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[kriss10]

Joan - I think part of the prancing on the trails issue is my sister. She tends to be a bit tense. She tends to be always be ready for them to do something silly, and they don't disappoint. I'm a lot more layed back - I don't expect them to do something dumb at every corner, and they usually don't. Same horse - different style - different outcome.

As for finding the horse - Her husband has lots of friends still in the Tacoma area - one of them was in the right place at the right time. Tells me it was meant to be

[drafthand]

Kriss, I have seen similar things with new teamsters. I have watched "bomb-proof" teams fall apart when the driver gets nervous. I was taught that there is a spider-web string from your brain to the horses brain and all goes well until that string breaks. Some animals need "support" and that is a hard concept to teach. One old horse drove well until you let the lines go slack and he would just go to pieces.
Joan, We will have two teams in Snoqualmie on Saturday the 1st around 5:00pm and I believe that the wife will have her carriage in old Bellevue on the 15 & 16th. I have some other rides for private groups as well. Make the hobby pay for itself.

[Joan Deutsch]

by kriss10 on 09 Nov 2012, 14:13

Joan - I think part of the prancing on the trails issue is my sister. She tends to be a bit tense. She tends to be always be ready for them to do something silly, and they don't disappoint. I'm a lot more layed back - I don't expect them to do something dumb at every corner, and they usually don't. Same horse - different style - different outcome.

Kriss, Your sister is a bit tense but still is a good trainer? Or is she just tense on the trails? Has she had a chance to do much with Ricky yet?

[drafthand]

Weather broke enough that we got a short ride in. The wife rode her Peruvian and one of our friends and myself rode two of the drafts. Today was a really nice day to get outside. Been trying to get ready for the Christmas season. I refurbished one of the wagons and installed bench seats. It is surprising how many "city folk" are allergic to the dust and molds that are in straw and hay. Looked at the harnesses and they now have a green "patina" covering them. Now a harness cleaning party is in order. Boredom is never an issue with our outfit.
Visited some friends in eastern WA and there is a good possibility that another horse will be comming our way. The owner just dosen't use her. She may even be in foal. Good thing that I can trim my horses feet--that would be expensive. Several farriers won't do drafts for good reason. I (gladly) pay my farrier when we need shoes as it is much harder to do a draft. Future plans are to hook a six-up. Just need lead lines and a swing pole, we just gotta keep pushing the envelope. Have to see what the plowings bring.

[kriss10]

by kriss10 on 09 Nov 2012, 14:13

Joan - I think part of the prancing on the trails issue is my sister. She tends to be a bit tense. She tends to be always be ready for them to do something silly, and they don't disappoint. I'm a lot more layed back - I don't expect them to do something dumb at every corner, and they usually don't. Same horse - different style - different outcome.

Kriss, Your sister is a bit tense but still is a good trainer? Or is she just tense on the trails? Has she had a chance to do much with Ricky yet?

She has a preference for a controlled environment - round pen or arena. She is an excellent trainer however, as long as she is in her element. She does not mind the repetition required to finish a horse and make them really solid with leads, spins, side passing and conservative slide stops (not the big slides you see in a reining competition). I get bored and just want to cover miles... Anyhow, she took Ricky back to the round pen and driving lines before she would ride him. Just the difference between us I guess. Annie won her a lot of money and 3 saddles as a barrel/rope horse and was never ridden by anyone else until she came here. Since living with me, I have been throwing every kid who wants to ride on her back and she has excelled as a kids horse. I trust her, and she seems to "get it". I'm looking forward to my sister and her husband getting back up here. Our methods compliment each other, and it will be nice when we don't have to haul a horse 1300 miles to do the handoff.

Kriss, I have seen similar things with new teamsters. I have watched "bomb-proof" teams fall apart when the driver gets nervous. I was taught that there is a spider-web string from your brain to the horses brain and all goes well until that string breaks. Some animals need "support" and that is a hard concept to teach. One old horse drove well until you let the lines go slack and he would just go to pieces.

It is almost impossible to teach - some people have "the feel" (we tend to call them "naturals") and some people will always struggle. Some will finally "get it" and everything will fall into place.

[Joan Deutsch]

Joan, We will have two teams in Snoqualmie on Saturday the 1st around 5:00pm and I believe that the wife will have her carriage in old Bellevue on the 15 & 16th. I have some other rides for private groups as well. Make the hobby pay for itself.

Drafthand, You'll be driving your team in Snoqualmie in the dark? How late will the event go?

[Joan Deutsch]

She has a preference for a controlled environment - round pen or arena. She is an excellent trainer however, as long as she is in her element. She does not mind the repetition required to finish a horse and make them really solid with leads, spins, side passing and conservative slide stops (not the big slides you see in a reining competition). I get bored and just want to cover miles... Anyhow, she took Ricky back to the round pen and driving lines before she would ride him. Just the difference between us I guess. Annie won her a lot of money and 3 saddles as a barrel/rope horse and was never ridden by anyone else until she came here. Since living with me, I have been throwing every kid who wants to ride on her back and she has excelled as a kids horse. I trust her, and she seems to "get it". I'm looking forward to my sister and her husband getting back up here. Our methods compliment each other, and it will be nice when we don't have to haul a horse 1300 miles to do the handoff.

Kriss, I also would rather cover miles on the trail instead of the arena. But there's a lot to be said for finishing work. Is your sister planning to move to Oregon?

[Real time]

Yesterday we headed out on a ride after work. Daylight didn't last long so we ended up riding under the moonlit sky. It was quite nice. The horses were well behaved and we had sufficient light to see where we were going. I wish the weather were going to be dry the rest of the week so I could do it again!

[kriss10]

@Joan - Yes, there is something to be said for a finished horse... I'm just glad I can get her to do the dirty work for me

After we finish paying off the house, I hope that we are able to build an indoor arena. Just a small one, but if I could ride more consistently I could do the finish work myself. It's not my favorite, and it takes me longer than most to get to that point, but I don't think I will be able to convince her to finish Lucy, Bug and Scooter for me as well. And if she takes Lucy home with her, I may not get her back.

[drafthand]

Joan,
We will have two teams out in the dark at Snoqualmie. Roughly, we will be there 4ish till 7(?). We put lots of lights on the wagons and stay off of the main roads. We may be crazy, but we are not out of our minds. Had a nasty bunch of wind today that ripped off a wagon top and broke two bows. More things to fix.