03.22.08
Ian’s first drive
Went to Elliott’s and back, at the walk. His first time out this year. Only got a little bit stupid at the creek/culvert. Good otherwise.
05.20.07
Montana Draft Horse and Mule Association
Click on photos to see larger version
Yesterday I went to the Montana Draft Horse and Mule Association Spring Gathering. It was TOO MUCH FUN! I wanted Ian to be around all those draft horses, because he was very offended by a horse with chain end traces and a forecart last year. The event was held at Donna Reimer’s Pioneer Mule Ranch in Roy, MT.
The first event was the log pull, so I took Ian over to watch. The weather was cool, damp and windy, so several of the horses were a bit frisky. At first Ian thought those horses making so much noise were going to eat him, but he only spun around to keep an eye on them. I even put him in a position where the team and the log would circle us. (They had metal eveners that made lots of noise too.) When they started the log pull, I positioned him as near to the start/finish as I could, without being in the way. This way they would be coming towards us making all that noise and snapping their knees. After several runs, he actually started to get bored, so I went and harnessed him up. We did the log pull twice. Ian did awesome, me, not so good. We killed several cones, but had a great time.
Lunch was a wonderful spread of meats and cheeses plus many salads and desserts. I was going to stick strictly to my diet, but someone brought rhubarb pie - yum! I also had to have one tiny piece of Scott’s Famous Brownies. Kelli and Russ got there right about the time that lunch was winding down.
After lunch was the obstacle course. We got to watch the teams go and help with the judging for a while, and then we went. Kelli was my passenger, with Shelby. The first obstacle was a cone encircled by a chalk line. The requirement was to circle the cone to the right, always keeping your right hind wheel within the chalk line. It was a test of how well your team/horse comes over and a test of the drivers skill. Ian did really well, except that he hadn’t had to go a full circle in a long time, and he thought that was a bit excessive. The second obstacle was a reclining lawn chair, with a dead body in it. The dead body was created by Scott Koetting by stuffing and old pair of overalls with sleeping bags and towels, with rubber boots for the feet and a balaclava for the head. You had to pull your horse or team into a circle marked with chalk near the dead body and stay there while your passenger got out and loaded the body into the carriage. Ian thought the body was rather scary, but still listened to me enough that I could get him in the circle. We got the body and moved on.
After we’d collected the
body, on the way to the
dock.
The next obstacle was the dock, where you need to back your carriage into a partially constructed run-in shed, next to a table. The idea was to leave the dead body on the slab (the table). There were used-car flags flapping on the top edge of the shed. We haven’t really got the hang of backing with the 4 wheel carriage yet. There was lots of pilot error, and Ian got frustrated with all the turn, back, whoa, turn, etc. Several times he just kept backing once he got started. We gave up without really finishing that obstacle.
Starting to attempt to dock,
before Ian was frustrated.
The creek crossing - Good boy!
The slalom.
I was really happy with Ian. He came a long way yesterday. When we were hooking up for the obstacle course, a team came trotting by not 20 feet away, with chains and stuff clanking, and the wagon making odd booming noises. He hardly turned an ear.
I thought we were done for the day, so I unhooked and unharnessed Ian, and gave him his goody. I was done before I realized that everyone was getting ready to go out on a pleasure drive. I thought Ian had done very well for me, and I didn’t want to make him do more that day. So, Kelli, Russ and I went to get supper. When we got back it was just starting to rain, and the crew was back from the pleasure drive, so I loaded Ian up and went home.
It was a great day!
You can see more photos at Spring Gathering.
05.17.07
Today
I’m done doctoring Victor. It’s a relief to be done. Orie doesn’t act like she ever wants to foal, except she’s so big. It was wishful thinking to say her bag was coming on. Since Dacotah was about a month behind schedule, I’m thinking Orie will be too. In some ways, I really hope she is still going to foal, it’d be nice to have a pal for Victor, and I wouldn’t have to put her down til the fall. In other ways, I think it would be good to put her down right away, she’s in so much pain.
