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How many of you....

Not me. :D Back when I used to bounce a lot better, I'd just climb on and ride them till they didnt buck. But then I learned a method of breaking colts with a sack or a flag and ropes. 4 hours and it is amazing to see what a horse can do. I have yet to have one buck when using this method. :D
 
i have done both,to me depends on the horse,some it seems to help(slow learners) and the others doesnt seem to make a difference
 
I'm not talkin about a lunge line....I'm talkin saddle with a drive line on each side...hooked to the bit...ran thru the stirrups....more or less.

The reason I asked....the lady that has one of our horses training.....asked when I took him to her if he'd ever been driven. Course not knowin his past before age 4 I didn't know. She said she drives everything for the first week.....before she ever swings a leg over them. Says it helps them a whole lot in the long run.

I was just curious how many did it this way. She's really likin this horse.....We get him back new years eve......so we shall see.
 
I use drive lines on mine but after a lot of other ground work has been done. It is a great exercise in my opinion.

I like the modern methods such as what you see from Clinton Anderson but I've never seen him advocate driving a horse. In his round penning, he always expects the horse to turn to the inside, towards him, never away from him. This is to gain respect and to get them to "catch" you instead of you "catching" them. This is important and I use this philosophy in my ground work.

However, when driving a horse it is necessary to turn them away from you against the pen. I don't see a conflict because by this time I am training them to turn, stop and backup as you would if you were on top of them. By the time I get on, they already know these things.

In my opinion, the important thing is to handle them a lot. It doesn't matter so much what you do, as long as you are working with them and getting them accustomed to many different things.

Driving is just one more tool that makes sense to me.
 
Ditto..... Not only that! You never know when you might want to go for a buggy ride..... Oh Lordy the worst runaway I was ever on was with two very broke well mannered saddle horses...... It's one of my dad's and I's favorite stories........ Maybe it was the fact that I had a broken arm at the time or............ the fact that my mom yelled out the door that we shouldn't be going for a buggy ride...... :twisted: :roll: :D
 
katrina said:
Ditto..... Not only that! You never know when you might want to go for a buggy ride..... Oh Lordy the worst runaway I was ever on was with two very broke well mannered saddle horses...... It's one of my dad's and I's favorite stories........ Maybe it was the fact that I had a broken arm at the time or............ the fact that my mom yelled out the door that we shouldn't be going for a buggy ride...... :twisted: :roll: :D
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Don't get me wrong, I don't drive them to the point that they are ready for a buggy! In fact "driving" probably isn't the proper term for what I do. I like to circle them, turning them against the fence. When they are ready, they quickly learn to stop and backup.

This is just one more exercise in my ground work before I get on them. I only want them to steer, stop and backup according to my cues. As they circle around me, the off side line is hanging across the hocks which gets them used to ropes around their butt. When ready for a rest, I like to toss the lines to the side and have them stand quietly while I walk around them as I pick up all four feet. This exercise seems to quiet them to all of that.

I like to hobble them at this point and let them stand for awhile. Most anything that you can do to get them used to being handled is good before mounting them.

At my advanced age, sometimes I cheat by leaving them hobbled the first time I get on. I don't need any unnecessary hospital time!
 
JF...this is what I"m talking about. She does it with every horse that comes to her place....whether they are "said" to be broke or not. She just thinks it's helps them...plus it helps her get to know what the horse knows...and doesn't know.

She asked if he'd ever been driven when I took him....told her I honestly had no idea....Amanda had already been ridin him for a good long while...but he just wasn't real responsive. Sent the horse to her...and when she put the lines on and got him started...she called and said...oh no...he had no clue what was goin on.

But he's working really well...she's had him since Oct 18....
 
JF Ranch said:
I use drive lines on mine but after a lot of other ground work has been done. It is a great exercise in my opinion.

I like the modern methods such as what you see from Clinton Anderson but I've never seen him advocate driving a horse. In his round penning, he always expects the horse to turn to the inside, towards him, never away from him. This is to gain respect and to get them to "catch" you instead of you "catching" them. This is important and I use this philosophy in my ground work.

However, when driving a horse it is necessary to turn them away from you against the pen. I don't see a conflict because by this time I am training them to turn, stop and backup as you would if you were on top of them. By the time I get on, they already know these things.

In my opinion, the important thing is to handle them a lot. It doesn't matter so much what you do, as long as you are working with them and getting them accustomed to many different things.

Driving is just one more tool that makes sense to me.
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DISCLAIMER: I sure don't mean to dispute any big name trainer's!!!!!
JF A good friend taught me this a number of year's ago and it has helped me immensly. I go against the "never let him turn away" rule on purpose and find if I can "push" as well as draw in the round pen it help's a colt alot. Pushing the colt forward if I can draw on his right eye, to bring him away from the fence then "push"on his right eye till he turn's out away from me, lose's sight of me when I am directly behind him, and pick's me up in his left eye, sure makes a huge difference when I get on him and he need's to switch eye's and direction without panicking. Ultimately with a tough colt I will be able to stay more or less in the center of the round pen and be able to push and draw him through a figure 8, sure has him bending, drawing, and moving away from pressure before I ride and is a pretty good pre-flight for one that's hard to trust.
Long story short you can ground drive him without the rein's :)
 
the_jersey_lilly_2000 said:
JF...this is what I"m talking about. She does it with every horse that comes to her place....whether they are "said" to be broke or not. She just thinks it's helps them...plus it helps her get to know what the horse knows...and doesn't know.
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I would totaly back this trainer up on driveing one you don't know.....people don't alway's tell the truth when they send a horse to a trainer :) That being said I have seen as many or more horse's get in trouble by advancing to slowly as to fast! I have had a number of problem horse's over time that were bomb proof in an enclosure but had had a wreck out side and were determined to find another one. I run my rein's from the bit, hackamore, halter, through a 2-3" ring attached to the top back cinch d ring with a bent piece of semi tough wire. It keep's the rein's up out of their feet, makes the draw closer to were I will ride them, and in any panick situation I can drop the off side rein, pull on the inside rein hard enough to straighten and release the bent wire and I am left with a nice long lead rope to control with. With this set up I am comfortable to drive any where I think might be trouble, through the tree's, across the creek, past the chicken pen etc.
 
When V_Key was young I started some ponies with Drive Lines - then I could school V_Key and the ponies at the same time. I could show"V" what to do and make sure the pony did it. "Positive reinforcement". (EVEN FIGURE 8's)
In the 40's 50's I was Taught N 8 a lot of corral dust - Many of those horses were All Ways Cold Backed - even when they passed - - then "I" started to Learn - - NO MORE Coal Back Horses
 
A friend found N bought a "Gooseneck Roman Style" cart made out of a 55 gal Barrel with Rubber Tires - it work very well - I tried to buy it when he Passed but someone wanted it more.
Connected at/on a surf-single - the bad part was animals could do a 360° but if you were quick with the reins.
 

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