I've worked with Arrow twice on driving with long reins. The first day my friend Brian led her around while I directed them both from behind. We walked around and trotted too (left Brian, whoa Arrow, whoa Brian... like that- team driving!) Then the day after that I drove her around the roundpen and pasture in wavy lines. It would have appeared to any observers (none present I hope) that at least one of us was very drunk at 8:30am in the morning. But she got the basic idea and learned to stop and back up and we finally drove back into the roundpen without hurting anyone or anything. Everything is so much fun with Arrow- I was late to work but couldn't leave her.
Then came a snowy Saturday when we just went for a trail walk and trotted along the roads in the setting darkness. I tried to teach Arrow to pick up a jolly-ball and she did once but then we ran out of carrots and she failed to see the point of picking it up off a snowy picnic table.
Sunday was snowy and sunny. We played in the arena (Arrow is really getting good at the 'circling game' and goes over the logs and around trees without hesitation. Next, I jerry-rigged the saddle into a surcingle of sorts and used my side-reins and 12' leadrope to make longreins and off we went. Arrow got the "driving" better than I could have expected today and pretty soon we were trotting only slightly drunk clover leaf pattens around the barrels and walking over logs, halting, backing up and doing nice turns on the haunches. Every car that passed saw a little mustang getting big hugs.
Then we "drove" up the neighbor's driveway, turned around and went to the barn where we picked up a tire to pull. I started with pulling the tire (leashed with Arrow's old leadrope) next to her and behind her. Even if it bumped her feet she was steady. Then passed the tire's leadrope through the saddle's girth straps and she helped me pull it down the road. Then I let her pull it alone. She marched along beautifully (leading me to wonder if she'd done this before? in a past life?) and then we turned around and she pulled the tire, and a lot of snow, up the driveway, through a half-frozen puddle and then up a little hill and through the woods.
Eileen and Skip, who own the place where Arrow lives with their herd, popped out to ask me if I'd like to borrow the cart and harness... YES! So hopefully we can be driving for real soon-- this has always been a dream of mine. Because Arrow is only 2 1/2 and not a very large horse, I'd like to wait til she's closer to three before riding her much, so the driving will be wonderful training for riding too.
To get a photo I had Arrow stand and Fiddle (my cattle dog) sit on the tire. If she moved I just went back to her, lifted up the tire and had her back up, 5-10-15 steps, no matter, she's getting good at this! Fiddle was understandably nervous about the situation and when Arrow lifted up her foot (because of the lines, not Fiddle) he looked at me warily. When Arrow started to walk, Fiddle leapt out of the tire. I'll have to rig up a little sleigh for me to stand on and eventually both Fiddle and I can sit in the cart I hope.
At the end of the day I give Arrow a few oats and her vitamins. Today she nickered when I came out of the barn with the pan-- probably one of the best sounds in the world. I'm glad I can give her this small pleasure. She eats off the picnic table with Fiddle and I watching- a nice, quiet time. Fiddle likes to lick the pan while I turn Arrow back out with the other horses.
Then it is time to go home and get back on the computer to try and save her compatriots still in the wild.
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