Driving of a different sort**New Photos post 6**

[LostFarmer]

It is that time of year when a group of us get together to pull at an area indoor arena. Not much to do in an Idaho winter and what better way to spend a Valentines day evening. :winkgrin: We took the little grays down to the pulls.
http://i512.photobucket.com/albums/t323/lostfarmer1/Ty%20Hector/horse%20pulls/IMG_2874.jpg
The Lost boys wanted to do the warms ups. Here is #3 getting them warmed up. I think we need to be sure and turn up the oats. :yes:

http://i512.photobucket.com/albums/t323/lostfarmer1/Ty%20Hector/horse%20pulls/IMG_2877.jpg
LC #2 wanted to try his hand at driving. He is 10 and just getting started learning to drive pulling horses. He did well but when the load started to get heavy he handed me the lines. Not that I do any better than he does.

http://i512.photobucket.com/albums/t323/lostfarmer1/Ty%20Hector/horse%20pulls/IMG_2880.jpg
This is hooked on 2500 lbs. They pulled this load clear through with a little to spare. I was proud of the little buggers. They gave me all they had.

http://i512.photobucket.com/albums/t323/lostfarmer1/Ty%20Hector/horse%20pulls/IMG_2881.jpg This was the last pull on 3000 lbs. not much more you can ask of a 450 lb pair of ponies. They laid it all out there and made a scratch of it.

Not much better than being with the ones you love on Valentines Day. :D Mrs. Lost was behind the lens so she was there too. LF

[Drive NJ]

Well they showed you a lot of heart for Valentines Day. GOOD ponies!

Congratulations on another great pair of ponies. and a darn cool family too.

[Cielo Azure]

That is a lot of weight for such little guys!

Very cool.

[Ashemont]

What fun! And what good ponies. They've sure come a long way in a short amount of time :yes: Better watch out Dad!

[Cartfall]

As always, your adventures with your family and horsesponies are very cool. I do enjoy seeing your side of driving.

Good little guys. (both lost children and ponies!!!!):lol:

[LostFarmer]

We had our Draft and Mule play day and spring clinic. Here are a few of the pictures. It was cold and muddy so the ponies are in the winter woolies and a little green. White ponies in the spring.... The pictures are in an indoor and you all know how hard it is to get a decent photo.

C#2 with Ty is a cart class. This is the third cart hitch on Ty. He was hooked once last summer, and Friday night before this run. He has been used as a team for many miles so it is not like we through a totally green horse out there. Here is the looking pretty mode.
http://i512.photobucket.com/albums/t323/lostfarmer1/Ty%20Hector/horse%20pulls/IMG_2897_2.jpg

C#3 with Cricket in the cart. This is his first year to really be able to drive in 4-H. He has a quieter disposition and his horse feels it. He isn't as polished as older brother but in some ways a better driver.
http://i512.photobucket.com/albums/t323/lostfarmer1/Ty%20Hector/horse%20pulls/IMG_2900_1.jpg

Now for the pulling ponies. This picture was taken 2 weeks ago at one of the horse pulls. I think it is a pretty good shot showing them giving all they had to make a pull of it.
http://i512.photobucket.com/albums/t323/lostfarmer1/Ty%20Hector/horse%20pulls/KataMarch52009187.jpg

Here is Ty and Hector hooked to 2500 lbs. They pulled this a full 20 foot pull and we called it a night. No use souring them after they give a big effort.
http://i512.photobucket.com/albums/t323/lostfarmer1/Ty%20Hector/horse%20pulls/IMG_2918_1.jpg

It was a great day. We had 20 or so carts and wagons going. We had a queen contest that I had the dubious honor of judging. A log scoot that went well. We did pretty good with the grays but then there is less of them to get between the cones than the big horses. The horse pull had 19 teams not as many as some of our other pulls earlier in the winter. Calving season and people get busy. Thanks for looking, LF

[CDE Driver]

As always, great photos Lost Farmer! That looks like great fun!

Maybe I can send Apollo to you to really learn what work is and I'll take your ponies for dressage! ;) :) ;)

[Cartfall]

As always, loved all of the phots.

