Horse Training – Dutch Hollow Acres

July 17, 2020July 17, 2020

Train Your Mini to Drive – Part 4 – Dragging

So your line driving has been going well and you’re able to turn, stop, and your pony doesn’t try to turn around and face you. Awesome! Time to add on the next step, having them drag something!

While I tend to do everything by myself it’s often safer at this point to have a friend up at the head of your horse while you line drive behind. That way if there’s a spook someone is right at the head to calm things down before they get too wildly out of control .

You might be excited to purchase a harness at this point but you don’t have to. Here’s a way to make a quick breast collar out of a dressage girth and some bailing twine!

One thing you will need is a single (swingle) tree. This keeps the traces away from one another instead of pinching in on your pony when weight is added. You can pick one up from https://www.mydrafthorse.com/ they have them in mini size. If you’re using a “real” harness you’ll want to pick up some Chain Tug Conversions too. This will allow you to use a slot trace with a chain to a single tree for quick hitch. Dont’ want to spend the $, you can also make one out of a 2×4 with some eyebolts on each end and another in the center of 1 side to hook whatever you’re dragging to. See, so far teaching to drive is cheap!

Drag everything you can. LOTS of different things and weights. Anything to make noise too. This step can last a while to make sure everything is 100% before spending $ on a vehicle and a harness.

For reference the harness and vehicle I purchased for my mini is the ComfyFit Harness and HyperBike.

March 5, 2020March 5, 2020

Train Your Mini to Drive – Part 3 – Long Line

How has your mini been doing? Have they figured out “walk-on” and “whoa?” Have you taken them places and asked them to do some obstacles? Great you’re ready for part 3! Let’s start driving!

Well, maybe not driving but long line driving. The next step is to get behind your mini and have them do everything you asked of them while you were walking them by their side.

Tools needed:

- - Mini Halter
  - 2 lead ropes
  - Dressage whip

I bet you have all of that in your barn already! See you don’t need to buy a harness or cart yet for this step!

Clip the lead ropes onto the halter one on each side and get behind your little fluff butt and ask them to walk on. Keep your reins low, below their bum so if they try to turn and face you you can easily redirect them the correct direction. If they just aren’t getting it, you can use a friend to help lead them on to start. I find they usually figure things out pretty quick.

Practice your “walk-on” and whoa. If they trot, make sure you asked for it. If you didn’t, have them slow back down to a walk. To slow a gait you can say Easy, or sloooooow, or purr at them. Remember don’t say Whoa unless you mean stop and stand.

Once they are able to do straight lines go and whoa, start adding in some turns and go out on adventures. This time if you walk down the road with your mini your neighbors won’t laugh at you and say things like “that’s a big dog” or “I thought you’re supposed to be driving that horse not walking it like a dog!”

If you’re just doing 10 or 15 min sessions this step should take you about 1-2 weeks. Make sure when you ask them to Whoa that they stop and stand without moving or turning around. They must do this without complaint before you can proceed to the next step.

February 18, 2020February 21, 2020

Training A Miniature Horse To Drive – P2

Miniature horses are just plain AWESOME. They are so tiny, so feisty and are willing to do anything. It’s like having a big dog who’s poops smell better. So that’s what we’re going to do. Treat them like a big dog!

Step 1 – to training your mini – take them for a walk. Need to take your dog for a walk in the morning fine, bring your mini along with you. Kill 2 birds with 1 lead rope. Or some thing like that.

The key to taking your mini for a walk is to start introducing voice commands. So when you set off, say “walk-on” and then move off. When you stop say “whoa” and mean it. Whoa means stop always. And it doesn’t mean stop and wiggle, it means stop and stand. Don’t panic if you have a wiggly beastie. Whoa means stop, if you only get a “1 Mississippi” before they want to move off again then be sure to say “walk-on” before they decide it’s time to break the whoa. Slowly increase your Mississippi counts longer and longer until you can whoa happily without moving for a good 30 seconds to a minute.

Did you realize minis are well, mini? The are also fearless in most cases and will do just about anything you ask them to up to and including jumping into your vehicle. You don’t need a horse trailer most the time to get them out and about. So pop them in the back of your SUV or if you’re really daring apparently they will craw into your pickup truck too. Don’t ask. It’s better if you use a ramp to get them into your vehicle.

Lastly, tie your mini up. Going out to do chores? Or have to clean some tack or just sweeping out the barn? Go grab your mini and tie it up. I’m not talking about cross ties. Go tie it to a tree, the truck, fence post, or anything else you can think of. Why? because 90% of being a good driving horse is standing still. Granted, you should never tie a hitched horse but learning to tie is learning patience. So tie tie tie.

Training your mini to drive step 1 checklist

1. 1. Learn to tie
  2. Take your mini for a walk (yes like a dog)
  3. Teach it voice commands “walk-on” and “Whoa”
  4. Take your mini for a car ride to new places and repeat steps 1-3

February 18, 2020February 19, 2020

Training A Miniature Horse To Drive – P1

Horses come and go on any farm and mine is no different. I acquired a 36″ mini a few years ago and what the heck do you do with a mini? Get it another mini as a friend of course, then lose the original mini due to Lyme disease and now your friend mini is alone so you obviously need another mini to keep that one company, oh heck lets make it 2. So you started out wanting no minis but through mini-math you end up with 3. Got it?

Ok, you now have 3 mini horses who do nothing but look cute and poop an amazing amount for such little animals. Time to put one to work! My day job switched my schedule around slightly, leaving this morning person with a few extra minutes a day to spare. Lets make those extra few minutes productive ones!

When I talk to people, they love to give me excuses. LOTS of excuses as to why they can’t or won’t train their horses and these are the main ones I hear all the most.

I have no time. Pft, sure you do. Follow along on this series and I’ll keep you updated with training my mini in just 10-20 min 3-5 days a week.

I can’t start, I don’t have a harness. It’s ok, we don’t plan on hitching to anything in a while. Heck, your horse might not even be a candidate to drive so don’t go off wasting $ on stuff you might not ever use. Teaching a horse to drive starts with line driving. You don’t need a harness for that, heck you don’t even need a bridle. Reins clipped onto a halter is what I start my guys in. You don’t need fancy reins either, if you’re really going to cry poor braid up some bailing twine and tie it on to the halter or be real fancy like and use snaps.

Teach your mini to drive materials checklist

1. 1. 1. Miniature horse
    2. Halter
    3. Reins – or bailing twine – or 2 lead ropes
    4. 10-20 minutes of your time. 3-5 days a week.

Are you ready to drive? Check back for Part 2 and we’ll get you set up for your first lesson with your mini!

January 30, 2017

Dominiak – Leica – Marathon Vehicle

This is one of those Happy Birthday, Merry Christmas to me kind of gifts I just have to share. Say high to DHA’s new Marathon Vehicle, the Dominiak Leica!

Hydraulic Rear Breaks
Parking Break
5th Wheel Break
Airbags all 4 wheels for smooth ride
Ample padding
Upgraded seat so I stay in it
Adjustable seat so even my crazy long legs fit

She’s made in Poland, these photos were taken from the manufacturer. I’m still waiting for her to ship to the US. I can’t wait! I went with Deep Purple with yellow pin-striping and a sun burst on the wheels. Should match our beautiful black Moriesians nicely!