OMG! That thing has short ears!

[HeeHawHaven]

Well,

The family went for a meeting of our local driving club to find a mentor. We found lots of willing helpers, including one who gave us a phone number of an older gentleman that was selling his 8 year old Fjord gelding, work harness, and cart.

So……went to look at him. Took him for a drive….and he’s coming home with us tomorrow! We got an unbelieveable deal – probably got everything for less than the cart and harness are worth!

Now, we’ll have a broke horse to work with and help train us and our young team.

Here’s some pics – we’ll take more tomorrow with a real camera!

Dave

[Robert MoonShadow]

That’s a fine looking horse, Dave. Photos turned out just fine. If you learn to drive all 3 hitched unicorn, that’ll be quite the sight!

[jen judkins]

Very Nice, Dave. Confratulations.

[gunslinger598]

I saw that over on the mule skinners forum….. Nice!

[HeeHawHaven]

We went to pick them Duke up today. We got to do everything from start to finish under the supreme supervision of the experienced previous owner who got him as a yearling and made him what he is. This old-timer has 60+ years of driving experience! He used to do hay with horse teams.

We videotaped the process so that we can review it if we forget. Then, Tracy and our son, Christian took turns driving while me and my daughter had a nice (cold!) ride.

Then, we loaded him up and hooked the cart to the other truck and headed home by the backroads (the cart is not set up for high speed towing – any ideas? I was thinking tow dolly?)

We got home and surprise gramma and papa and Tracy ground drove him back to the shafts (as was done by the owner) and we hooked him up and went down our road through snow drifts, some slick spots, and new territory. We stopped at our neighbors and picked up 3 kids and our friend.

He did all with no troubles other than kind of choosing his spots through the slick spots – which is totally allowed!

We are so excited to let Duke train us so that we’ll do a better job of training our young team. We also made some great contacts with our local driving club and think we’ve found a mentor willing to come out and be sure we are doing things correct and safe. He also knows of harnesses that we’ll need for our team!

Here’s some pics from today!

Dave

[dominiquer60]

I am so excited for you, good work finding an experienced horse and mentors. I like the picture of the mules watching you go down the road, they are beautiful.

[HeeHawHaven]

Just updating everyone on Duke.

We had another good day of driving Duke! We hooked up the wagon and took him up the road, then around our neighbors farm through his service roads. Probably 2/3rd’s of the drive was on packed gravel/mud. The drive is a little over 3 miles. He’s still getting in condition. He sweats a lot! I think he’s 100 lbs. or so overweight or at least too flabby in spots. If it turns to muscle, he’ll be happier.

We came across a heifer that was lose. She even turned and walked toward us. He just looked at her and kept on going. He ended up pushing her down the road and into the driveway of the owner! All of this was stress free on him.

As far as being herd bound – he moves well away from the ranch, but will call back every now and then. We just keep him moving and tell him to quit.

We got home and tied him up for a moment while I put new wheels on the light cart that we’ve been fixing up. I backed him into the shafts, hooked him up and off the wife went again.

This time, she took him in the arena (lots of sand) just in case he wouldn’t be used to the light weight. He was perfect. So, she wants barrels out there. She proceeds to put him through the barrel pattern on the cart – all in a nice moving trot. Our 11 year old son had to have some of that so he took the lines and gave it a try – all good. Then, it’s my turn (yep, even though you tack them up, fix the equipment, etc… you’re always last!).

Then, we took him out into our let out pasture which is a little rolling and has some irrigation ditches. All went well. Tracy drove him back in even over the bridge we built for a riding obstacle.

Now, we’re thinking about adapting our trail training course for carts! He takes everything in stride!

Oh yeah, one more thing, our son took him around the barrels one more time – got a lope out of him! He grinned from ear to ear!

Here’s some pics!

Dave

[Jean]

Wow, sounds like a great day! You must be proud of everybody!

[Robert MoonShadow]

Hey Dave ~ Looks like everyone’s having a ball! I was going to ask you; does that cart have the standard (lightweight) wheels that usually come with that type of cart? The reason I ask is because in the Breyer – the magazine put out by the ADMS, there’s quite a few people who drive that type, and most reccomend switching to motorcycle tires = much sturdier & built for hitting rough terrain & bumps {potholes, curbs, etc.} – so are considered a good deal safer than the usual type found on these… and they evidently give a smoother ride – for you and the animal – being somewhat larger/wider. They should fit without much adaptation. For the price of a couple of used motorcycle rims/tires at a junk yard, they might be worth looking into.
Just a thought.
If I remember correctly, there’s s couple of half-forgotten back roads across the scrubbrush in that area; one comes out on Pleasant Valley Road just about a half-mile south of the prisons (used pretty much only by prison guards that live in Kuna to get to work), another goes from Kuna kinda parrelling the regular road, heads towards Black Creek “resevoir” & the public shooting range. You might like the scenic drive along those roads, with your cart, especially in the Spring, with all the wildflowers blooming.
Just (another) thought.