But my favorite is the first one with one of your boys with a young lady beside him. Is she a relative or friend? All sorts of cute captions came to mind !!!!

[MunchingonHay]

The last thing that I want to do is start a huge debate and uproar the locals on here since I am usually just a lurker,

But Lost Farmer, Why do you use checks on your ponies? I would think that you would want them to put their heads down and use their backs to push in to the collar better, but the fact that they wear checks does not allow them to do so.

I never understood this with trotting horses either? An animal can push better from behind and go more forward if able to lower their head and use their body.

I worked with standardbreds many many years ago and when I asked such a question the answer was always, "one horse trotted faster with her head in the air, so all the trainers started doing it and it became tradition".

If it is tradition that has you using the checks, then have you ever tried to pull without them on? Or do you just always use them? Should tradition dictate over better, more effective body use?

Do you have to have them on? is it stated in the rules that ponies and horses must have on checks either side or overchecks?


The engine's in the back baby and I say, let them drop their heads and PULL !

[LostFarmer]

As always, loved all of the phots.

But my favorite is the first one with one of your boys with a young lady beside him. Is she a relative or friend? All sorts of cute captions came to mind !!!!

That is big sister that has no interest in the ponies. She would rather watch then drive. She is scared of the horses in fact. I thought it good than she was with us. You don't hear much about child #1 because that is her and she is not into horses and this is a horse board. LF

[LostFarmer]

The last thing that I want to do is start a huge debate and uproar the locals on here since I am usually just a lurker,

But Lost Farmer, Why do you use checks on your ponies? I would think that you would want them to put their heads down and use their backs to push in to the collar better, but the fact that they wear checks does not allow them to do so.

I never understood this with trotting horses either? An animal can push better from behind and go more forward if able to lower their head and use their body.

I worked with standardbreds many many years ago and when I asked such a question the answer was always, "one horse trotted faster with her head in the air, so all the trainers started doing it and it became tradition".

If it is tradition that has you using the checks, then have you ever tried to pull without them on? Or do you just always use them? Should tradition dictate over better, more effective body use?

Do you have to have them on? is it stated in the rules that ponies and horses must have on checks either side or overchecks?


The engine's in the back baby and I say, let them drop their heads and PULL !

Good questions. The answer is it depends. I have pulled with and with out side checks and you will notice that mine are not very tight. I like them tight enough to keep them from getting their head down in the neck yoke for most driving. I have undone the checks and the seem to be lost without them. Maybe if they were removed all the time they would get used to not having them there. For me as much as anything I like to keep them checked to keep them out of mischief. My horses are required to stand without anyone on the lines while I do chores with them. The checks keep them from dinking around doing chores. I never pull them like this except when we come to town. I work them on a load that is all they want to pull in a half mile. I want them winded at a half mile and wanting to rest. I then come home a 1/4 then rest, and 1/8th then rest, then a couple of rests on in. It takes slow building up of the muscle to get them to this point. I want them to believe that they can pull anything I hook them to. I guess I try to keep things the same at town as at home. Nothing magic but it is what I do. LF

[MunchingonHay]

Thanks Farmer for the insight.

I did notice that they were loose on your ponies, which is why I questioned in the first place.


Thanks for the answers it helped me understand your position behind using them.

I am going to go back to munchin' on some hay.

[twofatponies]

... I never pull them like this except when we come to town. I work them on a load that is all they want to pull in a half mile. I want them winded at a half mile and wanting to rest. I then come home a 1/4 then rest, and 1/8th then rest, then a couple of rests on in. It takes slow building up of the muscle to get them to this point. I want them to believe that they can pull anything I hook them to. I guess I try to keep things the same at town as at home. Nothing magic but it is what I do. LF

I wondered how the training was done, to build them up for the pulling. I've seen the pony pulls at the local fair, and those critters are strong!!! I wondered if all the guys there use the ponies for other work, too, or just have them for pulling.

[whoopdeedo]

I always chuckle at the "other " ponies, mules, or drafts watching their competition take their turn. It's like they are watching " the other guys" and seem to get ready to out do 'em!
One of your photos shows the competition looking on.