[Thecowboysgirl]

Okay, well I mainly wanted to make sure I wasn’t way off base to think I could take this mare and tell her she needs to behave while working even if she bosses him alot in the pasture.

These two have been together for a minimum of five years, so they do know each other well.

When they first came home I really didn’t see her being nasty so it wasn’t an issue and then one day the honeymoon wore off and she started getting after him in front of me.

It sounds like there is a good chance I can lay down the law with her and still turn them into a functioning team (for all I know, they already have been a team, they have been passed from owner to owner together for many years now)

The previous owner told me that they could not be handfed when loose together or they would fight (more that she would beat him). I hand feed them every day, I give them a vitamin supplement because they eat no grain and live on pasture. I let them know that they get their turn when I hold it out to that specific horse and I don’t want to be pushed and I don’t want any nasty faces between them either. They eat out of my hand 2x a day 98% without incident at this point. Generally a good fingernail poke in the muzzle will make them back off and wait their turn.

I also know the previous owner was a bit intimidated by them and they likely ran with that, I am a much more confident person than she is but I am really wary of thinking I can do something that isn’t realistic and winding up with a nasty injury to the gelding or myself because I got too full of myself and thought I could boss this mare around. So…I guess I will just continue to be consistent and very firm with them but keep some degree of caution…this mare has injured other horses and once, a rider of the horse she nailed so she is not making empty threats.

At this point I feel that what I am trying to do is working so I will move forward as if it is going to work until and unless she proves me wrong 🙂 I do have red hair… 🙂

[Thecowboysgirl]

PS his worst spook to date he came pretty close to jumping on me while I was double leading them through the gate to their pasture. I gave him a pretty hard time about it and backed him up and made him walk through the gate nice. Can’t have 1000lbs in my lap. It was the ribbon on the hotwire that made him spook, and I have since shook that ribbon all over him and got him to stand for it and no more trouble at leading at all.

[Thecowboysgirl]

Billy…this thread is old, I don’t know if you’ll see it, but here’s my problem. I can’t really separate the two. They are the only two horses on the farm and are quite bonded to each other. If I take one out of sight, the other freaks.

I could ground drive him around more if perhaps my daughter would lead Daisy along nearby…

[Thecowboysgirl]

My haflingers did something very similar to this their first day here. I am keeping them in a dirt roundpen while I wean them onto the grass, and I forgot to turn on the hotwire (well, technically I turned it on but forgot to hook the handle on the gate which gave juice to their section)

They busted through a post and rail fence and a two strands of wire and were happily running amok on the pasture. Guess I learned my lesson. They hadn’t seen grass in three years or so. I knew they’d do it which was why I hotwired the round pen especially for them. Then forgot to turn it on (palm to forhead)

[Thecowboysgirl]

@drafthorsey 32080 wrote:

Good going! Duke sounds like when you’re trying to get the top off a pickle jar that has a mind of its own, when all of sudden POP, it does what its supposed to. drafthorsey

Duke can be kind of foolish, he likes to blow at stuff (but I also think he may have less than full vision in one eye) but he is also very energetic. Daisy is a bit lazy but also unlikely to spook. My hope is that she’ll settle him and he’ll energize her. I have a suspicion that he might be a great worker if I can get him to be halfway reliable. He seems to never run out of go-juice.

Both of them have these old school horse habits where they play the game of “nope, I’m going back to the barn (or wherever my buddy is tied) and thanks I’m done working now”. They don’t bolt, just attempt to turn and walk stubbornly back. If that’s their nastiest trick, I’m not complaining.

Re: pictures lol my hands were full but next time maybe I can get the hubby to take some. They have this week off because I have to build a fence and I just don’t have time to do it all.

[Thecowboysgirl]

And my farrier came today. He was like “why in the world did you want haflingers” lol, everyone around here likes QHs. So I told him what I am trying to do and he says, you must know how to drive. Nope. Says I (really TIRED!!! can you tell)

He says, hey I have a client who drives competetively, I bet she’d help you. So he called her up while he was working on my horses and she said sure she would help. She’s only the next town over. So I think this is great news.

Plus my dairy goat gave birth today (why I am so tired) we have healthy twins and soon lots of our own organic milk again. Was my first goat birth. Very exciting. We started this last year, got her in milk. Then dried her off after I bred her to my buck.

