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glenatronYesterday was the appointed date for my birthday present from ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
herecirm which was a Shire Experience day with Waldburgs Shires. I hadn't realised when I read my promisory note but she had gone the extra mile and got me a day of my own, this is because she is awesome.
I started out by fetching in the horse who would be helping me to learn, the massive and good natured Comet, and giving him a bit of a brush down. It being spring he had plenty of fur to share with me. Once I had brushed him over, straightened out his mane and feathers ( turns out that is not actually a thing one does- oops! ) and cleaned his feet, we got started with his harness.
My teacher for the morning was Elspeth "Elf" Ross, one of the proprietors of Waldburgs and she patiently showed me the different parts of the harness as we fitted them on Comet. He calmly tolerated my somewhat inept attempts to get the collar over his head and fitting together the different pieces of leatherwork that make up the harness. I also learned the word "hames" which I plan to use just about as often as the opportunity arises. Elf showed me how to fit the britching and pad, where they should hang on the horse and explained a little of how and why they work.
With Comet harnessed up we put on the bridle - again quite a difference with a heavy horse because the bit is completely unhooked while the bridle is fitted and Elf showed me the different ways that the Liverpool bit operates. Then we went outside and she showed me how to long-rein a shire horse.
I have done long-reining before with a few different horses, but this was quite different partly because we were working largely off voice cues- blinkers mean that the horse has much less to go on visually - and partly because I was learning to hold the reins in a coachman's grip, with the left rein coming through the top of my hand, the right coming through the gap between my second and third fingers. Then my right hand was available to adjust the length of either as necessary. I found this very interesting because it is very similar to the way I have learned to use the reins on western horses and for a similar reason in that one needs to be able to work one-handed.
It took me a while to get the hang of steering and Comet was very happy to let me know if I wasn't doing a good job of it, but after a while doing tight figures of eight around some cones, Elf decided I was ready and we made our way out to the back field, where she showed me how to connect up the chain harrow to the harness and we set about doing some harrowing.
It would be fair to say that we didn't manage to make the straightest lines in our harrowing endeavours. Comet had a few ideas about which way he would like to go and although I got pretty good at catching him I also tended to overcompensate so we marked some somewhat drunken lines around the field. By the end we were more or less straight in a few places, which seemed to me a marked improvement. Once we had parked up and unhitched Comet I tested the weight of the harrow to see what he had been pulling. I couldn't move it.
After a stop for lunch- soup or hay depending on preference - we came out for the afternoon, where my instructor was Dave Lawless, Elf's partner who also has a long pedigree in working with Shires. We brought Comet out again and Dave showed me how to harness him up to the little carriage ( it was a subtype of carriage but I don't recall what kind it was ) and where the shafts need to sit in order to be safe and comfortable for the horse. With everything set up we got on board and Dave steered us out of the gate, and in her well practised groom's role closed it behind us. I was conscious that this was the first time I had actually travelled on a horse-drawn vehicle of any kind. Then Dave gave me the reins and I was driving.
We made a circuit of Alconbury village, passing football matches and mopeds and meandering through weekend traffic with Comet as steady as a rock the whole time and me managing to steer a course that avoided collisions and was more or less straight, sometimes at the same time as the road.
Dave looking surprisingly relaxed, given that I am steering over a narrow bridge.
We were lucky to have sunshine, for what felt like the first time all year, and it was a real pleasure to be travelling in comfort behind a good horse with Dave's affable expertise on hand, giving me plenty of advice on how I needed to handle junctions and any other tricky sections so I always felt like I knew what to do ahead of time.
It was a really enjoyable day, I learned a whole lot ( although I only recall a tiny fraction of what I was shown and taught ) and the sheer amount of experience and knowledge that Elf and Dave have to offer is remarkable. Anyone interested in working heavy horses would really enjoy taking part in one of their training days.
herecirm which was a Shire Experience day with Waldburgs Shires. I hadn't realised when I read my promisory note but she had gone the extra mile and got me a day of my own, this is because she is awesome.I started out by fetching in the horse who would be helping me to learn, the massive and good natured Comet, and giving him a bit of a brush down. It being spring he had plenty of fur to share with me. Once I had brushed him over, straightened out his mane and feathers ( turns out that is not actually a thing one does- oops! ) and cleaned his feet, we got started with his harness.
My teacher for the morning was Elspeth "Elf" Ross, one of the proprietors of Waldburgs and she patiently showed me the different parts of the harness as we fitted them on Comet. He calmly tolerated my somewhat inept attempts to get the collar over his head and fitting together the different pieces of leatherwork that make up the harness. I also learned the word "hames" which I plan to use just about as often as the opportunity arises. Elf showed me how to fit the britching and pad, where they should hang on the horse and explained a little of how and why they work.
