Combined driving clinic

We had a clinic with Elisa Marocchi two weekends ago and really enoyed it.
What I learned: (not in any particular order)
1. Plan your cones course from outside line to outside line. Sometimes it is better and faster to go the long way.
2. There are always many different ways to plot your path in a Hazard. The shortest isn't always the fastest. When you change directions it is like adding in five or six extra strides.
3. Half halts should be timed to co-ordinate with the picking up the the inside hind leg. (I am still working on when to squeeze and when to release on the half halt)
4. check your harness carefully for safety. Even if you think the blinkers are not rubbing on your horse's eyes, they may be. Have someone else look at them to see what is happening.
5. The breeching strap (the brake) should be wide - usually much wider than comes with most harness.
6. Be careful in your selection of bits. A loose cheek liverpool can really pinch a horse's lips, and a straight bar is more severe than you might think because there is no tongue release.
7. Try to use release rather than pull in steering your horse. Release the outside line to turn. (Half halt, release, half halt release)
8. A 40 metre circle has four points on the rail or at centre. Drive to each point to make a proper circle.
9. You have to have a nose band on a bridle - or caveson.
10. Wear gloves and carry your whip so that you can get used to the feel of it. The whip should be carried at a 45 degree angle across your body and should be long enough to be able to touch the shoulder of your horse.
11. Presentation dress should be conservative and coordinated. Women's hats should not be floppy. A small brim is appropriate.
12. Under your apron you can wear dark pans and black boots, or a skirt, if you are a woman.
13. I'll add to this as I check my notes.

Working on the bob sleigh

We had an unfortunate accident at Christmas time. The standardbred team was hitched to the big bob sleigh for the first time. Ted, the left hand horse on the team was used to being hitched without a free moving double tree so he could just ride along and let June carry the load. With the true doubletree, when June hit the tugs his collar pulled back into his shoulders and he was forced to carry the bigger part of the load. It was interesting watching him try to figure out how to get those tugs loose, but the harder he tried, the heavier was the pull. Being the good natured standardbred that he is, he soon was pulling right up there with June. Coming home from the ride though, there was a sharp left hand turn into the drive way and Ted hates it when the pole comes towards him. June, being the eager one, turned sharp into the driveway and the pole came over onto Ted and he kicked out at it. It was mounted too low on that sleigh and Ted got his right rear leg over the pole and went down. Fortunately, June, being the perfect horse that she is, stood very still and waited while we tried to extricate Ted. Right about that time, June stepped into a coil of plumbers pipe that was hidden in the snow. That black snake rose up out of the snow, coiled around her back legs and Fred shouted WHOA, and she just stood there, trapped by the snake with Ted half under her. Ted finally was able to get up. It's a good think too, because with that heavy sleigh behind him and his harness jammed between the single tree and the neck yoke we really couldn't get him loose. They both then started moving fast and Fred was able to turn them into the side of the barn where they came to a halt. Ted was a little sore in the right hind for a day or two, but neither of them were injured seriously.

Ted and June on the light sleigh


Ted and June in the summer on the combined driving carriage

The sleigh was a different matter. The tongue was actually separated from the sleigh body. There is a risk when you buy an old painted sleigh. On further inspection, the tongue was made out of treated fir and the roller that attached it to the runners was actually a piece of cedar, not the strongest wood for sleigh construction. We were lucky that the accident happened when it did because it could have been much worse if we had been moving fast and that roller had come away from the sleigh. It was an old work sled when we bought it, so we knew that there would need to be some restoration, but the metal was good, so now we get to work on the restoration. The runners are fir, but they seem to be in good shape so we will work on it as it needs it. I will post pictures of the work as we go along. Fred is working on the new oak tongue and rollers, so this will be one high class working sleigh when it is finished, a far cry from its Chilcotin past as a hay feeding sled.

The projects for the next while after we get the sleigh back in working order include changing the wheels from the metal ones to nice big wood wheels on the market show wagon, building the body for the piano box buggy, and the body for the Quebec sleigh. Lots of work to do.