We tried to bend the hames last night to better fit Ian’s neck, and it didn’t work. There’s a hole in the hames right about where I need them bent (from the terrets I took out), and Scott was afraid to reef on them too much for fear they’d break at the hole. So, I adjusted the hames straps to make the top wider and the bottom tighter. I thought I had tried this in the past, without success, but maybe not. Anyway, my only worry is that the hames will pop off of the collar, but I think if I really make it tight at the bottom, we’ll be fine. Now, hopefully, the collar will spread at the top and he’ll be more comfortable.
After I got the harness adjusted, I ground drove him. I wanted to put him to and go for a short drive, but I was running out of daylight, and he was acting kinda spooky. Once we started, though, he was good as gold, with a forward walk (yay!) and turning well. He acted like I’d been doing it all winter. I’ll drive him today and see how everything works. I need to get a little driving in on him, so we can go to the Montana Draft Horse & Mule Association’s Spring Gathering this weekend. I want him to get used to the big hitches with their chains jiggling and everything. They are also going on a pleasure drive that I hope to go on, too.
06.20.06
Superwide
I rode Ian Sunday evening. I much more sore after riding him than I was when riding Ted in the spring. I think it’s because he’s so wide. The insides of my thighs are stretched to the limit, and my hips feel like their going to pull out of the sockets.
He was pretty good, only spooked once, at a deer about half a mile away. I need to get riding him more consistently, so we can get somewhere on tempo. The last few circles we did at the trot were getting pretty good. He’s starting to listen to my seat better.
While I was riding him, I think I saw two lambs being born, but my glasses are so bad right now I wasn’t sure. A ewe was laying down in the lane between us and Page’s. When she got up, I saw white at her butt. I thought at the time she was just really clean, but now I think it was the sac. Later I saw two lambs sucking, and then other sheep gathered around. Then one of the Page boys came with a ATV trailer and hauled the babies off. I think they have the last few ewes to lamb in that lane, and when they get the job done, they’re moved.
06.13.06
Hames
I didn’t get anything done with Ian today, but I did get my hames bent. Ian is a 3/4 Belgian, 1/4 Quarterhorse, and he was a stud until he was four, so his neck is, well, thick. The off the shelf hames were too narrow for him.
I wasn’t sure how you go about bending stainless steel hames, but Scott Koetting suggested I take them in to Fabian’s and have them bend them with the press. They’d need to make a jig out of wood to get the job done. Well, it’s haying season, and Fabian’s press is busy for the next three weeks. DH Scott took them to HCR, but their press is set up for sheet metal, and the hames are too big. I called around Harlowton, and found out that Don Jamison has a hydraulic pipe bender, so I called him, and made an appointment to bring him the hames.
When I got there, he didn’t think it would work to use the pipe bender, so he put a hame in the vise, with rubber on one side and a 2×4 on the other. Then he slid a piece of square tubing over the end of the hame, after covering it with cloth, and just leaned into it. It took some effort, but he got it to bend just above the trace bracket, and then again above the terret. He compared it to my tracing (that I took from the inside of the collar) and then bent the other hame to match. I placed them on the collar when I got home, and it looks like they’re going to work just fine. Now, hopefully, I’ll get my shafts back in the next day or so.
That, and getting milk and bread, was all I got done.
06.12.06
White Rain and Smegma
Just got back in from working with Ian. I rode him tonight. He’s still spooking quite a bit, but goes forward on the bit when I ask. The first couple of trot circles were on the forehand, but he improved just in time to get tired. Even though he was tired, he was still forward and seeking the bit.
When I was tacking Ian up, he begged me to scratch his sheath. Like father, like daughters. So when I got back, and it was so muggy, I cleaned his sheath, and he didn’t even mind the cold water. Of course, now I smell a bit like White Rain and smegma. I think I’ll go take a shower.
06.08.06
Good ride
When I rode Ian tonight, it was with the Wintec Isabel, without any gullet plate. He’s too wide for any of the provided gullet plates, so I had one of them widened to fit him. The problem, tho, is that I can’t get the saddle to spread enough to attach the gullet plate. I had Scott look down the gullet from the back, to make sure it wasn’t twisting from my weight. It didn’t feel like it, but he’s so wide that it’s hard for me to tell what’s going on. I’m hoping at some point that the saddle spreads enough to replace the gullet plate, but it seems to be fine so far the way it is.
