Many new things!

There have been so many new things going on that haven't have time to write.  In January we took a short vacation and drove to Northern Sweden to pick up our new gig which a friendly Swedish lady had brought up to us from Southern Sweden. The gig looked perfect but was in fact very heavy. It is the same 016L model from Dominiak we have from before but with smaller tires and breaks. Home I noticed that the shaft ends where a bit different too and for fitting the carriages to our ponies it was better to change the new carriage's shafts to the old one and vice versa! Now they both fit better our ponies.

Haven't been able to take some proper photos of the new gig but here some, in the lower photo with Swinghill's Paulette

The point was to drive the 3 yr old colts with this for the first time but as these shafts go very low on our ponies it will be better to use the old gig. The only problem has been this terrible road conditions, with lots of snow on fields and clear ice on roads there has not been any chances to drive them safely as they don't have shoes and studs. To my big dissapointment as I really had looked forward to get them into driving as soon as I got the new gig :P Well you never have enought patiance so good patience training for me instead...

Besides the new gig I got yesterday my new harness for pair! I had sold my old Ideal leather harness to a friend earlier and intended to by a Zilco pairs harness. But in the last minute I change my mind... There is nothing wrong with the Zilco but as we compete in combine driving and breed show performance classes I still prefer old classy style with leather in dressage and cones, so I just bought a new Ideal leather harness set. What I have been up to instead now is to find out if it would be possible to combine Zilco emphaty breastplates with this harness to use that part on marathon, I'll let you know... The harness I bought from the Finnish Ideal Harness retailer Hessi-talli.

The new harness!

And as this would not be enough, we have also a new pony! A breeder from Southern Finland, Ani, changed ponies with us. She got our lovely yearling filly Elenya Ax and we got her 2 yr old colt Anyan Raphael who is definitely stallion potential in my eyes! Big, nice colt with good gaits and top pedigree. He was a very tuff one with the boys in herd for the first two days but now the situation has calmed down as he gave up and they are all friends, so he hangs out with Ivanhoe the Boss, my driving gelding and our two 3 yr old colts Thorin and Dunedain Ax.

 

Anyan Raphael and Dunedain Ax

 

Anyan Raphael running away from Thorin Ax

 

Anyan Raphael being chased by Ivanhoe av Friheten

 

All settled and now friends, Anyan Raphael with his white tail and Thorin Ax

About harness

I have been planning to buy a synthetic harness for single for a while. Mostly because I want to have it a bit easier to wash the harness though I prefer leather. We have Ideal single and pair leather harnesses so I have enough of washing already! :D

So after reading a lot of postive feedback of Zilco harness in the facebook group Shetland Pony Driving I gave it a go after I found one second hand. The harness is as new though it has been used for a year. Swinghill's Paulette was the one to test it first because on her carrige there is no loop in the end of the shaft, as the harness don't have quick relase it is not so practical to use with a carriage with loop. Driving yesterday was interesting in +0,5 degrees Celsius and heavy snowfall so the whip, pony and harness became soaken wet! Couldn't have been happier to drive synthetic instead of leather... I think the harness fitted quite well on Paulette, I'll try it on Ivanhoe today. Especially the ergonomic breastplate was very pleasing as it suited very well which I was most worried about.

 

Paulette must be thinking, you can't be serious to think we are going driving in this weather?!

 

But afterwards there was both a jolly pony and driver! And that is one of the most importat things! 

It will be interesting to see in how cold circumstanses one can drive with it, I'm a bit doubtful as we drive until it is -15 - -18C... 

Zilco harness internet pages