With Comet harnessed up we put on the bridle - again quite a difference with a heavy horse because the bit is completely unhooked while the bridle is fitted and Elf showed me the different ways that the Liverpool bit operates. Then we went outside and she showed me how to long-rein a shire horse.
I have done long-reining before with a few different horses, but this was quite different partly because we were working largely off voice cues- blinkers mean that the horse has much less to go on visually - and partly because I was learning to hold the reins in a coachman's grip, with the left rein coming through the top of my hand, the right coming through the gap between my second and third fingers. Then my right hand was available to adjust the length of either as necessary. I found this very interesting because it is very similar to the way I have learned to use the reins on western horses and for a similar reason in that one needs to be able to work one-handed.
It took me a while to get the hang of steering and Comet was very happy to let me know if I wasn't doing a good job of it, but after a while doing tight figures of eight around some cones, Elf decided I was ready and we made our way out to the back field, where she showed me how to connect up the chain harrow to the harness and we set about doing some harrowing.
It would be fair to say that we didn't manage to make the straightest lines in our harrowing endeavours. Comet had a few ideas about which way he would like to go and although I got pretty good at catching him I also tended to overcompensate so we marked some somewhat drunken lines around the field. By the end we were more or less straight in a few places, which seemed to me a marked improvement. Once we had parked up and unhitched Comet I tested the weight of the harrow to see what he had been pulling. I couldn't move it.
After a stop for lunch- soup or hay depending on preference - we came out for the afternoon, where my instructor was Dave Lawless, Elf's partner who also has a long pedigree in working with Shires. We brought Comet out again and Dave showed me how to harness him up to the little carriage ( it was a subtype of carriage but I don't recall what kind it was ) and where the shafts need to sit in order to be safe and comfortable for the horse. With everything set up we got on board and Dave steered us out of the gate, and
We made a circuit of Alconbury village, passing football matches and mopeds and meandering through weekend traffic with Comet as steady as a rock the whole time and me managing to steer a course that avoided collisions and was more or less straight, sometimes at the same time as the road.
Dave looking surprisingly relaxed, given that I am steering over a narrow bridge.
We were lucky to have sunshine, for what felt like the first time all year, and it was a real pleasure to be travelling in comfort behind a good horse with Dave's affable expertise on hand, giving me plenty of advice on how I needed to handle junctions and any other tricky sections so I always felt like I knew what to do ahead of time.
It was a really enjoyable day, I learned a whole lot ( although I only recall a tiny fraction of what I was shown and taught ) and the sheer amount of experience and knowledge that Elf and Dave have to offer is remarkable. Anyone interested in working heavy horses would really enjoy taking part in one of their training days.
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no subject
Date: 16 Apr 2013 03:05 (UTC)I have a later picture of her as a teen, wearing a dress and open-toed sandals, hugging Ranger. He was giving her an affectionate soft eye.
Anyway, apparently my grandfather was a horse whisperer with drafts--from bits and pieces my mother says, he'd pick up wild horses or rogue horses for cheap and break/reform them. As a result I learned a little about driving ponies, but not the big guys. I've seen a mockup of the huge 20-30 horse and mule hitches they used to pull combines in the Palouse country--something like four or five rows of four or more horses. Big horses, about 1300 lbs. Now that would be something to see (much less drive!).
Much of a coolness...glad you shared this!
no subject
Date: 16 Apr 2013 07:36 (UTC)no subject
Date: 16 Apr 2013 08:40 (UTC)I've always regarded anyone who can drive a horse with something like awe... Horses are complicated enough without adding a wagon or cart into the equation. Congratulations on how composed you look while manoeuvring over that narrow bridge (ie. not screaming & covering your eyes).
no subject
Date: 16 Apr 2013 19:26 (UTC)no subject
Date: 16 Apr 2013 13:04 (UTC)no subject
Date: 16 Apr 2013 13:49 (UTC)no subject
Date: 16 Apr 2013 14:48 (UTC)I think hames and collar working harness is pretty cool. I've never really have a reason to use it with my little EE cart since the breastcollar works fine, but I did once joke about getting a neck collar and short hames to hook Mitch up to the arena drag.
It's a different perspective, it is. Looking at the horse from the rear like that.
I think today's gonna be a driving day for me. I've not been driving (or riding) since Jet launched me. Hurt too much! But I rode Mitch yesterday and I think today I want to hook up and go.
no subject
Date: 16 Apr 2013 22:46 (UTC)Ben's Shire Horse Experience Day.
Date: 16 Apr 2013 16:37 (UTC)no subject
Date: 21 Apr 2013 23:21 (UTC)no subject
Date: 22 Apr 2013 21:47 (UTC)