I started out down the road, and Ian spooked at the tyvek on the neighbors house. The top edge was intermittently popping up and down. I made him go towards it, and then let him take a look. Then I put him on the bit and rode away. I have to get out of the habit of letting him look at things. I want him to listen to me no matter what is happening.
When we were going into the wind, he kept shaking his head. I realized that he doesn’t like his Fabio forelock tickling his ears. Dork!
Ian was quite good tonight for his level of training. We worked on tempo and balance. I haven’t really worked on dressage much with him, because I’ve been getting the saddle fit worked out. Last year I think I rode him twice, and this is the 4th ride this year. I’m seriously out of shape, too, but I can keep it together longer than he can. He wants to fall on the forehand and rush, or he wants to be off the bit and slow. He tries for me, tho, when I ask him to change. I think he’ll come alonq quickly if I can work with him consistently. And, it will help his driving, too.
I’ve got my hames wrapped in blue masking tape to send to Fabian’s to have bent. I’m hoping they can bend them for me, Scott will take them in tomorrow. The hames are too narrow for Ian. I had spread the collar, but didn’t make the connection that the hames weren’t letting it stay that way. DOH! I made a tracing of the collar shape when it fits Ian, so they can use that for a guide. I’m also sending my shafts to Fabian’s, in the hope that they’ll be able to remove the dressage shafts so I can change to the marathon shafts. The shafts (are supposed to) slip inside a tube, and be held in place with two bolts. When I got my carriage last year, Scott and I tried to remove the shafts, but weren’t able to. Then at the clinic last weekend, Jim (Donna’s SO) tried to pull them, even using a torch to heat the metal. No luck. Scott is hoping that Fabian’s have another option.
06.05.06
Driving Clinic: June 3-4
I went to a driving clinic this past weekend with Donna Reimer in Roy, Montana. My sister, Kelli, went with me on Saturday. I might not get the order of events correct, because I’m tired, but I’ll hit the high points anyway.
The day didn’t start off well, because I had a flat tire on my trailer, with no tread at all. I’m not sure when that happened. I usually check my tires every time I pull the trailer, but the last time I pulled it, I was taking my horse to the vet with colic, and I didn’t. Anyway, we got a new tire put on (thanks to Dave Miller, Judith Gap Oil) and got on our way. We arrived at Donna’s near Roy at 9:00, when the clinic was supposed to start. Donna said she had a horse/driver that hadn’t driven with others, and she wanted to get them started first. Apparently the horse was being fractious, because the driver, Lori, elected to ground drive/long line while the rest of us got started, so Donna said for me to be first, since I was closest to hitched up.
My horse, Ian, is fairly green. I first hitched him Thanksgiving weekend, 2004, and he went to 2 small driving shows in 2005, but I still consider him fairly green, because we haven’t put enough miles on yet. This spring has been wet and busy, so he wasn’t as ready for this clinic as I’d hoped, but I knew the experience would be good for both of us. I’ve been letting him look at stuff when we drive, hoping he’d get used to things, but I found out on Saturday that I need to be asking him to focus more on me and not gawk at everything.
Donna rode in the carriage with me for a while, and then asked if I had a reason for running the lines through the turrets on the hames. She thought it was making him carry his head too high for his conformation, so Kelli and Donna headed him, and changed the lines for me. Then Kelli got back in the carriage, and Donna watched from the ground while we walked and trotted. She thought Ian was moving much better this way, and so did I. As new drivers came in the arena (a mown area in the hay field), Donna would ride with them and watch them for a while and work on problems. Meanwhile, I was just driving around, and seeing how Ian would react to the new vehicles.
Each driving vehicle makes a different sound, and each equine looks different. I think the first in the arena after me was Arlene driving her white (not grey) mule Peaches to a training/easy entry cart. Her cart sqeaked a bit and Ian scooted a little when she was behind us, but not bad. Then came Scott driving Donna’s mule Heidi, with Nicoline aboard. Ian knows this combination and didn’t mind a bit. Next came Andi driving her large paint horse Johnny to a beautiful Meadowbrook. The meadowbrook doesn’t make much noise at the walk, but has a really funny noise at the trot, not annoying but almost a wooshing. Ian scooted a bit at that, too.
