Four Part Driving Clinic Series: (Groups of 5 students)
Auditors welcome for $45/session.
Each session will be 2 hour long followed by an hour to work your horses in a supervised setting to gain pointers applicable to your horse. Each session will build on the previous one, but it is not necessary to come to all sessions to gain knowledge about driving. I found that trying to cover all the information in one day was overwhelming and am hoping that by breaking it down we will be able to cover the material in more depth and by the end of the month you will feel confident in working with and starting your horse. Also, by spreading it out over the month you will be able to take home what was learned in the session and apply it and bring back questions to the next session. Each participant will be given a homework/worksheet to help you stay organized and teach your horse each step.
Driving Clinic part 1
Topics covered -Is my horse ready for harness? Steps to improve or get your horse ready. Ground work, lunging, and hands on fitting a horse to harness. Necessary equipment needed. Britching, bits, back pads, strings and loops. Types of driving styles will be shown, pleasure vs. country pleasure vs. western country pleasure demonstrations. Broke driving horses will be available so each person learning to drive can learn what a finished horse feels like and can be evaluated on their style. I find it’s hard to teach a finished product if you don’t know what the goal is. Harness fitting. Worksheet for home work provided at the end of each session.
Driving Clinic part 2
We will be checking harness fit to horses that wasn’t ready or didn’t have harness’ the first week. Topics covered – Lunging with harness, Working with lines & ground driving. Best methods for starting a horse or pony, simple steering, stopping, beginning trot work (if/when ready). Comfort level for the horse and how to troubleshoot it. Worksheet for home work provided at the end of each session.
Driving Clinic part 3
Hooking to cart & driving. Restrictions of the shafts, checking cart fit. Ground driving with a cart, noise and sound orientation, getting in that first time. Stops, turns, walks, and first trot (when ready). Standing in a line-up. Worksheet for home work provided at the end of each session.
Driving Clinic part 4
Teaching the more advanced work, fan turns and pivots, obstacles, backing, racing and fun games to be played, beginner horses may walk the courses as an orientation.
