[drivingpairs] New Horse in a Pair

From: kathy robertson <goodhors@xxxxxxxxx>
To: drivingpairs@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Sun, 17 Nov 2002 15:51:04 -0800 (PST)
We also try to start a pair with an experienced horse
on one side.  You can depend on experienced horse to
follow directions and keep going while Jr. might
bounce in place a little, especially if he is also
green as a single.

Something not mentioned.  We fasten the evener down
tight if vehicle has one.  This lets horses walk off
without the pulling back and forth at start.  Evener
is kept tied down until BOTH horses walk off calmly at
the command to "Walk On".  Not much uglier than a
jiggy, see-saw start on a multiple.  Very hard to
overcome such bad beginnings, smoothing them out.

We are the opposite of Dave in trace length.  Our Jr.
horse has longer traces.  He doesn't get the load
until the other horse has already started it.  Often
beginners will start slow, then hit the trace/load,
then back off.  If you make it easy, load is started,
just singletree to pull off of, not evener.  They
don't get as anxious.  As Jr. goes back and forth,
other horse just keeps going forward, sometimes also
pulling Jr. to move him along.  Usually takes several
strides for Jr. to find his place because he does not
always start well.  Beginner horses have to learn to
be brave when taking a load.  Takes a while.  Easy to
overface them with too much weight.
  We adjust the coupling reins to make the horses
comfortable with uneven trace length.  Achenbach reins
will allow MUCH adjusment to compensate for height or
length differences.  We never lose contact with the
experienced horse.  However experienced horse is doing
80% of work.  Jr has enough to do just learning his
place and staying in it!!  As I said, WHEN  Jr.
understands directions and follows them promptly, we
can start adjusting things for him to take on more
work.    We have found it very easy to overload his
small mind with too much change at once.  It scares
him.
  Making it easy for him to be successful, gives him
confidence.  Easier for him to keep willingly trying
new things, when we ask them of him.  He always wins
and is praised.  Our horses have to trust us when we
ask for weird things in CDE hazards or going down the
road.  We take good care of them so they are willing
to try peculiar requests from us without argument.

Kathy Robertson

> Thank you Dave. My number one guy is experienced. I
> just am a bit concerned
> if the younger one will learn to pull as effectively
> going straight to a
> pair. Don't want no slackers!!!!:~)

> okay to start a green
> > horse in a pair if you have an experienced one
> already there. 
 question of control, have shorter traces on the green
one, so if it should get frisky, it can't get ahead of
the other.  If it gets ahead, you no longer have
> > contact with the experienced horse, the one whose
> help you need.


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[drivingpairs] New Horse in a Pair

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