Then Carrie came in driving her beautiful black Percheron mare Kay to a red forecart. She had workhorse harness with chains and the forecart squeaks quit a bit. We were going toward the gate when she came in and Ian had a cow. He was terrified, and whirled to the right. I’m not sure what was so offensive about them, but he almost got the carriage to the jackknife point before he stopped. Carrie stopped and let us get settled, and then we moved forward and so did Carrie, but every time we got anywhere near them, Ian would spook or veer or something. He seemed to be making a game out of it, seeing what he could get away with (he’d done that at a show last year, too, so there was a precedence).
After a while I needed a bathroom break, so Kelli took over Ian. Kelli is not only my sister, she’s my dressage instructor and she knows a lot more than I do. By the time I got back from the bathroom, she had Ian forward and on the bit and really moving nicely. I jumped on the back, and she explained to me what she was doing. She said she suppled him until he head dropped and she could only see his ears. When he’d spook at something, he’d raise his head and slow down, so she’d send him forward with the whip, and supple him back down, to get his focus back on her. If his focus was truly on her, then he wouldn’t spook so much.
I finally got her to give my horse back (VBG) and tried to do the same thing. When I took the lines she told me she broke my whip 
, my lovely brown Ultralite whip. Just the tip, but it doesn’t work as nicely as it did before. She was right, Ian was a lot more focused this way, and spooking wasn’t nearly as much fun when he got sent forward with the whip when he did it. Donna was really pleased with how much nicer Ian was going.
The next thing we worked on was pivoting at the walk. I thought Ian was doing really well at home, but Donna said I had his head bent too much, and he wasn’t getting enough cross over. She wanted him kept straighter, and to just tap him with the whip. (Ian isn’t the most sensitive horse, it even took Donna more than just a tap!) Ian kept wanting to take a canter stride to jump around the turn, more like a canter pirouette, so that he didn’t have to cross over. Guess that’s something we need to work on at home! Donna also had a row of cones set up on the gravel road, that we could slalom through. That was fun at the trot, but Ian wasn’t ready for the end turn at the trot, so we had to drop to a walk.
We broke for lunch, and I took Ian’s bridle and lines off, gave him his goodies, and a hay net. I offered him water, but he wasn’t interested yet. Everyone had their equines tied to the trailer or the hitching post, and they were all happily munching away. Lunch was included in the clinic and Donna provided a wonderful feast of sandwiches, chicken salad and strawberry-rhubarb pie. I snuck out partway through lunch to check on Ian and the dogs, and Peaches talked to me the entire time. She’s so sweet, and didn’t really bray, just did the grunt-low-whinny talking. I had to go give her pets. Ian wanted some water now, so I let him drink, and then went back in for the pie (Donna owes me the recipe, it was wonderful!).
After lunch we worked on obstacles. First we all got to drive Donna’s mule Heidi to her oak cart. First Donna drove the route, and we watched how she wanted it done. Then, Carrie went, making it look easy. I was next, and let me tell you, that mule is well trained. When I was done, I had a big grin on my face, and said she’s like driving a Ferrari, she handles so well. The first obstacle was a couple of black rubber mats, no big deal to drive with a trained mule. The next was two poles 8-10 inches apart, that we had to drive one wheel through. Next was 4 poles in an L-shape, that you drove through. Not too hard, just have to turn before the mule went over the pole.
The obstacles got progressively harder (that Donna is one smart gal!). Next was 4 weighted jugs in a ~10×10 square. You had to drive to the second pair, halt, back to the first pair, and then pivot to the left, to exit between the first and second pairs. The next obstacle was a weighted jug with a circle of lime about 20 inches around it. You had to pivot around the jug, keeping your inside wheel within the circle. I stopped Heidi too soon, had to tell her to step once more, then move over, step, move over, step, until we got around. It was so easy with Heidi. The rest of the people got to drive Heidi through the course, and everyone had a lot of success, ending with big grins.