[Thecowboysgirl]

Okay…Doc Hammill it is, as soon as I sell another dog training package 🙂

[Thecowboysgirl]

Thanks for the discussion of bits & all your explanations. I am ground driving & longeing in the snaffle with no problem. Have not had a chance to ride them in it yet.

If I ever get the sense it’s too soft for them I’ll try that Liverpool. That sounds like a good step 2. If they want to do anything it’s go slow 🙂 Which is FINE with me.

[Thecowboysgirl]

If you’re going to buy bits with shanks (Liverpool, Buxton, Ellbow, Butterfly), dont buy any jointed ones.

Your description of the liverpool sounds great…could you explain jointed vs non jointed. I don’t think I’ve ever used a nonjoined bit.

Thanks

[Thecowboysgirl]

Well, I use different gear on my dogs depending on where we are going, so that theory makes sense. There are times when I need “power steering” on the dogs. So thinking ahead to the situation and what kind of stimulation/excitement ect it might cause the animal is something I’m familiar with.

I guess philosophically I always want to start on something soft and work my way up as needed. But I have also seen a few bad wrecks caused by riders who got into a pinch and then wound up panicking and yanking on a harsh bit which caused the horse to rear and flip or some other nasty outcome.

But it sounds like people can and do drive in very soft bits so I will feel my way along from here. I am not unwilling to use something else if I need to. I have great hands while riding, I just don’t know if that transfers to being a beginner driver if you know what I mean.

Thanks for all the advice…so excited to get started, wish my stuff would come already!!

[Thecowboysgirl]

I uploaded a pick to an album on here. Don’t know how to put it into the thread, but the album is out there, called “Juliana’s haflingers” if anyone can find it. Will put more pics in there.

[Thecowboysgirl]

Hopefully you guys agree I could make a driving team out of them since they know each other quite well? I don’t know what kind of relationship a horse has to have to be paired in harness, but I figured these two had to have a shot for as long as they’ve lived together. The mare can be witchy esp. about food and has kicked him before but previous owner says they can ride side by side on trail rides so I am hoping they can work together when there is no food about. Do blinders help with that sort of thing?

[Thecowboysgirl]

I have ridden the gelding who is 13 something hh and I was so surprised to find that I didn’t feel rediculous on him! I guess because he is so wide my legs didn’t hang down. It was just easier to get on.

Pics to come for sure because I suspect they are quite overweight and need to loose some but I am not ffamiliar with body condition on a draft like I am a light horse, so…

I hope they are old enough to accept their new discipline calmly and still give us a few good years.

I have a few pics of them from the previous owner but don’t know how to post them here, can anyone tell me? they come home Sat. morning. Then I have to wean them onto my pasture without foundering them. They’ve been on dry lot for a few years. Yikes! (Remember we are in SW Florida so our pasture is tall and green despite the month. Sorry New Englanders!!)

[Thecowboysgirl]

Hey guys- I had emailed our one local carriage company awhile back. She pulls her carriages with drafts. So I had emailed her to find out if she might be willing to give me any kind of lessons and she just emailed me back and said she thinks we can work something out.

This might be my first break. It’s not farm work but it’s still a great big horse with a harness 🙂

[Thecowboysgirl]

Robert, I tried Fla Horse Bulletin, Craigslist, and the Florida forum on Horsetopia and came up empty handed.

I did email a bit with a lady in N. Florida who does some draft rescue who did educate me on some of the realities of having drafts vs light horses and that was an eye opener.

Years ago one of my horse jobs was for the MSPCA Nevins Farm in Methuen, MA and I was working there when they siezed a herd of Clyde mares and one Shire stallion. I believe there were a few foals, too. So, I got to take care of those horses. I’ll never forget opening up that first stall door- I needed to do a sugar-dyne pack on her feet– to the rump of this HUGE mare. I was like “excuse me, ma’am, could you turn around please?” they were so kind and gentle. I watched someone ground drive that stallion but that’s as close as I’ve ever been!

Boy I wish I would have gotten interested in this back when I lived in New England and ran with the hippies of Vermont 🙂

I think I’ll cool it and wait to see if I get a response by snail mail from the Fla Draft Horse Assn. That’s got to be my best bet.

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