Posted 2006-06-01 11:35 PM (#42531 - in reply to #42528) Subject: RE: driving
Location: KY
ooooh, how fun. I have one mini, Snow Cloud, age 5; got him when he was 3, still a stud and not broke at all. I drive him to a cart and he is just a hoot. Even tho he is 30 inches, he has a full sized personality and attitude. Now to your question, how old are they, do they have any training, what type of driving do you want to do, what kind of equipment do you have. Do you want to drive a 3 up or 1 at a time. They have to learn to guide and hopefully respond to voice cues. You can do this with long lines attached to their halters or with a mini driving bit, and walk/run behind them. For the first bit, I like the plain mouthpiece in a half cheek; then go to a Liverpool. I have purchased my mini bits from showstoppertack.com. They are great to deal with and can help you with questions, if any, about bits and harness. If you will email me at cloudfarms.com I will be happy to send photos of Snow Cloud doing his thing. My mini is so much fun to be around and to drive. I have even shown him in halter at the regular saddle club (its the only class he can go in) . Happy happy trails. As you no doubt can tell I just love the little tykes.
Posted 2006-06-02 4:35 PM (#42573 - in reply to #42528) Subject: RE: driving
Regular
Posts: 68
Location: Flagstaff, AZ
There are books and videos that a good for training a horse, big or small, to pull a cart. Ground driving training is the foundation that cannot be passed over. Even a mini can be pretty darn fast when running away so you don't want that now do you. You might have a driving club or eventing club in your area. Ppl can be a great source of info for carts, tack and advice. It is so fun, you are gonna have a blast!