Learning to Drive

Learning to Drive

I decided to teach Trifecta to ground drive.  I could tell he really isn't into lounging.  It doesn't take long for him to get bored and then he starts to get into trouble.  He needs something else to learn.  This way, he can learn all about reins before I ever get on him.

Years ago, when Mingo was recovering from one of his hoof operations during his never-ending hoof abscess, I decided to teach him to ground drive.  I couldn't ride him, and he could only be walked.  He was bored and needed something new to learn, too.

Since he already had been ridden for years, it didn't take long for him to learn, and we had fun.  As soon as I could ride him, I hung up the reins and never thought of it again--until now.

Trifecta isn't quite ready, yet.  I need him to be sharper with his go forward cue.  I remember when I tried it with Cruiser when he was just 2, and that is where we failed.  I gave up after only one attempt. 

I was thinking about it, wishing I had a horse to practice on before I tried it with Trifecta--and then it dawned on me.  I do!  Dante was taught to drive before Ellen bought him!  Not only that, but he has a quiet temperament, and I knew he would be patient with my fumbling around.

Ellen agreed with it.  One day, after our ride, I got out my brand new driving reins.  We left Dante's saddle on so we could run them through the stirrups.  He stood quietly while I assorted myself.  I ran the outside rein over his back and took the lounging position--that is what the book says to do when you first start a young horse.  I had the inside rein going through the stirrup, but with Trifecta, I won't do that the first time.  I will just hook it up like a lounge line direct to his head.

I asked Dante to walk, and he ignored me.  Ellen came to the rescue and walked with him.  I practiced "driving" but I know that Ellen was controlling everything.  Dante will follow her anywhere.  I told Ellen where I was going so Dante would go where I needed.  We practiced stopping and going.  I soon was in driving position, and we were walking all over the indoor arena--following Ellen, of course.

This worked really well because I got to practice my position, holding the reins and going in big circles both ways.

A few days later, we did it again.  This time when I asked Dante to walk--he just stood there and waited for Ellen.  Day 2 really was much like day 1, but Ellen didn't walk right next to Dante, so I was doing some of the controlling.  We practiced stopping and going, and it went well.  Finally, Ellen moved away from us and I was independently traveling across the indoor arena!  I only went about a minute, and I said we should end on that good note.

Dante was just so patient.  We are planning to do it more.  The better I get before I tackle it with Trifecta, the more success I will have with him.  Dante is such a treasure.

I thought of teaching Cole to ground drive for practice, but then I realized, he would probably just want to do tricks.  I certainly don't need "silly walk," "show trot" and bowing.

My Sister

My Sister

Years ago, I always drove Camaros.  My third one was a 1981 maroon Z28.  Shortly after I bought that car, my sister, Ellen, bought a Camaro.  It was a little older--but it was maroon, too.  There we were--both driving a maroon Camaro.

A few years later, I bought a new car.  It was a 1990 blue Camaro.  It wasn't long after that that Ellen found her next car.  It was also a blue Camaro.  It was a little older, but it was blue, too.  There we were--both driving blue Camaros.

That went on for some years before Ellen got sensible and bought a car with front wheel drive.  I continued driving my blue one until 2000 when I got a silver one.  At least we were driving very different cars.  I finally got smart and started driving front wheel drive cars, too.  Driving rear wheeled sports cars in the snow is way too stressful at this age.

My current car is a red Chevy Cruze.  (It is no coincidence that I used to have a horse named Cruiser, and now I have a Cruze.  I keep his old stall sign in the back seat.)  Ellen just bought a red car.  It is a darker shade--leaning towards maroon, but it is still a red car.  She did it, again.

Well, this time, it was my turn.  She has a chestnut Lambert Morgan--and now I have a chestnut Lambert Morgan.  Hers is a little older, but here we are, both with chestnut Lambert Morgans--and it is a good thing.

Update on Trifecta

Update on Trifecta

Everyone may have wondered where I have been.  My dog was sick and eventually passed away.  It was a hard time, and I had no desire to write.  Other things started happening, too.  My energy level plummeted.  I just lost my mojo.

That doesn't mean that I ignored the horses--I just didn't write about them.  I am starting to get more serious about training, now.  He is coming along with his lounging.  I have been doing it for longer sessions.  Before, I would maybe lounge him for 10-15 minutes, but recently I have more than doubled it.  I do a lot of transitions, and he gets lots of pets when he does well.  He just loves pets.

That is probably my biggest problem.  When he sees someone, he wants to go visit them for pets.  I have figured out that if I make him stand and ask the person to come and visit him, he doesn't try to visit them as much on his own.  A lot of times, I will have him walk or trot just past the people, stop him and give him pets.  That seems to be helping, too.

My next step is ground driving.  I think that Trifecta likes variety, and that will give us something new to do.  

I never ground driven any of my young horses in the past.  I did try it with Cruiser, and he was too puzzled by it.  I gave up after one session.  I always thought it made a lot of sense to teach a young horse to ground drive.  When Mingo was laid up for a few months during his recovery from his hoof abscess operation, I decided to do it with him.  Of course, he was pretty easy since I had already been riding him for years.  I taught him so I could teach myself.  Now, it is time for me to try out my now very rusty skills.

I have already got him a surcingle.  The first time I put it on him, he was in his stall.  I only partially buckled the 2 buckles since I couldn't see well.  I walked away to let him just get used to it.  When I came back, I found it one the ground.  My clever little baby figured out how to unbuckle it.  Since then, I have completely buckled it.

He is growing.  I measured him a few weeks ago, and he is just over 14 hands.  I wish I had known that our barn had a measuring stick when I got him so I could see how much he has grown since then.  He has grown, but I'm not sure how much.

He is filling out and looking much more like a horse.  I do have a weight tape, and it says that he has put on just over 100 pounds.  The weight gain has been steady, and he hasn't plateaued.  He has his full winter coat, and it is quite darker than his summer coat.  No one thinks he is a dark palomino anymore.

And, he is really becoming beautiful.  Of course, he will be following in some big footsteps.  Cole is such an amazing horse.  I was telling this to Ellen, and she reminded me--Cole was following some pretty big footsteps, too...