Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Rosemary Driving Training Part 3

As promised I was armed with the camera. Rosemary was in a very good mood and went straight to work. The trainer thinks she may have been in season last week.
Just to be on the safe side, we put Barry's fly bonnet on her. Peggy's barn has horrible gnats.
Training started with the PVC driving system to check her attitude. After going both directions the trainer decreed it time to connect her to the cart. Mom and Peggy went to get the cart and the additional harness pieces. I stayed to dog wrangle. I also watched in amazement as the trainer drove Rosemary around the arena with one hand as she talked on the phone.
When the cart arrived, Peggy pulled it around Rosemary and bumped into her to get her used to it. We have done this with her before last year while she was pregnant, so she really did not react. Finally she was connected.

Mom walked by her head, while the trainer ground drove her. She took a few moments to get used to the increased weight. ONE LAP and then next thing we knew the trainer was bouncing and jarring the cart. Rosemary could care less. The trainer then stepped into the cart joining her dog. Mom continued at her head, but Rosemary was figuring it out. At one point the trainer did come back to the ground to help Rosemary work through handling the turns going to the right, then she got back in going to the left.


The trainer then drove her solo. Rosemary behaved and listened. She did work hard because the cart wheels sank into the sand by and inch or so. She figured out that she needed to step under and bend for the turns. She ended after completing a figure eight.
So now Rosemary has to get used to the feel of the breeching, harness piece around her butt, and how it works to stop the cart when is going down hill or backing. This is when practice gets tricky for us, since the cart is kept at Peggy's and Rosemary is at our barn. Something to work out.
Mom just laughed when the trainer said Rosemary seems to like to work. Wanting to work is not a problem in our barn.
This pony is wonderful and I am so glad my Mom finally gets to learn to drive. She has always wanted too.
Next week the trainer wants to go to the next level: Trotting ;)

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