The we all got our own animals, and practiced the obstacles. The black mat was no big deal for Ian, he didn’t even blink. He’s done that kind of thing before. The two poles 8-10 inches apart are a driver problem, and I’d never done it with my 4-wheel carriage before, but did fine. I was a bit worried about the L, because Ian is a big horse, but with the carriage being so agile, that was easy too. I really crapped out on the backing obstacle. It is seriously hard to do with 4 wheels. Kelli suggested I do one step at a time and then try to correct the turn, but Ian and I both just got frustrated. That’s another thing to work on at home. We did the pivot OK, I stayed within the circle, but moved the jug over in the process. It was a bit chaotic in that small area with that many vehicles, but everyone was watching out, and there were no problems. Sometimes I drove outside the arena, in the hay field, just to trot out a bit between doing the obstacles, and get Ian moving forward again. I’d say on the whole we were successful, with some things to work on at home.
Donna wanted to spend some time with the green horse that was fractious in the morning, so several of us went for a drive down the gravel road. Ian was getting pretty tired, but I wanted to reinforce the focus we’d worked on in the morning, so I went part way with them. Kelli was riding in the back, with a long riding crop, and I was driving. I kept him suppled down and on the bit, and when he raised his head to spook at something, Kelli sent him forward with the riding crop. The crop was too short for me to use at the same time as I was keeping him on the bit, so she took care of that for me. Donna has very considerate neighbors, and about 3 miles of nice road to drive on. Ian had to contend with mules and horses on both sides of the road, a bridge, a covered well structure, and wind shelters that could be hiding monsters. We went about a mile, and then turned around and came back. Ian was starting to get the ‘focused’ idea better by the time we were done, so I walked him around to cool him out, and then un-hitched and put him in his pen for the evening.
Kelli and her husband Russ wanted to get going on their way home, but it was almost 5 so I suggested we get something to eat before they left. We were told that Roy had a bar that served good hamburgers and chicken sandwiches so we went there for supper. They dropped me back at Donna’s and then I went with the rest of the gang and drank water while they ate. The day was really nice, almost cool in the morning, but was a bit warm in the afternoon, and I was dehydrated.
Sunday morning, Donna and Jim made us breakfast: eggs, bacon, toast - it was wonderful. We spent the meal, as we did on Saturday lunch and supper, telling stories and laughing. I just love horse people! The plan this morning was to go for a long drive. I got my husband to come and ride with me when he was done with work. It was overcast and muggy. Donna was riding with Andi in the first cart, pulled by Johnny. Next was Scott K and Carrie, pulled by Kay, followed by Arlene and Peaches. My husband Scott and I were next, pulled by Ian, of course. Behind us were Lori and Nicoline, pulled by Wil, the fractious horse from the day before. Pulling up the rear was Jim, driving Heidi, with their dog Kara for company.
We mostly walked, with some short trot sections. Ian has a much bigger trot than those ahead of us, so we didn’t get to trot much at all. Ian’s walk is usually very slow, but he was keeping up pretty good, I guess he had incentive to keep up. Wil wasn’t very happy about being behind us, but he pretty much behaved, and I thought it was good for Ian to deal with a new noise behind. The route took us about 3 miles on the dirt road, then we skirted a hay field, and went out into the cow pasture. Scott Koetting and Jim took care of the gates (THANKS!). Ian had to deal with cows in the pasture, and he did quite well, staying focused on me. Some were running around quite a bit, rounding up their calves, but they are well used to carriages. We took a potty break next to an abandoned house, while the passengers headed the horses. Jim sicced Kara on the cows, and made a stampede, and Ian stood well.
Donna took us down a little gully and up the other side. Kay lurched forward, and that spooked Ian, but I got him back focused on me, and made him walk up the hill while Lori and Wil passed us. Then we went through a big gully, and Ian pulled like a trooper up the other side, at a forced walk - he wanted to trot up the hill like some of the others. I wasn’t letting him pick the gait. When we got to the top, we went along the edge of the ridge, and could look out on a beautiful view of a large valley, and then farther out, the Missouri Breaks. We went down a rather steep hill and then got on an old road. I was glad for my brakes. The road then curved around a hill, and down in a gully and then there was a long hill back to where the cows were. Everyone trotted up the hill, and I made Ian walk the first bit, and then gave him the trott command. He is so powerful, he was doing an awesome trot up the hill. I was watching the footing, and ended up driving beside the road because the ruts were so deep. It was exhiliarating, because I knew I was in complete control, but we were going quite fast. He has a very big powerful trot. Can’t wait to use it in a CDE!
