Getting Started
I first started driving at age 11, and was hooked! Now, 40 or so years later, I am still driving and helping others learn how to drive and enjoy this rapidly growing sport. Most of my students have been former horse riders that have suffered some sort of injury, or older folks that just don't want to be jostled around while riding anymore. They already have their favorite horse just sitting out there in the pasture getting fat and lazy. I have worked with many breeds of horses, from Mini's to Percherons and my method of teaching is to teach YOU how to train YOUR own horse.
I have a very nice Morgan gelding that I have trained, that I use as a lesson horse to get you started... First lesson is the harness. Learning the parts of the harness and harnessing the horse. Correct fit and adjustments are critical to the comfort of the horse. Next, a lesson on correct reining and safety. I am a mobile trainer, and as they say, "Have cart will Travel." I can bring harness and cart and work WITH you AND your horse to get started. Then, for the next week, you have homework to do. You will be ground driving and working your horse and I will show you the next steps in getting the horse used to the shafts. I don't use sleds, or makeshift shafts of PVC, I use the actual cart. I use a well-built easy entry type of cart. We then put the horse to the cart. It is easy for the horse, not too heavy, and have had good success with my training methods.