training Pete

We have driven him about three times hooked to a tongue. We have ground driven him on a few days when we didn’t have the time or people to hook him up. In ground driving we are carefully hooking him to single trees and chains with an emphasis on keeping him relaxed and not getting away. Last week we broke the front off of the sled I built; combination of bad materials from the scrap pile and week design, yesterday we hooked him to the forecart.

All three times we have had to use the foot rope. It is simple and not an alarming event for him, but it does stop him. Yesterday we went over a couple miles of woods and fields. He was good, but made one concerted effort to get away as we were returning to the barn through the woods. He went about 100′ at a gallop on three legs. he was much easier to hook yesterday and it only took two of us; one at the head while the other hooked. he moved over toward the tongue with the help of the but rope and stayed pretty still while we hooked. Progress?

I think the process and the tools are working and working well. It is just a slow process at this point based on the history we have developed that we need to undue. I wish I had started with it much earlier. The only problem with that would be: I would much prefer to work an animal by ground driving until they settle with that and then add a pole. In our experience with this system it wasn’t fol proof for ground driving (read we feel down once while trying that). It has been fool proof for anything we could sit on or stand on.

In order to employ it earlier would basically mean moving an animal that has gotten away to a cart or sled directly. Probably what I would do much sooner next time. I hate to admit it but I am contemplating selling Pete. I think he is an awesome animal but might not be what I need right now. I will keep you posted. d

Hi Carl, Good questions. We made sort of a home made hobble. It is wide leather with a buckle for a good fit. We started out with a 3:1 with a pulley on the belly band and one on the d ring (no pulley on the foot – just running the rope through a large lock link). This gave us plenty of lifting power, but a slower response when we wanted to lift. Turns out you only really capture the foot when the animal lifts it anyway. Last time we used it I modified it with out the pulleys and a simple 2:1, this seemed to work also although I am not sure which one worked better. I tried to do something similar about 25 years ago and it was a real failure, so I think keeping the rope system simple and combining it with a good cart or sled, and working with the right people are all elements that make it work this time. I wish I had more time because i would hook him every day. We still manage the situation, plan the where the equipment is parked, which way it faces, which way we will go first. For us, with Pete, all these things matter.

With a little more time using the foot rope I see it more clearly than I did just as it applied to Pete. To start it on a green animal would be simple and just take a few minutes to introduce while standing around. Basically the same process as putting a harness on for the first time or anything else. While standing still, “hey look, I can pick up your foot!”. Teach him that when stopping a time or two and then walk off and teach him to drive, work etc. Take it off or put it on at point. a couple things I most liked about it where; it didn’t try to scare the animal it just had a great way to stop them. Also he quickly learned what “it “was and what it did. This meant that with out full deployment “taking his leg out”, you could just give it a shake and he would settle a little. Also with this added control method you don’t need to be a tight or be too quick on the lines. Imagine how you drive when you feel an animal is just about to take bolt or might try to run. You naturally tighten a little to prevent the mishap. Here you can just relax and drive naturally, which helps them relax.