Teaching Shadow to drive, stages 6 & 7
Now that he's used to the idea of weight and the feeling of shafts, he's almost ready to drive in the cart. We gave him some exposure to the sounds of the cart next, pulling it around in front of him. We also had him trot along behind the cart with Liz driving an experienced pony and me holding Shadow's line.
After that, we hitched him up to a cart himself:
I'm still ground driving in this picture, letting him get used to the cart - and letting me work up some nerve to actually get in. (He's yanking on the lines very rudely in this shot...)
And here we are! For the early attempts, we had Liz walking along holding Shadow's head. We have just started taking very short little drives without her as a safety net. I think what's limiting us at the moment is more me being brave enough, rather than Shadow knowing enough!
Labels: horses
Teaching Shadow to drive, stages 4 & 5
After Shadow was ground driving reliably, we went through two stages designed to prepare him for pulling a cart.
Tire:
We hitched him to an old car tire to let him feel what it's like to pull weight. The rope trailing behind the tire was originally there so that Liz could pick the tire up and give him a break, when he was first learning.
That's Baxter following, and farm dog Daisy supervising.
Shaft trainer:
The shaft trainer gets the pony used to the feel of shafts on either side. This step was a real challenge for Shadow. He would wiggle one way and Oh No That Pole Is Touching Me!! so he would wiggle over the other way and Oh NO! Pole On That Side Too!!! He also got worried about the shafts coming on and off. He finally got the hang of pushing into the shaft with his shoulder when he had to turn.
Bax thinks that these are all just odd ways of taking a walk.
Labels: horses
Teaching Shadow to drive, stages 1 , 2, & 3
For the Kittitas County Fair, I made a poster for Shadow's door with some photos of the stages of training we have taken him through in the past year or so.
Thought I'd post the pictures up to show all of y'all that couldn't make it to the fair. Thanks to Shadow's owner Liz Lasell-McCosh for taking these pictures of him and me!
Lunging:
We are in a round pen, Shadow is moving around me in a circle. We practiced verbal commands (Walk, Trot, and Whoa) and he learned to wear a surcingle (belly band) and a bit and bridle.
Ground driving:
We are still in the round pen, but now I have two lines running from the bit, through rings on the surcingle, to my hands. This is how we taught Shadow to steer and stop from the bit.
Outside the pen:
Here we are still ground driving but we are outside the pen. Now that he steers and stops (fairly) reliably we are going around the farm and up and down the driveway. He's also wearing a real driving harness in this shot, what he will use to pull the cart. Special thanks to canine assistant Baxter.
Labels: horses
I'm still ground driving in this picture, letting him get used to the cart - and letting me work up some nerve to actually get in. (He's yanking on the lines very rudely in this shot...)
And here we are! For the early attempts, we had Liz walking along holding Shadow's head. We have just started taking very short little drives without her as a safety net. I think what's limiting us at the moment is more me being brave enough, rather than Shadow knowing enough! 
