Dyer Buggy Works

Sept 10, 2014
If you have had your harness for quite awhile you probably have the straight style crown piece on your harness and it works nicely.  I have started carrying a curved crown piece that you can switch to if you like.  This piece allows for the bulb behind the ear of your horse.  Warmbloods and draft crosses tend to benefit from this crown piece the most.  The crown doesn't push forward on the ear.  Therefore you don't get rubs on your horse.  I have switched my horses to this head piece and find that it is easier to put the bridle on than with the straight crown piece.  If you are interested in changing out your bridle let me know.  All you do is unbuckle the crown and winker stay and buckle the new one in.  They are made for warmblood, horse and larger cob size (halflinger). 

July 28, 2014

Have you had a harness that you bought because, let's face it, it was cheap.  Get it on the horse and dang if it almost fits but things are just off.  You can't return the harness because you bought it because it "was cheap!".  Ok you know the story, you get what you pay for.  Now what to do.

Let's figure out what I can do to help your cheap harness fit.  Say the saddle doesn't quite fit around the fat little belly your pony or horse has attained.  Why not have me make a girth that is bigger so that you can use it.  What about a back strap that fits a pony and you have a mini.  Time for that hole punch and scissors to cut off that yard of strapping so that it isn't hanging down that mini's tail.  What if the traces turn out to be questionable where the single tree hooks in.  Let me sew a piece of biothane onto the end to beef it up.  If the bridle is too small or too big I can sell you the cheek pieces to fit exactly.

In otherwords, give me a call.  I can fix that "good buy" so that you can use it.

Now if you have a really good harness and you have a young horse that is growing.  I can do the same thing for you.  If you just need a longer girth or a bigger breeching I can make one up for you.
You can have different pieces that will allow your harness to fit most any sized horse.  My harnesses that I use for training can fit from small cob to regular horse with just a few minor change outs.

If I make the harness from the get go, I can build in growing room.  Take Clyde, goodness knows he is huge now.  He went from a 16" girth to a 22" .  He's only 3 so I know that pretty soon that won't do either.  I made his billet straps a bit longer to accomodate his growing body so I won't have to change his girth out anymore.  Same with the backstrap and breastcollar.  Now collars are a different thing.  (see article below on collars)  For the most part the harness I started him in will be his forever harness because I built in extra length.

July 6, 2014

I was at a friend's house the other day to help out and while putting her horse on the wash rack I noticed something that half the people do and half don't.  She ties her horses with the panic snap at the halter.  Now this is perplexing to me.  If your horse is cross tied and decides to pitch a fit, how are you going to get to his head to release that snap?  You are either going to be able to do it, or you are going to get hurt.  I always put the panic snap on the post or tie ring of my trailer.  That way when the horse pitches whatever fit he is going to do, you can pull the panic snap and still have the lead in your hand. 

Here is an example.  Way back when, I had a two horse trailer with a feed bin up front.  A wasp nest was apparently up in the spare stall and I didn't notice it.  Well we were driving down the highway and the trailer starts pitching because my horse had just gotten a taste of being stung.  I pulled the trailer over and opened the emergency door.  My horse had both feet up in the feeder from rearing up and getting caught up there.  If the panic snap had not been up front I would not have been able to release him.  As it was I could pull it and he reared back up and put his feet where they belonged.  He ended up having to have stitches in his head where he cut himself but no lasting scars. 

So this is my suggestion of the week, look at how you tie your horse.  Think about what I said and imagine yourself in a pickle with your horse.  Keep yourself safe and put the panic snap where you are out of danger.

June 26, 2014

This is something I get asked all the time.  Biothane is one of the easiest tack items that you will ever have to take care of without it taking hours and hours.  First I get a large bucket that will hold as much biothane as possible.  Put lots of hot sudsy water in this bucket.  I use dollar store soap, either dish detergent or ivory hand soap.  Whatever type of soap you like that works for you.  Take your tack apart if you can and drop it in the water.  Go clean a stall. :))  That should give it enough time to loosen up the dirt.  I use a small face brush or something similiar and a small sponge.  The brush I use on layered areas to get into the tight spots.  The sponge I use for flat areas.  Scrub as good as you can and then rinse.  Hang up to dry.  Hard wasn't it?  If your tack is old and not as spiffy as it was when new get some Armoral wipes and wipe it down.  There is the new look again!

