[drivingpairs] WE DID IT! WE DID IT!

Re: WE DID IT!  WE DID IT!
Subject: WE DID IT! WE DID IT!
Hello Pairs List! 

I have to brag!!!!

Due to stringhalt, we had to retire my older gelding from the pair.  We 
replaced him with a 12 year old Morgan Mare.  I was very impressed with this 
mare.  A friend owned her.  She had been trained at one time, but spent 4 years 
or so as a broodmare on a 600 acre Wyoming ranch.  My friend owned her for a 
year, but they didn't drive. 

The first time I drove her, she hadn't been hitched in probably 4-5 years.  I 
ground drove for 5 minutes and then hitched to a jog cart.  She was great.  The 
training showed through.  Due to family illness, I only got to hitch her with 
the younger gelding today.

"GT"  (HCR Governors Twenty) is a bay, 15 year old Morgan gelding.  He is close 
to 3" taller than the mare.  But I think he'll measure in under 14.3.   I drove 
him in my first pair, with his sire, Marvelous Firehawk.  So he was experienced.

We had no clue if the new mare, Jemi, (Redcliff's Jemilee) had been trained in 
a pair.  I kind of figured she had since she was so well trained as a single.

So today with the help of Debi Packard at Clay Station Horse Park, we hitched! 
(Wilton/ Sacramento, CA)

They were magnificent!  Jemi tended to wobble a bit and kept hitting the pole.  
GT in return kept his ears back.  But she came around very nicely and really 
started bending with whip cues.  We drove for about 45 minutes.  She obviously 
has been hitched as a pair before.  They started together very nicely and 
walked off without a problem. 

GT, who hadn't been hitched in a pair for over a year, was great!  It helps 
that he and Jemi are pasture buddies.

YAHOO!!!!!  What a feeling!  We're planning on the Trinity CDE in Hayfork, CA 
as our first CDE.  Now I need to work on my driving skills!

Working with the new longer pairs whip is a challenge. Hard to practice in the 
house with multiple cats!  
What a wonderful day!

Just had to brag/share!  Happy "belated" Thanksgiving to all!

Joyce Williams
Dust Off Morgan FArm
Greenwood, CA



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