Wiseguy may lose less condition over winter than you think. Horses generally stay fit longer than humans do when they are not working physically, so with the walks you take, he may be ready to pull the cart in the spring. Still, it's good to go slow at first to get him in shape rather than risk some sort of strain. Why can't you drive in winter? Too cold? Too much snow? If you get a lot of snow there, what about getting a small sleigh? I think that would be a lot of fun.
We could drive this winter but I had a lot to do and I have been working on building up our confidence around dogs and desensitization and building a stronger bond. The biggest problem out here is the wind. It's just too windy to go driving a lot of days so far this winter. Sometimes the springtime is way windy. In the summer you basically need to get him out early because the wind can really come up by the afternoon.
I probably will get him back into the cart sometime this winter if I can get the girth around him but with all that hair, that may not happen
The bridle has been adjusted and adjusted by me, by my super mechanical Hubby, by Cliff the guy who has had big draft horses and little miniature horses. The right blinker just does not sit properly no matter what we do. It isn't a deal breaker since I have been driving him just fine anyway but I am ready to throw it in the trash and get a better one. I think it is a cheap piece of dirt.
The harness is also cheaply made, doesn't have proper turrets for the reins to go through, doesn't have enough adjustment in the girth and no one can figure out the breeching straps that came with it. It must be missing a few pieces or something. Jan never used breeching but I would like to be using it so that Wiseguy has better brakes and going down hill would be doable. We don't have many hills here and miles of flat but I want to be able to go other places with him and there could be hills. Oh yeah, and the breast strap has this fluffy pad that you velcro around it and that thing is always moving to one side or the other.
I am ready to make an investment in a more suitable harness. I've lived with this one for long enough. I'll have to save up for January, February from my cleaning jobs. Eventually, I also might get a lighter weight cart but let's just spend our money a little at a time!!! My current cart is an excellent Jerald Easy Entry cart with wooden shafts but I might look for a CDE oriented cart.
Hands, withers, gaits, canter, farrier's, dressage, working canter, lunging, Boy am I learing alot about horses that I didn't know. Lets not discuss geldings OK
Ouch!