We rested at the top of the hill and then made our way back to the main road. Scott Koetting took a couple of pictures with Donna’s camera, so hopefully I’ll be able to link to them. We walked all the way home. Some of the horses did some trotting, but Ian was outwalking! them so I had to stop a few times, so when they trotted I just let them go. Ian was really swinging along, it didn’t hurt that we were going slightly downhill most of the time, but I was thrilled. The only thing I was unhappy about is that he was starting to follow what the other animals did instead of waiting for my commands, so when we stopped to go through the gates, I made him stay halted until I gave him the ‘Ian, walk’ command. He got a little fussy about that, but I just made him whoa.
When we got back it was lunch time, and most of the people were leaving. They’d gotten what they wanted out of the clinic and wanted to get on the road. Donna asked if I wanted to do more, and I said, yeah, I want to do a water crossing, and if (WHEN) we get that done, I’m happy. Ian is a dry land horse, and doesn’t know what water is.
So, we had another wonderful lunch, and then everyone else packed up and left. It was great seeing everyone, and meeting new people. After they left, I got Ian hitched again, while Donna caught Emily, another mule, and hitched her up. She also had to put the mules that were out with Emily in a corral, so we could go through their pasture.
Finally we got going, and went through the pasture over to the creek. Donna circled so Ian was right behind her, and then entered the creek. Ian got about 3 feet away, put his head down, and then whirled to the right. He went to the point where the wheels came off the ground on one side before he stopped. My husband, Scott, got off the back and led him back to straight, and then I asked him to walk again. I whacked him on the rear whenever he tried to back off from the creek, and told him good boy whenever he moved toward the creek, but we didn’t really make any progress. Donna came back across and tried to give him a lead again, but it didn’t really help.
Scott Koetting was riding on the back of her carriage, and he offered to try to lead him in. He led Ian to the shallowest part of the crossing and tried to lead him in with the bridle. He got really close, and then Ian pulled back and the bridle came off. That was a scary moment! I have the throatlatch loose because Ian has a big jowl, and I don’t want to restrict his flexion. Didn’t even think to tighten it for this. Donna had DH Scott jump off and help contain Ian until they could get the bridle back on. Donna decided we needed a halter, so she and Scott K went back to my trailer to get it. I turned Ian back to the creek so he could cogitate on it while they were gone. While both Scotts put the halter on Ian, and restrung my lines, Donna and I were discussing how far we’d go to get the job done. I said he’s going in this creek today, one way or another, and Donna said she’d pull him through with the pickup if she had to.
Ian must’ve been listening, because when Scott K led him down to the water, he tip-toed in without much trouble. I was so proud of Ian that he didn’t try to run Scott over to get out of the creek, because at that point, Scott was right in front of him. I turned Ian right a bit, so he could get past Scott and it was a tough trip out, not in the normal path, but we made it. Then Scott K took the lead shank off and got back on Donna’s carriage, and she led us back through. It took some encouragement, but he followed, with his head down. I still don’t think he knew what it was. The next time through, he stuck his head in and drank, so then he knew it was water. We went through several times at the walk, with Donna leading, and then several times at the trot. That was REALLY FUN! I think Ian even enjoyed himself, it seemed like he was making it splash more than he had to by the end. As soon as he seemed to be having fun, I stopped. I didn’t want to get past the fun point, because I knew he was probably pretty tired, at the end of the weekend.
I was just thrilled to end on such a good note. This clinic has been really good for me, because now I know how Ian reacts to things, and what I need to do. Since Ian is my first driving horse, I’ve always been worried in the back of my mind about a runaway, but that’s not Ian’s style. He’ll whirl or jump forward, but then it’s over. And I’m very thrilled about the sturdiness and durability of my carriage. I’m much more confident now about my own abilities, and how to handle new situations. I want to thank Donna so much for her help and Kelli, too, for her input. Also a big thanks to Scott K, for (literally) jumping in and getting his feet wet, and for all his help this weekend. And to Jim, who tried to get my dressage shafts off so I can put the marathon shafts on. And, last but not least, to my husband for coming on Sunday, to be my navigator, and his support all the time.