Avi - first time harrowing garden - 25 May 2024

Training horses always involves some risk of injury (or even death) to the horse, the trainer, any spectators, equipment used, etc. - this risk is totally your own as you will be making your own judgements on what to do. As with any suggestions on any subject you must weigh them out for yourself and proceed accordingly - at your own risk.

This is part of a longer training session to start teaching Avi to harrow the garden. Working a horse in harness that is well trained to drive but does not get used in harness regularly needs to be approached with serious caution. You need to pay attention to their body language telling you they are worried about something OR they do not feel confident doing something. With Avi who had not had the harness on in many months (though she is frequently ridden) this meant harnessing her up on Stand-Stay https://griffes.tripod.com/standstay.html - then line driving her until she was completely calm and ready to do a swinging side pass turn each way on command - then dragging the singletree while line driving until she was completely calm doing it - then pulling the section of spring tooth harrow around the driveway in transport position so she got used to the rattling sounds of this never before pulled (by her) farm implement - until she was completely calm doing it. NOTE - each progressively step was done UNTIL she was completely calm doing it. NOTE - each progressively step was done UNTIL she was completely calm doing it. NOTE - each progressively step was done UNTIL she was completely calm doing it. (intentionally repeated thrice for emphasis) At that point we went over to the lower part of the garden and her confidence just was not adequate to do the task before her - she stopped and stood still to indicate she was not courageous enough to do it (you gotta know your horse or you might have read that wrong). So I stepped up to her head and took the lead rope and that bolstered her confidence enough she pulled the Spring Tooth Harrow while it was harrowing the garden soil (doing the final fitting). She had a blind bridle on so at times trying to stay near me she got too close (stepped on back of my boot) because she could not see me beside her head. And I tried dropping back to drive her with the lines and succeeded for a short while several times. We then moved to the smaller yet upper garden - and that you can see on video. After some more leading by me Avi gathers up enough courage and confidence to be driving and even do some pretty good sweeping side pass turns each direction (Gee, gee, gee = Right) (Haw, haw, haw = Left). Just as we completed the upper garden Avi's confidence fell a bit and I had to step up to her head and lead her again. So while her performance was a long ways from perfect Avi did pretty good for her first time pulling a spring tooth harrow especially when that first time was in such a tight spot. IF you are not VERY experienced driving a horse and doing work in harness with a horse I would NOT suggest starting a horse pulling any new to it implement in a tight spot requiring precise maneuvering. It is much better to start them out where they can pull the implement in long straight lines with gentle turns at the end of the field.

If you would like to see this same upper garden plot being harrowed by a FAR MORE experienced driving horse, Kate, in 2010 you can watch this video https://rumble.com/v3mxowp-harrowing-the-upper-garden-with-real-horsepower-spring-2010.html Avi may some day have the driving skill of Kate - it really depends on if I use her in harness enough to build those skills or not. I even used Kate to plow snow https://griffes.tripod.com/snowplow.html which is a job Avi has never done (I would need to build a new oak V-plow as the original one is no more.)

Remember to intentionally, on purpose, learn of God each day by prayerfully reading, studying, and pondering upon God's word each day. Talk to God in prayer as your Heavenly Father who would like for you to be His friend. Find out what He would like you to do for Him as His friend and go and do it for Him as His friend. Yes very intentionally, very much on purpose, become the friend of God. And have a blessed day!!

Jack Griffes
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