So the first text of the theme "from foal to driving pony" seemed popular, best to write this part 2. as long as remember what I intended to write about. The first year I'm quite consequent with doing everything in time but the teaching to harness and driving I might be more flexible with. First of all I'm not in such hurry as with trotters as I wouldn't race my Shetlands at the age of three (and trotters often do their first tests and even races at 2 yrs, which leads to that they are often broken to harness at 1,5 yrs) and secondly Shetlands are so small that they wouldn't even fit nicely my harnesses if driven very young.
Dunedain with harness for the first times ever, looking back and wondering what that is?
When they turn yearling we introduce bits and learn them to go away from the herd, grooming in stable and walks with bits and some training for the shows. I might even put the harness on and have someone lead as I drive from behind long reins. These trainings are short (totally with grooming like 20 minutes) and happens when I have the time, might be twice one week and then again after few weeks. It might be better to take it several days in a row as it usually is done, but this is just a play so it doesn't matter though the pause becomes weeks. In the summer as yearling they are just on pasture and might go to shows. As yearling near turning two and the winter/spring as two years I do some long reining again now and then and add things as making noises behind them, drive long reins with and without blikers etc. - just introducing different things and always with a helping hand with me leading.
Thorin doing loose jumps, there is a lot you can teach a foal to get them familiar with different things...
... which might include anything (I had some minerals in a bucket which we used to catch them after loose jumping inside the tires, of course the boys found the bucket, fell the tires and where happy to get some goodies :D ) - let them be curious!
In spring as two - or autumn at two, depending just on the pony, my time and how we get someone to help we would then put the carriage after a more tight period of long reining (I long rein them in a pair with a experienced pony also so that they are familiar to as much as possible even though we wouldn't actually drive them in pair with a carriage until they are three) and after one is sure they don't mind stearing, noises behind them, shafts or anything else related to having a carriage, we drive with two people leading and only again in short successful (hopefully) passes. Now we have two three year old colts which haven't been driven as we had no suitable carriage until now, so these learn their job a bit later as I would usually do.
Long reining in pair with an experienced pony is a great way of introducing things to youngsters, Thorin and Dunedain are here 2,5 yrs old. We did this just a few times and they learned quickly. Probably the oldest way to teach horses to driving, as an companion with an adult horse.
One of the most important things is to know when one can take the next step and not to do plans for the following day in advance, that might lead to stubborness of the owner if oyou decide you WILL drive today not noticing that the pony has a more energetic day that day or something else is going on that might effect negatively. If I notice the pony is too energetic or it is very windy, I happily postpone the first time with the carriage to another day, you should never be in a hurry, let it take its time and minimize all trouble in beforehand!
The criticism often comes of doing things with a foal and "too early". My opinion is that ponies learn easier when they are younger, they don't question so much what you do as they don't have so much own opinions as older ponies might have, they also don't have bad experiences (if you don't make them), of older ponies you never know for sure their history, secondly I definitely think they are more keen to learn as youngsters also (as kids learns languages easier than adults ;) ) and curious of doing anything with you :) and thirdly - we are talking about animals who run and move all the time 24/7, their physics definitely will not be spoiled of 10-20 minutes of walks and few steps of trot. Then, it is also proven that in fact their skeleton and legs develop more hardy when they move and get the impulse when walking and moving, of course so also when we have them in a herd and they run and play all the time. In summer as they are three I would then drive them 2-3 times a week lightely until winter, if they are good enought taught they can paricipate in easy level long rein classes in Finland at the age of three and in driving classes in the age of four - that is still very light work. More training autumn to spring from four to five years and easy level combine driving classess for youngsters at five.
You often hear said that Shetlands develop until they are five (growing plates), well all horses do, so it is not about having them standing in a small paddock and getting fat until they are five, but in common sense pace gradually learn them to be working ponies! Then it is proven also, the horses body adapt to the work (for example riding horses backs develop harder bones to take the weight of a saddle and rider when introduced gradually - and again, not meaning riding six days a week, two hours a day from the age of three of something else as hard...). It would be totally unfair to the pony suddenly at five to take them and start working with them then both physically as mentally. Research show, horses who has been working gradually since youngsters are in fact the once who later can take harder training without problems (it does not in fact differ from kids, sporty kids make healthy adults...).
My point is - training with common sense gradually, not too much too early, develop the pony to be a working pony and my goal is a working pony, not just a fat showstar. All the time it is also supposed to be fun and with periods of rest and relax and playing with friends, then the development is at its best. Doing things only guarantee you a wonderful friend to work with in the future who can rely on you in any situation - and vice versa.
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