Driving Miss Quzqo

Sun Mar 25, 2007

Or Mr. Quzqo I guess.

Drove the little bugger again today, HOORAH!! Happily he was still tuckered from yesterday's trail ride, and I rode him English for about 45 minutes beforehand...ha, couldn't get a canter out of him, he was pooped and unenthused! But we did enough trotting in the lovely mid-60's temps to get him sweaty in his Spring fur!

Happily my friends showed up to ride their horses, so they helped me hitch Himself up. It went MUCH smoother this time...lowering the shaft loops didn't make any difference, because I added a maroon saddle pad borrowed from Bob, and that raised it up an inch, LOL...so guess next time I'll not use the pad, which will then lower the loops that inch, and maybe it'll work out.

Led Coos around the arena once, because my friend was worried her TWH mare (standing in the round pen, curious as to why she was tacked up and standing in the round pen!) would freak if she saw a horse pulling a cart. So, I led him around, the mare didn't bat an eye, and all was well. Got in the cart & sat there a minute or two...I do NOT want him to get the idea that when he feels me get in the cart, he should take off (like he does when I'm getting on him for riding, LOL...but he did that from Day One)

He did SO good!! At one point we had the afore-mentioned friends on their horses, and a teen with her Shire/Paint gelding, and her little sister riding her little white pony all in the arena at once...only had one near-collision when the Teen wasn't quite watching where she was trotting, but Coos stopped on a dime when asked and we didn't crash, LOL!

He's REALLY gotten the hang of turning and corners, you can see him using the shafts to turn the cart...very neat! And...we TROTTED! YeeHAW! That was fun as heck, I was surprised, LOL! He enjoyed it too...we went around the corners with no problem! Should have videoed THAT, because everyone was exclaiming how gorgeous he looked, extending his trot SO nice...I was too busy having fun and trying not to slide around in the seat when we cornered...really had to lean into it ala Ben Hur, ha!

Drove him for about half an hour...fun a'plenty!! Maybe if it dries out a bit outdoors, I'll ground-drive him outside, but wouldn't even think of driving him until the puddles are gone!