Finally learned to drive.
Midnight has finally graduated. I am so proud of her. In my recent posts about her I was training her to drive, but she was having a difficult time because of a dental issue she had. Once that was cleared up, learning to drive was a piece of cake. I have been able to drive her around our neighborhood several times now and she has become quite a pro. I was able to safely give my barn help a ride home, which to me is the mark of a good horse. Let me explain, anytime I feel I can trust the horse to not spook, to stop upon request and stand until asked to go again, then I can safely let others ride with me. Midnight was excellent at this.
I love teaching a horse to pull a cart. It is so simple! All it takes is patience and time. Most horses are very willing to please, they just need to time to adjust to what you are asking them to do. In case you are interested in how I do it, here it is in a nutshell.
1. Start out by round penning your horse to assure they learn to look to you for direction.
2. Equip your horse with a surcingle and long rein it both ways asking it to stop on command and stand.
3. Once the horse is 100% listening to you on the long reins and surcingle, attach poles to either side of the horse and ask it to perform the same tasks dragging poles. (a bit of advise here, don’t teach your horse to back on the poles or long reins until after it has learned to pull the cart, if it backs on the cart while still in training it may not stop and could tear up your cart).
4. With poles attached teach your horse to make lots and lots of turns making them sharper. This teaches the horse to step over and use her body to move the cart.
5. Add weight to the poles, I suggest using a hay bale(s). By the way, do all this in an enclosed arena or small pasture.
6. Once your horse is 100% with poles and weight it is time to hook it up to the cart. I use a heavy metal cart, weight helps keep the horses mind on not running away and wooden carts are easily broken. Take your time here, as the horse has to be comfortably standing still for this. Also, it is ok to lead the horse thru all these steps until it is ready to be driven.
7. If you are unsure or don’t have the time, hire a trainer. That is the easiest way to teach your horse to pull a cart and ensures neither you or your horse gets hurt. By the way, I know a good trainer…wink, wink…