mac
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Posts: 305
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Post by mac on May 4, 2011 21:01:15 GMT
I was wondering if having a pony broken to drive would affect their ridden work or muscling? I have a lovely young sec C who is going to be a very nice M&M worker. Would it affect his ridden work to have him broken to harness now or would it be better to wait until his ridden showing career is more established? (I have only driven a couple of times so I would need lessons too).
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drea
Full Member
Posts: 287
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Post by drea on May 4, 2011 21:42:08 GMT
driving him shouldent affect his riding career, doing both will keep him well muscled and supple, and balanced, good luck and have fun
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Post by globetrotter on May 5, 2011 8:41:52 GMT
Remember only 100 years ago most horses and ponies in work were ride and drive. Read Black Beauty again as a grown up it is a documentary of the horses life at that time with all its ups and downs. When I am training for driven work I do lots of long reining, which to do correctly is a skill, and unfortunately is not being taught in equine collages like it should.
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Post by shellywell on May 6, 2011 10:30:08 GMT
Long reining isn't being taught in equine colleges because it is deemed too much of a health and safety risk! I mean, (sarky tone) a student, a horse and a pair of long reins, OMG think of the potential accidents!! I could go on about the level of training at said colleges, its just a joke, at our expense, given that we pay for them out of out taxes. Actually, I won't raise my blood pressure.
Regarding the issue at hand, I think that driving can place the horse on the forehand a little more if driven, and possibly make them a little bit heavier in front, however as always it will depend on the skill of the drivers and riders. My section A drives and loves it, he also does lead rein, I don't have a first ridden rider for him, but have ridden him myself and he seems ok, so I'm all for it - versatility! He was broken to ride as a 3 year old, ridden for a year, long reined, lunged, jumped, lead out etc, and then last spring I broke him to harness. Now he will do a bit of each, depending on whether I have a rider or not. I lunge him in between the driving to keep him supple and balanced.
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Post by globetrotter on May 7, 2011 8:35:56 GMT
To train a horse or pony to drive so they are happy in their work so willing to please is all based on mutual trust, which is built up over time, this is why even if you send your horse or pony away to a trainer, you should stay involved in the training, or better still the trainer comes to you and you both learn what it is all about so that TRUST is never broken. A good book to read first if you are new to the sport is Sallie Walrond's Breaking a Horse to Harness.
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Post by penduk on May 8, 2011 8:17:33 GMT
My old boy went through up to three pairs of hind shoes for every set of fronts, as the farrier said, it showed that he worked from behind. He did nothing but drive as too small for me to ride.
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Post by globetrotter on May 8, 2011 11:07:56 GMT
That is quite right penduk about your ponies back shoes, as when a horse or pony is working in harness correctly he is pushing into his collar with his back end and bringing his back legs well under him, so that lifts them off the forehand and makes the horse or pony light on the reins, so responsive on the bit, but all this is produced only through correct training and rein handling.
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vikki
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Posts: 322
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Post by vikki on May 8, 2011 19:16:26 GMT
I have riden a lot of ride and drive ponies and i find the ones that move ( have a better feel to ride) better are the ones broken to ride 1st and then when they are going well broken to drive. My 4 yr old is riding away nicly and will do a few shows this year and when he is mature(er) next year I would like to brake him to drive. But long reining is key throughout training so they gey used to something behind them and your voice commands. x
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Post by hatman on May 8, 2011 21:30:50 GMT
I used to show a section D who was a driving pony i broke him to ride when he was 14. Once he got the hang of being ridden he was lovely doing very well in the show ring as he would pull up from the gallop from your voice. He also love to jump. The only thing that he found hard to get used to was walking at the sides of the road and could be a bit spooky on the road as he did not have blinkers on. Good luck x
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Post by gurnos on May 18, 2011 18:34:41 GMT
A lot wrongly think that driving puts them on the forehand, but as already said, it is quite the opposite. I think the 2 disiplines help each other. I do a bit of everything with my C stallion and he really enjoys his work. Variety is the spice of life as they say
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Post by caramelbunny on May 29, 2011 10:07:39 GMT
I have a small D who has competed in WH to national level and driven at county shows too. I waited till his ridden work was established though before breaking him to drive as I have known a few driving ponies that were a bit unwilling to bend and fixed in their way of going. Only my personal experience though, not my opinion! I found with mine it brought his front on from a bit narrow and under-muscled, to broad and powerful, with a back end to match. His topline was awesone too and he enjoyed the driven work far more than the schooling. It was his "time out". Good luck driving him
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