Now sometimes the ends of billet straps will get frayed looking.  This is a easy fix too.  Take sissors and snip the ends clean.  Then take a lighter and light the end.  If you have tough fingers do like I do pinch the ends together while hot.  If you don't have tough fingers use a nail and roll it over the ends to push the plastic back together.  You should wear a white face mask while doing this as the burning of the plastic does put out a caustic fume.  If you need to sear the insides of your trace slots you will need to do the above and use the nail as a burning tool.  Get it hot enough to sear the inside of the slots.  I personally use a wood burning tool to do this job.

June 26, 2014

Pads for a harness are a necessity.  I know when showing you want the clean look and most people don't use pads for the show ring.  I'm talking about everyday real world driving.  Pads come in quite a variety of colors, sizes and thicknesses.  You will need to decide what is your choice for your horse.  I use pads everywhere.  No horse got rubs from having too many pads.  If your horse is older and has a bit of a backbone showing you will need to make sure you get a 2" thick pad for the saddle, not a 1".  Not all suppliers carry these.  I do, of course.  If your horse tends to gaul behind the forearm, use a girth pad.  If you are doing hills and mountains, please use a breech pad.  Breech pads now can be ordered with vinyl in the center so that when your horse poops it doesn't get the fur dirty. 

If you use a collar it must be 1" bigger than needed to have a pad underneath.  If your collar is correctly fitted you shouldn't need a pad.  That just means that you will have to make sure that the collar is wiped clean after each use and oiled a few times a year depending on usage.  See the articles on collars.  You can also use a neck pad for just the hair area.  These are good to have on hand incase you do get rubs or sores on the neck. 



Pads are the cheapest part of your harness to keep your horse comfortable.  They machine wash and can be changed easily.  Keep two sets going.  One for the wash and one you are using.  Call me if you need new pads.  I keep lots of colors and most all sizes.

June 4, 2014

I don't start beginners out with whips because they have enough to do figuring out how to keep their hands quiet on the horse's mouth in the first place.  If your horse is trained properly for the most part you should not have to use a whip.  Your voice and hands will be his guide to speed transitions.  Some horses, however, need a bit of a boost for moving on.

Once you have learned how to hold your hands quietly and your horse is moving almost the way you want it is time to pick up the whip.  I hold the whip in the right hand crossing over the left hand.  You want to be able to flick your whip up to either the shoulder of your horse or just behind the girth area where your heel would hit.  The flick should be executed in a quick movement that gets the point across.  Practice holding your whip while sitting in a chair and hitting say a board of a stall at the same height as your horse's shoulder.  You don't want to move your hand forward to release line pressure you want to bend your wrist in a forward motion.  This takes a bit of practice for the beginner driver. 

If you have too much movement forward with your hands you are releasing pressure on your horse's mouth which will make him move to the left if you are using the whip in your right hand.  You want that movement to be all in the wrist and quick.  Tell him what you want first and if he doesn't respond, flick the whip to reinforce your directions.  Don't tickle the whip on him.  That does nothing for the horse or you. 

Don't use the shaft part of the whip on your horse's rear end either.  Unless you are trying to get a horse fly off of it!  The lash is the only part of the whip that you want touching your horse.  If you are thinking about going into competition you must carry the whip in your hand. 

If your horse is exciteable you want to watch how much you use this whip.  Whips create energy.  You don't want to use a whip to correct a horse that is getting out of control already.  Use your voice and lines for that.  Never whip a horse that is confused and upset.  You will compound his anxiety with the whip.  If he just is being obtuse about turning a tighter circle that is when you would give the whip a flick to enforce your directions.

