I appear to have found this five years too late, but is anybody home?
I have a Percheron I drive, a Friesian/Perch I'm breaking to harness, an Amish-broke Belgian, and a Fjord that drives, but haven't hooked to anything that rolls yet (dragging tires is as far as we've gotten).
So my boss is in Ohio, bringing home new teams of horses. The teams have been together for over a year...just working together...no switching around or anything. We're trying to decide the best way to get them on the streets. Should we be driving them together? Or should we split them up and drive them with other horses? I'm really leaning towards keeping them together, just because that's what they're comfortable with...and being in a new place...i think that would offend them more being with a strange horse. Any thoughts? opinions?
OK, down side of carriage driving... my mare was in season. She squirted. Soem got caught on the wind... and went into my face. Yuk!
Aside from that, my silly mare wouldn't back up properly in the school today, however out on teh road when we did a turn in the road quite badly she backed up perfectly. So in a nice safe environment she plays up, in an unsafe environment she is perfect. Clever mare, right?
Drive today was lovely. Yesterday it was warmer but I did find out today the bollards that stop cars going through the woods are wide enough for me to get my exercise cart through so I went for a drive through the woods.
I talked with my other half about getting a 4 wheel marathon vehicle for her. The balance issues gone away and wider shafts would mean that if she does get pregnant in June (as we are planning) then she can keep being driven until shes abot 10 months gone. I find it a bit unfair to ask her to do anything more than walk after 5 months pregnant as the foal gets huge from then on and heavy too so I'd want no weight on her back at all and I would need wider shafts too as my 2-wheeler exercise cart has quite narrow shafts.
I'll post a photo later of her in all her pinkness and going forr a drive through the woods.
For a beginner horse in a cart shes doign VERY well and tomorrow she'll havea day off as shes done 2 very good days in a row.
Seems to be an inactive group but thought I would post and say hello anyway. I drive a 14hh Appaloosa X Cob mare in the South East of England. Shes new to driving, I hadn't driven in 11 years since being a groom to a lady who competed in 3 day eventing in carriage whichw as great fun. I would like to do long distance and driving trails with this pony. So far she has taken it all in her stride and enjoys pullung a carriage, we only have a simple modern 2-wheeler at the moment and are in the process of putting new axles and wheels on a small 4-wheeler for her and my 12hh pony to pull.
This is my turnout, the pony is called Lizzie. Shes a bit of a mare at times but has a sense of humour and is a good laugh most of the time.
My dad currently has too many young teams on his hands and would like to sell off one of the light pairs. If anyone is interested in a well matched set of two-year old paints (filly and a gleding) who will mature out at about 15 hands. Drop me a note! genghiscon at gmail.com
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