Post by shiatsudales on Sept 23, 2007 22:53:04 GMT
who knows nothing about driving. Sorry, we're inundating you
I know Kaz, Blossom and Bedrockshetlands.
I've enjoyed driving since I was taken out by a friend behind her RDA Welsh section B around seven years ago to show me what everyone was raving about. Since then I've been fortunate enough to have some lovely people take me out with them and put up with endless, dafty questions.
I am lucky enough to own 2 and a bit Dales . Drummer, my ridden gelding is now 12yrs old and I've had quite a few driving people tell me to only put him in shafts if feeling suicidal. I've sometimes felt the same about him when he's under saddle but at age 12 he's settled down and became my disabled rider pony when my health took a nosedive. He's been schooled and placed in a Saddlechariot and seemed to love it but we don't have the money for it at the moment.
Rose, my mare, is a broodmare who's been started under saddle in walk and trot but nothing more as I got the chance to borrow a stallion and breed from her. She's currently off on maternity leave (hence the 'and a bit') but will be coming back into work over the winter. Kaz has been great and brought one of her harnesses over to try Rose out in it after I'd done a bushel of long lining and voice training. She took to it like a duck to water and I hope to get her harrowing and rolling the fields and dragging logs sometime in the next year or two. If I can find an old but safe exercise vehicle we'll even start driving.
Tola, the foal, is spending the next four years growing up and then we'll see.
I do also have a late 30s aged, rescue Shetland on loan to me for the last 12yrs from the horse sanctuary I used to work at. He has been driven extensively in his previous home. He has all the scars and muscle damage to prove it and reacts badly whenever a driving harness appears. It's the only time I've ever seen him truly terrified so we've never harnessed him up. After a few months with me and some shiatsu his back end became the right shape again and he now spends his days lazing round the fields keeping everyone else company and under control. He taught me how to long line as he's happy doing that from a head-collar with a simple surcingle.
My main aims are to have Rose working in harness with me and perhaps being able to toddle down to the local rural country park for a drive every now and again. It's proven impossible to find anyone to teach me about working harness and log hauling though
I've had a lesson with Andrew May so that I can gain some experience before Rose is started. I'm a fearty 40yr old so it took me months to get the courage to go but Andrew was so calm and lovely and forgiving of mistakes that I hope to have more now the championships are finished and he is perhaps home more. I've been very fortunate as well to have some local drivers allow me to go out with them. I can't groom properly due to my health but I love going out as passenger and person who grabs and holds pony and does up/undoes straps and buckles when told to.
My initial aims for the next few months are to pluck up the courage to go for another lesson, learn all the names of the bits of harness and buy a starter set (fitted properly) for Rose along with a brollar so we can learn how to put it on, fit it and take it off safely and in the right order.
I'll shut up now, I do tend to waffle on a bit.
I know Kaz, Blossom and Bedrockshetlands.
I've enjoyed driving since I was taken out by a friend behind her RDA Welsh section B around seven years ago to show me what everyone was raving about. Since then I've been fortunate enough to have some lovely people take me out with them and put up with endless, dafty questions.
I am lucky enough to own 2 and a bit Dales . Drummer, my ridden gelding is now 12yrs old and I've had quite a few driving people tell me to only put him in shafts if feeling suicidal. I've sometimes felt the same about him when he's under saddle but at age 12 he's settled down and became my disabled rider pony when my health took a nosedive. He's been schooled and placed in a Saddlechariot and seemed to love it but we don't have the money for it at the moment.
Rose, my mare, is a broodmare who's been started under saddle in walk and trot but nothing more as I got the chance to borrow a stallion and breed from her. She's currently off on maternity leave (hence the 'and a bit') but will be coming back into work over the winter. Kaz has been great and brought one of her harnesses over to try Rose out in it after I'd done a bushel of long lining and voice training. She took to it like a duck to water and I hope to get her harrowing and rolling the fields and dragging logs sometime in the next year or two. If I can find an old but safe exercise vehicle we'll even start driving.
Tola, the foal, is spending the next four years growing up and then we'll see.
I do also have a late 30s aged, rescue Shetland on loan to me for the last 12yrs from the horse sanctuary I used to work at. He has been driven extensively in his previous home. He has all the scars and muscle damage to prove it and reacts badly whenever a driving harness appears. It's the only time I've ever seen him truly terrified so we've never harnessed him up. After a few months with me and some shiatsu his back end became the right shape again and he now spends his days lazing round the fields keeping everyone else company and under control. He taught me how to long line as he's happy doing that from a head-collar with a simple surcingle.
My main aims are to have Rose working in harness with me and perhaps being able to toddle down to the local rural country park for a drive every now and again. It's proven impossible to find anyone to teach me about working harness and log hauling though
I've had a lesson with Andrew May so that I can gain some experience before Rose is started. I'm a fearty 40yr old so it took me months to get the courage to go but Andrew was so calm and lovely and forgiving of mistakes that I hope to have more now the championships are finished and he is perhaps home more. I've been very fortunate as well to have some local drivers allow me to go out with them. I can't groom properly due to my health but I love going out as passenger and person who grabs and holds pony and does up/undoes straps and buckles when told to.
My initial aims for the next few months are to pluck up the courage to go for another lesson, learn all the names of the bits of harness and buy a starter set (fitted properly) for Rose along with a brollar so we can learn how to put it on, fit it and take it off safely and in the right order.
I'll shut up now, I do tend to waffle on a bit.