11/29/2004

Yesterday I harnessed my horse Gem, to a cart for the first time.  OK, I was going to make up this great story about all the problems we had.  Unfortunately for the story but fortunately for us Gem was a perfect gentleman.  I had never hooked up a cart before so a friend loaned me her cart and came over to show me how.  Not to brag but Carolyn and Loren were amazed at how well behaved Gem was.  He stood patiently while we harnessed him and then just to be safe,

Carolyn and Loren each took a lead rope  hooked to Gems halter and walked along either side while I sat in the cart and drove him.  It went so well that after about 10 minutes, we unhooked the lead ropes and I drove Gem solo.  The hardest thing for Gem was to learn how to turn.  Fortunately, we had worked on the side pass move under saddle and turning a cart required similar foot movement.  Of course, all that bending in the turn went out the window, as did the rein queue to move the rear over.  It just doesn't work when there's two bars holding the horse straight (sort of).

Now for my confession; I wasn't at all surprised at how well Gem behaved.  He really behaved just as I expected.  Gem is a seven year old Tennessee Walking Horse with about 6000 trail miles under saddle.  He's kind of pacey and many a time I had threatened him with a career change to the front of a sulky.  He does a great rack but only if he's really motivated and if we are really motoring.  We've been working on staying in gait at slower speeds, and he is making progress so I guess I don't have to put him in for a career change.  Having said this, I still thought he could make a great cart horse.

Earlier in the summer, I had done some ground training under harness, driving him around the pasture, dragging poles, etc.  At first he did spook a little when I hooked up the poles because of the sound following him.  He quickly learned however, that when he stopped the sound stopped.  In fact when we hooked up the cart, he took a couple of steps and stopped.  It shows the value of ground training.  Fortunately, a cluck and light touch with the whip and he walked forward.  The other pre-cart training he got was hauling a couple of logs out of the paddock.  A hurricane had blown a tree down in the paddock.  I cut it into six foot lengths but they were too heavy to lift and the area was too confined for my truck.  Gem is a strong boy.  Good thing too as he had to really pull hard to get the logs out.  I guess a cart was a piece of cake after that job.

Well today, I harnessed up ole Gem and after some more arena work, I took him on a short ride around the neighborhood. 

He did great, pacing all the way.  Maybe he has a future in racing after all.