While I've got a long, enjoyable restoration to do on the Swedish carriage, I did discover that I have a training project to tend to before I get it back on the road!

When I was driving my mare to the carriage, we had occasion to stop briefly on a minor incline. The mare thought, oh well, we're having a little rest here....I'll just ease my shoulders a bit....and stepped backward a couple of steps, whereupon of course the brake-less carriage continued to press backward. Naturally, the counter-backing cue was a tickle with the whip - just a tickle. And as expected, being a sensitive gal, the mare jumped smartly ahead...of course encountering the rearward pull of the carriage. She did not like this at all. Now this was nothing, but I do know it's how balkers get started, and I do know that it's the first few steps of those dangerous see-saw jump-forward-hit-the-bit-backup-get-whipped wrecks-in-the-making. So I hitched Spunky up to the cart today and we walked to the nearest little-travelled hill. It slopes up gently for a ways, and then tips decidedly upward. I did all sorts of things that I'm not supposed to do, particularly getting out of the cart and leading the mare for the lesson, which gave me some interesting opportunities.
We started up the hill about 20 steps, then I asked her to stop, and she backed up a step or two. I brought her forward and that was fine, she stood for a minute, then I rewarded her and we went another 20 steps. This time she didn't back, held the cart a minute and got a reward. This went on quite awhile and then I got a bright idea. I grabbed hold of the shaft and pushed backward...she stepped back! I brought her forward and tried again...I could feel her muscles tense this time and she pushed against me, holding the cart solid! BIG reward! Now she was on a roll. By the time we got to the top of the hill I could shove on that shaft as hard as I wanted and I may as well have been trying to push the barn over. That cart wasn't going anywhere! So then we turned around and headed down. No problem holding back unloaded cart. Stand a minute. So I grabbed the shaft and started pulling on it. Her back humped up against the strain and she stepped forward! Nope, repositioned, tried again, pulled on the shaft, her back humped up, then she lined her backbone up and said, Bet ME if you think you're going to move this cart! BIG reward! Did this several times, watched repeatedly as she gained control, straightened her spine and stood effortlessly with me pulling that fool cart downhill for all I was worth! I am so proud of her! She's got the idea real good now, so I can start adding weight as we practice and she gets fitter. By the time the heavy old carriage is fit for the road, she'll know how to anchor herself up or down, without brakes!

Barb

Barb, excellent strategy on teaching her. We can all learn a lesson from that.

There’s the old technique of turning the horse ninety degrees to the slope so the force of gravity is countered by lateral thrust to the wheels; but that only works if you have a cart, or a vehicle that allows you to turn the front axle far enough, and then ONLY if you have the room.

Excellent and an enjoyable read! Seems like horses get the breeching idea easier than the other end, in my experience. Do you think so? And, I guess training is different in hill country than on the flat. Gotta teach a horse to hold the load on hills, but on the flat, I suppose that doesn't matter so much. I've always had hills so that's all I know.

What was the Reward?

Because I've always had brakes, I never really worried about having a "hill holding transmission" but it seems to be in the same category as "never ask them to pull more than they think they can." I've heard some hair raising stories of wagon trains, where the team didn't know how to stop on a hill and restart the load. Plus a friend was telling me that one of the tests for the Fjord stallions is to be able to go up and down a hill with a fully loaded wagon, stopping and holding the load both ways. If I'm going to attempt driving this heavy brakeless carriage with my little horse, it seemed like a real good idea to teach her how powerful she is. We always fondly remember a spotted pony, Shasta, about 13 hands and built like a tank, zooming up a monster hill with her family of five in a little covered wagon, and passing the two of us in our cart with our 15 hand morgan laboring away. And, our 11.2 hand super-pony that used to drag us and our big dog around in our wooden cart, on camping trips. It's astounding what they can do when they know they can do it! Dock... my mare is "clicker trained" like they do with the dolphins. A little chunk of carrot for "getting the right answer" and she knows what to do from there. When she's really super she gets a little fistful of carrot chips. Pretty soon, I'll be able to rope the top of Mt. Hood and she'll drag it to Salem for a chunk of carrot! :o)

Barb

Me too! I have to know what the "Big" reward was.

Clicker training ehh? I taught my dog some tricks with a clicker and treats. I also taught 3 mares to pick up their feet with a clicker and treats. Very good method. Thanks for the tip. That's why this board is so valuable.

Almost like clicker training! Very neat approach on the training, being on the ground with her. I'll remember that for mine come springtime.

Barb, Thank you so much for sharing your training idea's with the rest of us. I am trying to store all of the knowlage and experance that all of you have in a pea sized brain.I just love reading all of the news.
THANK YOU ALL !!!!!

Dock and Lady in VA, I actually have a Yahoo list for clicker training for driving, but it's not been active recently. I don't know if talk about clicker training would "get no respect," so that's why I was a little vague! :o)

I used it to "pipe down" the horses yesterday when I surprised them by reassembling my little sled and having them pull me around the driveway. Both of 'em were way too ambitious, but when they each thought about walking instead of going too fast, it was click and treat. No hauling on the mouth for going too fast, just rewarding for going slower. Had lots of fun and slower ponies (one at a time) within a very short time.

Barb