learning to do before we hitch, by which time, maybe he'll figure it out.
This summer, he asked me, "is Blondie losing weight?"
"No, I don't think so; does she look ribby or something?"
"She just looks a lot smaller than she did."
"That's her summer coat; that's really all there is to her. The rest was just hair." (Blondie is a "refined" type of mini, and may weigh 250 lbs, tops)

Definately use it up... you can make a decent circingle out of two girths.... Remember they arent cinched up like a saddle they are only there to keep the other harnes bits in place ... i use a saddle pad doubled for padding under the harness saddle.... And you can make turrets out of rings fastened to a bit of lether with laces. There is no set rule they have to be fixed. Best thing to do is replace that harness saddle with a training circingle... you can do everything with a circingle the saddle does .... even adding all the rest of the harness to it....

Can you take some pictures of the harness?

deb

 

[Bunnylady]

It's a lot like this one:

 

[perchie.girl]

It's a lot like this one:

Its not horrible.... as you use it you will find its weaknesses.

good fit is important as well.

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

Here is a video I just stumbled across I like what she does and her little stallion is awesome. The exercises are what one does with a horse that gets too strong and full of themselves....

I like her in hand work as well. I could do that with Katee too.

deb