Hopefully you can practice on your wall before you start on your horse and using the whip won't be such a big deal when you need to use it.  Happy driving!

May 30, 2014

     Over the years I have trained just about every breed of horse out there.  I'm partial to old style Quarter Horses.  They are not your "typical" horse chosen for driving.  To me, most of them have a way of accepting what you tell them. 
     Drafts and draft crosses are also pretty accepting of driving.  
     This is what I have learned for sure.  You don't want a horse that rears or one that spins for a driving candidate.  If a horse rears on you riding he will do it driving.  Not a good thing.  One that spins riding will do so in cart.  If they are spooky and spin at the drop of a hat, forget it.  What happens is you can't stop the horse if it wants to spin in a two wheeled cart.  You are at his/her mercy.
     Speaking of spooky horses....Most horses will spook at something.  Just the nature of the beast.  I prefer a horse that does a drop or a duck type of spook.  You can handle that driving.  A horse that side steps one step or maybe two isn't bad either for the most part. 
     Now a horse that bucks is one that you can control.  You put a bucking strap and/or a overhead check on them that doesn't allow their rear to come up.  They may try to buck but you can urge them forward out of that idea.  If they are moving forward they don't have time to buck too.
     So, really any breed of horse can be trained to drive.  It is just your horse's temperament and quirks that need to be assessed before deciding to teach it to drive.  If he/she is scared of everything, not a good candidate.

April 17, 2014

Sorry I have missed some weeks here.  Time got away from me. 

So it is time for you to start getting your horse working from the bridle.  Here is what I recommend.
Choose what type of bit you're going to be using on your horse.  There are numerous types and styles out there.  I, for the most part, use a mullen mouth butterfly bit with two loops.  It is best if you can try out different bits to see which one your horse likes the best.  You want him listening to the bit and responding quickly to what you tell him.  I don't recommend ring snaffles for driving, period.  These bits have no "whoa" to them if you get in trouble.  Driving is a very dangerous sport and a snaffle just doesn't cut it.  That's my opinion from over 30 years of training driving horses.

Put on your harness saddle minus the backstrap with breeching.  Put the bridle on and attach your lines to your bit. You are still in the round pen here.  Place the inside line straight to you and the outside line through the terret on the saddle.  Ask him to walk and get him used to a little pressure on the bit.  If he stops and turns to look at you, pull on the outside line and keep his head straight.  If he starts backing up or fighting the bit, remain calm and release pressure on the bit.  It takes time and you don't want to mess up his mouth.  If you have to go to him and pull him forward, do that.  Vocals are important.  He must understand what you are asking him to do. 

Once he is stopping and walking nicely ask for a trot.  Take it easy and go through the walk, trot and whoa stages until he has it down pat.  Then switch sides and do it all over again.

March 29, 2014

So you have your horse lunging round and round in the ring.  I usually always use a lunge line.  The times I haven't usually end up with horses running up the sides of ring.  So buy a good lunge line that you will have for years.  I put knots in different lengths depending on how tight I want that horse to circle me.  Let's begin with having your horse in a halter with the bit attached to the halter and the line attached only to the halter.  You will want a whip that is the exact length from the center of your round pen to reach the edge of the round pen.  I find carriage whips work the best because they can be ordered in specific lengths to accomodate what your needs are.

Now, to get him to move forward.  Make a triangle with your lunge line at the head, your whip behind him and your body towards the rear of your horse.  So it isn't exactly a triangle really.  You must keep your body behind the center of his body to make him move forward.  If you have a baby he won't know what you are talking about.  This is where the different knots work for me.  I start them in a tight circle just walking and stopping.  I use clucking or kissing for different speeds.  One kiss for walk, two for trot and so on.  At the beginning I use a crop to tap his rear when I want him to move on because he doesn't know to move off by just commands.  It really doesn't take too long for him to get the idea to walk when asked and so on.  I really give praise when he is doing right and scolding him when he does wrong. 

