Disclaimer: These pictures would be much better if I'd remembered to wear my helmet. While I never ride without one, it didn't dawn on me that I'd forgotten it for driving this afternoon until I was almost finished :-/.
When I adopted Frankie I knew he was bred to pace and had been trained as a pacer. I knew he preferred to trot under saddle and on the lunge line, but I also understood I was taking a chance with driving. I really liked him though and decided to gamble on developing a trot in harness.
The
first day I drove him I asked him to trot just to see what he'd do. He mostly wanted to pace at first, but acted like he might be willing to learn to trot. Since then I've only asked him to walk while he develops strength and fitness.
Interestingly, one day last week I decided to lunge him in his full harness rather that just a surcingle. With the britching (the butt straps) touching him, he tried to pace. As he hadn't done that before, and I hadn't used the full harness before, I can only assume the straps felt like racing harness...
Yesterday, after a few days off due to rain, I rigged him up the same way. This time he marched around the circle and gave me some very nice trot work. I decided to ask him to trot a little with the cart this afternoon.
You can see by my smile how well he did :-D. He struggled a bit to get started and couldn't hold himself together for more than a few strides at a time, but boy, when he did put himself together, he felt really, really nice. We'll continue to take things slow as he gains condition, but I am really excited!
We also drove some cones, mostly at a walk, but did trot through a set or two.
Just a little something to keep him from getting bored with just walking.
With his bright dressage future, early aptitude for cones and the fact that he's been negotiating a driving "hazard" (maneuvering through two offset gates to get into the arena ;-) since day one, I may have to consider un-retiring and begin working towards competing at a combined driving event (like ridden three day eventing, but with a carriage) next year.
A big thank you to my cousin Karen for taking such great pictures of Frankie this afternoon. I think she's a natural. Now if she could have just made me look young and thin... ;-)