[Donn Hewes]

Hi Dave, He looks great. You will be amazed at how much one can do. Donn

[HeeHawHaven]

@Robert MoonShadow 6082 wrote:

Hey Dave ~ Looks like everyone’s having a ball! I was going to ask you; does that cart have the standard (lightweight) wheels that usually come with that type of cart? The reason I ask is because in the Breyer – the magazine put out by the ADMS, there’s quite a few people who drive that type, and most reccomend switching to motorcycle tires = much sturdier & built for hitting rough terrain & bumps {potholes, curbs, etc.} – so are considered a good deal safer than the usual type found on these… and they evidently give a smoother ride – for you and the animal – being somewhat larger/wider. They should fit without much adaptation. For the price of a couple of used motorcycle rims/tires at a junk yard, they might be worth looking into.
Just a thought.
If I remember correctly, there’s s couple of half-forgotten back roads across the scrubbrush in that area; one comes out on Pleasant Valley Road just about a half-mile south of the prisons (used pretty much only by prison guards that live in Kuna to get to work), another goes from Kuna kinda parrelling the regular road, heads towards Black Creek “resevoir” & the public shooting range. You might like the scenic drive along those roads, with your cart, especially in the Spring, with all the wildflowers blooming.
Just (another) thought.

Robert, the cart has a beefier rim than bike rims, but not quite motorcycle. The bike shop guy thought they were very good, but they don’t have adjustable spokes. You can’t put them back in round if they’re off. I put new beach bike tires on with heavy duty mountain bike tubes filled with slime and a kevlar liner to keep the goat’s heads from popping the tube. I think we’re good.

We get to try it out this weekend in the foothills by Eagle. We haven’t gotten him a light harness yet, so he’ll be pulling that little cart in a work harness with a collar! That’s ok, it will help get him in better shape quicker! He’s a little floopy right now and needs to muscle up some.

We have lots of those types of trails you’re talking about right here. We can go about 2 miles down the road and link up with trails through BLM land that goes to Initial Point and beyond!

Dave

[HeeHawHaven]

@Donn Hewes 6087 wrote:

Hi Dave, He looks great. You will be amazed at how much one can do. Donn

Donn, we’re already amazed! He’s a good willing boy! We had him out today with a saddle on and Christian hopped up. I led them around for a little bit, then Christian took over! Duke only had a halter on with reins hooked up on the buckles on either side. Christian found out that Duke will “Gee and Haw” even when you’re sitting on him.

We’re going to have him out on a trail ride this weekend with the driving club. We’ll take along 2 or 3 mules as out riders too.

I can’t wait to see Duke assisting us in the training of them young Fjord mules! I think we’re going to start pulling them along behind the cart to get them used to the exercise and the noise.

Dave

[becorson]

Congratulations on getting such a great little horse. hope to hear (and see) more.

[HeeHawHaven]

@becorson 6135 wrote:

Congratulations on getting such a great little horse. hope to hear (and see) more.

Is he little? He’s 15H, 1300 lbs. Probably will lose 100 now that he’s working again. I guess compared to most of you that have 18H Belgians and Percherons!

He’s bigger than all but one of our mules. We have a 17H Walker mule, Bubba.

I’m actually having a hard time finding a harness for him. He’s bigger than the horse harnesses I find, but much smaller than the draft harnesses. His girth is at 82″ right now, but will go down with conditioning. We already have the heavy duty work harness and collar. I think I’d like a light duty for his cart that’s easy enough for the wife to harness up.

I found this one on line….(see attached pic) I’ve asked who made it and where it was made and am still waiting. They want $600. I’m also looking into the St. Paul saddlery, but I find it weird that there are no pictures on line and no email contact. I guess I’ll have to call them.

I did get a call from Camptown Harness http://www.camptownharness.com/index.php?pg=Harness&i=1

I think theirs is high quality, but I am not sure I’m willing to spend that much right now. The harness is $899 with the breast collar style and $999 with their freedom collar.

http://www.camptownharness.com/index.php?pg=Freedom%20Collars

She recommended the freedom collar for us because of the Fjord’s thick neck build.

I guess the Camptown Harness is really popular with the Marathon driving competitors. My wife will probably want to do that at some point.

I still say that the St. Paul Saddlery sound like a keeper for us at this time – as long as we don’t hear any real negatives on them.

We’ll also ask around at our next get togethers with the driving club. Someone may have a nice harness for sale.

I guess we can live with the work harness for now. It’ll help condition him faster!

Dave

[Robert MoonShadow]

Dave – Check on eBay… there’s a breast-collar harness that’s been put on for auction three times now. It says “small” or “pony”, but they told me that it’d fit my large-standard donkey (54″, with the typical donkey round belly). It’s started at $80 I think. I passed on it, because I need something for working with first & foremost & I didn’t think it’d be strong enough to last for several seasons of heavy work-use.
As for St. Paul Saddlery.. at a $200+ savings for a work harness that’s cut to fit my donkey, I can deal with their (religious?) idiosyncracies.

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