Let's figure you have him walking and trotting off of command now.  You know how to flick the whip correctly to not beat him but to encourage movement.  The next thing I do is put him in either side reins or a head setter.  These are things I call "gimmicks".  I use them to start them and then once they are trained I don't use them unless I have to go backwards a step in training.  Side reins are used with a training circingle for the most part.  Since I train driving horses, I use my harness saddle.  A circingle will have rings placed in different areas on it and you attach the reins to the ring that suits your needs best.  I start using the side reins on the halter.  I don't want the first argument to be with the bit.  They usually don't like the restriction that the side reins put on them.  You don't start out with too much pressure so you have them buckled in loose.  Once you have him moving forward on a loose rein you can begin to tighten the rein to start getting him to carry his head vertical and to get a little lift on his front end.

Now you have him moving forward at a walk and trot with his head carriage vertical or almost vertical.  Time to put him in a regular bridle.  If you use a nose band, please do not have it tight on him at this point.  You have him in the ring snaffle you used to hang on his halter.  By now you have the bit placed properly in his mouth with one or two wrinkles on the side of his mouth.  It all depends on the length of your horse's mouth on how many wrinkles you have.  If the bit is hitting his teeth, lower the bit.  Attach the side reins loose just like you did with the halter except now the reins attach to the bit.  Get him to work going forward again.  He may fight if you have it too tight.  What will happen is you will have a horse that backs up or rears if it is too tight.  So watch what you are doing.  This may take some time for your horse to accept the pressure of the bit.  Don't rush him.  If you watch and listen to your horse from the beginning you won't have to go backwards in training.

Eventually you want your horse on a tighter side rein that makes him carry his head vertical and lifts his front end up.  You will see him use his rear end better and his legs will come up underneath more.  Use your whip behind and your vocals to move him forward and up.  Oh I forgot, I put the halter overtop of the bridle and have the lunge line attached to it, not the bridle.  You don't want to pull on the bit with the lunge line at this point.

Till next week.  Happy training! 
Wanetta

March 17, 2014

This is something that at one point or other you will eventually have to do if you own a young horse.  I start a young horse out on a ring snaffle that is attached to his halter.  I then put him out to eat grass or play in the field.  He will continually try to spit this obnoxious thing out of his mouth.  He can put his tongue over and under the bit.  Eventually, he will learn that it isn't going anywhere.
This also will teach him that he can close his mouth and "carry" this thing around with him.

Once he is used to carrying the bit it is time to call the vet or equine dentist and get them out to make sure all is well with his teeth.  A young horse's teeth change so quickly that you will probably have had the dentist doing his teeth already.  If not, it is time for the dentist now for sure.  Most dentist's these days put what is called a "bit seat" on a horse, but you want to make sure you tell him/her that you are starting bit training on your horse and need a bit seat on the front teeth done.
This is where the dentist files the first molar teeth (top and bottom)  at a backward angle.  This helps alleviate any agrevation your horse may have while working him.

Next comes round pen work.  You will have had to have taught your horse to lunge by this time.  If not, start teaching him without the bit.  He must know the basics of whoa, walk, trot and canter.  Whoa is the most important word in a horse's vocabulary.  If a horse won't whoa you have a world of trouble ahead of you.  I don't pussyfoot with the word.  I make it a game in the round pen.  Loud whoas and soft whoas.  If you are in trouble you aren't likely to be softly asking a horse to whoa.  You are going to be shouting it.  So train your horse to know that your voice isn't going to hurt him at any decible.

I think this bitting article is going to become more than one lesson!  So take what I've given you this week and I will be back next week with what I do starting in the round pen.  If you have a comment, don't hesitate to add one! 

