The Art of Natural Dressage

Working with the Horse's Initiative
It is currently Thu Apr 25, 2024 8:23 pm

All times are UTC+01:00




Post new topic  Reply to topic  [ 8 posts ] 
Author Message
PostPosted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 4:14 pm 
User avatar

Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2008 9:02 am
Posts: 65
Location: Appleby, Cumbria
Having just watched the stunning Westfall video, I realise how boring mine are going to look. I also realise the extent to which I can't drive properly while videoing myself, as I lose a lot of the visual cues.
Molly is a green 14hh Connemara X. she arrived with sweet itch, rain scald, thin and tricky. Too scared to canter, even loose in the field, prone to falling over turning, and her action disintegrated going down hill. Driving she was basically unstoppable. Once trotting she just kept trotting, normally with her tongue over the bit, shying at manhole covers, and proving almost impossible to turn for home. In addition she is an artist at catching the reins under her tail and clamping. In her defence, she wasn't traffic shy, just wouldn't stop at junctions.
My girls have done extensive work riding her, and we shifted her to a Dr Cook bitless, but driving was still truly scary.
In the videos you will see no crupper, and a nice, steady safe animal, if a little green. My nephew, Charlie, wanted to have a go driving so I told him to harness Molly up. As he is fairly novice he didn't get the crupper on first time, and it was abundantly clear that there was no second chance. As Charlie pointed out she was scared of the crupper, and asked what it was there for, I had to actually do some thinking.
I had already modified a harness for a pony with melanomas under the tail, so a crupperless harness only took seconds to make. We put on the vehicle without a crupper and had a driving animal.
This shot is taken within an hour of NOT using a crupper. I wouldn't have let a child within 20 feet of Molly in a vehicle with a crupper.
Image[url]


Have a look at the videos, and remember I can't give the hand cues because I have a damn camera in the hand. Also please accept that I don't use operant conditioning YET.


First and most important, removing the vehicle while driving and videoing the process.

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/saddlechariots/Cutoff/photo#5178712543186787154

This is me turning for home and mucking about on the verge. And a quick canter from a trotting trained animal.
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/saddlechariots/Cutoff/photo#5178837088648436626

This is how to harness up.

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/saddlechariots/Mollharness/photo#5164765089008394098

A couple of videos have gone missing but this should give an idea of what I do, and what for want of a better word, I call my driving style.

And here is another canter video. I don't know how trotters are taught not to canter, but to get to this stage has been a really long process.
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/saddlechariots/Cutoff/photo#5179135872343350210

_________________
Horsepower measures work, ponypower measures pleasure!


Top
   
 Post subject: Bitless driving Henry
PostPosted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 5:06 pm 
User avatar

Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2008 9:02 am
Posts: 65
Location: Appleby, Cumbria
Just a mix of shots of Henry doing things, some of them stupid. They can be dated by whether a bit is used, three years old, whip or stick, two years old, blinkers 6 years old.

These shots show my nephew learning to drive cross country. When he has a bit more experience I'll put him across some tough terrain. We were testing the bigfoot version of the saddlechariot. For terrain like this, the standard version is better. Bigfoot only really scores on bogs or sand dunes.

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/saddlechariots/Minespill/photo#5168069341270280610

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/saddlechariots/Minespill/photo#5168069822306617778

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/saddlechariots/Minespill/photo#5168070071414720962

The next shots are mucking about on the beach with the standard version and climbing sand dunes

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/saddlechariots/Redcarcharliechase/photo#5106415275881526482

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/saddlechariots/Redar2/photo#5106356331750356114

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/saddlechariots/Redcardune1/photo#5106426584530416882

And this is a shot of trying the new paddock topper. Since it includes putting a pony in a vehicle solo, attaching a trailed powered mower to the vehicle, starting the mower, mowing and cutting the vehicle off, 2 minutes 55 seconds isn't bad.

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/saddlechariots/Mower/photo#5167639037086828818

More silly shots when I find my other video files.

_________________
Horsepower measures work, ponypower measures pleasure!


Top
   
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 7:29 pm 
User avatar

Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2008 9:02 am
Posts: 65
Location: Appleby, Cumbria
Just adding a couple more videos, one of the wheelchair variant prototype on an early outing and some fun shots of doing stupid things with saddlechariots.

http://picasaweb.google.com/saddlechari ... 8862620962
http://picasaweb.google.com/saddlechari ... 8289318146

_________________
Horsepower measures work, ponypower measures pleasure!


Top
   
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 7:35 pm 
Site Admin
User avatar

Joined: Fri Aug 31, 2007 8:20 am
Posts: 6281
Location: Dresden, Germany
Wonderful to see him again!! Henry is just the cutest pony that I have ever seen. :D :lol: And your chariots are great too of course. :D


Top
   
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 9:42 pm 

Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2008 3:35 am
Posts: 135
Location: U.S..A. Michigan
What ggreat videos. Henry is so cute it is taking all my willpower not to go out and buy a pony. :D
I think as gas prices continue to go up this should become are mode of transportation. Of course only if everyone would do it bitless and barefoot.

Leah


Top
   
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Jun 04, 2008 1:03 pm 
User avatar

Joined: Sat Mar 29, 2008 12:24 pm
Posts: 1132
Location: Southampton, UK
Finally got round to watching these videos....and how cool is Henry?? He looks like he's having great fun racing along the beach!! :D

Plus I love the wheelchair prototype...just brilliant!! But would it work so well on a bigger animal?? How would the vision be if you can't see over the ponies bum?

I can watch your videos over and over again....who knows...one day soon we could have a few videos of Bo and her saddlechariot!! hehe!

_________________
Image


Top
   
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Jun 04, 2008 2:07 pm 
User avatar

Joined: Fri Sep 21, 2007 4:10 am
Posts: 3688
Location: Pacific Northwest U.S.
Celtictotem wrote:
Finally got round to watching these videos....and how cool is Henry?? He looks like he's having great fun racing along the beach!! :D

Plus I love the wheelchair prototype...just brilliant!! But would it work so well on a bigger animal?? How would the vision be if you can't see over the ponies bum?

I can watch your videos over and over again....who knows...one day soon we could have a few videos of Bo and her saddlechariot!! hehe!


Just the same as it looks from a racing sulkey. Ever watched trotting races?

I'm going to be asking a lot of questions about this subject of bitless driving one day.

I've been given use of a small "Buckboard" (four wheel western style cart) and I intend, if Altea is amenable, to teach her to pull it.

That is likely to be some month away though, as there is so much else to do before then.

We are counting down to the 21st of this month when we leave to go and pick her up in Idaho.

Those of you that drive bitless -- get ready for my questions.

Donald Redux

_________________
Love is Trust, trust is All
~~~~~~~~~
So say Don, Altea, and Bonnie the Wonder Filly.


Top
   
 Post subject:
PostPosted: Wed Jun 04, 2008 7:08 pm 
User avatar

Joined: Thu May 17, 2007 11:57 am
Posts: 1983
Location: provincie Utrecht
okay Donald i am preparing :-) big smile..
come with your questions..hihihihi..


Top
   
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic  Reply to topic  [ 8 posts ] 

All times are UTC+01:00


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 21 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
cron
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Limited Color scheme created with Colorize It.