Wanetta

March 9, 2014

The next item you will need for your collar is a set of hames.  There are different style of hames for the different uses.  I deal mostly with clients that aren't doing farm pulling.  So therefore, I will deal with carriage, buggy or cart hame set ups.  Carriage and light buggies require a finer look than a hame that has the balls on top.  Wagons and heavier carriages require a heavier style hames.  The wagons also usually require a heavier style collar called a full faced collar.  I am talking today about hames and collars that look like the one pictured on my photo pages.  You buy your hames 1" larger than your collar size.  If you look at the halflinger picture you will see light hames that look like farming hames.  The balls on these hames are just for the look not for the use.  The paint horses pulling my wagon have buggy hames on their collars.  They usually drive a Jeff Day competition carriage so they didn't need the "wagon" look to their collars.

Care of collars:

Because collars are leather you do need to make sure they are wiped down each use.  The sweat from your horse will definitely eat up the leather if not properly cleaned off.  I keep a clean hand towel on my collar rack for each collar.  That way, when I take it off the horse, I grab the towel and wipe the sweat and hair off of the collar.  If it is a particularly hot day and the horses have worked up quite a sweat, I will use a damp towel to wipe the collar down.  About every quarter (3 mths) I will clean and oil my collars.  I use Bick 4 but you can use whatever brand leather oil you prefer.  I use a paint brush to put it on with and continue to paint it on until it slows down sinking into the leather.

If any of this is confusing to you, please feel free to contact me.  Emailing usually gets a reply either the same day or at the latest the next morning.

March 04, 2014

Collar Sizing

It's hard for the layman to get a collar to fit his horse correctly the first time out. Here is what I do to fit a collar to a horse:

1. I measure around the fattest part of the forearm of his front leg.  This works on horses that are from say three yrs on up.  It doesn't work on old horses that are starting to atrophy from age.  I measure both legs to get a concensus in inches.  Take my horse for instance, one leg measures 21" and the other is 21 1/2".  So I go with a 21" collar size.Then I do the normal measuring way which is to measure from the top of the neck to the bottom of the shoulder.  The inches should be the same.
2. When you put the collar on, your hand should lay inside the collar easily just touching the horses' neck.  Ladies, it won't touch your hand because we are just naturally smaller-handed than men.  Let's face it, this was a man's world in the old days!  If your collar is a little big a pad on the neck can take up the slack.  If you want a whole pad under your collar, buy a pad that is one inch bigger than your collar.  

At first your horse may get wrinkles on his neck because of the newness of the collar. Once he builds up muscles along his shoulder the wrinkles will go away.  Preparation H really helps at the beginning to take down any swelling that may occur.  

If your collar fits correctly, you won't get any wrinkles or swelling.  Plus you will have a happy horse.

February 24, 2014
I have a 2 going on 3 year old Clydesdale cross, named Clyde. If you happen to have a youngster that is growing as Clyde is and you need to drive in collars, because of the weight of your carriage, you will need to have different sized collars as they grow. If you have lots of training horses in like I do in different sizes, great. If not, think about getting an adjustable collar. They come with 3" of play. That means you can get say a 19-21" collar for just a bit more money than buying one collar. They are a bit bulkier than a regular collar but can save you a lot of money while your horse is growing.

I bought two collars for Clyde when I first started him. Well by the time I ordered and got them in, he was already out of the 19" one! The reason I am discussing the adjustable collar now is I have just put him in a 21"! He isn't even 3 yet! I told him he just has to stop growing. 

Next week I will go into how to fit hames to your collar and how to fit your collar nicely to your horses' neck.

February 5, 2014

Getting set up to drive your horse can be expensive so many people are looking for a way to cut costs and corners.  But let me tell you, when you and your horse’s safety is at stake, buying cheap equipment is not the way to go. 

February 17, 2014

How old is your bit you are using? I'm speaking of driving bits now but it could pertain to regular bits too.

If your mouth piece on your bit moves up and down with a bit of slop to it, replace it. This means that the metal in the middle of the mouth piece is stretching. It could easily break when you least expect it. I've had it happen to me for sure. So along with cleaning your tack, check your bit. The joint where the shank and the bit join should be snug. If the mouthpiece is able to move up and down where it once was snug, change to a new one.