First Team Outing!

[DownUnder Gal]

Thanks HHB and Nanno for the explanation regarding that extra strap. It all makes sense now. Nanno, you're correct, the neck strap on my harness is a single strap with a fork at the bottom - it's a single harness.

[Nanno]

The Hoegger's single harness is designed in such a way that it can convert to a team harness pretty easily. Mine has a ring on the front top of the breastcollar which you could use to pass a strap through and back to the ring on top of the saddle. There is also a ring on the bottom front of the breastcollar which would be for attaching a false martingale which, with a ring put on it would become a pole strap in a team harness. The pole strap attaches to your quarter straps which are the same as holdback straps in a single hitch. The holdback straps can be repurposed as quarter straps with the addition one snap on each. The shaft wraps and shaft loops on a Hoegger harness can be removed for teams driving. I imagine you could probably use one of the shaft wraps as your false martingale/pole strap in a team set-up. The only thing on the Hoegger harness that you really can't convert for teams is the reins. You'd need a special set of team reins.

[Nanno]

The "whoa" command is not only useful for driving, but is very handy out on the trail! Finn prefers to hike behind Phil, not me, and since I usually walk behind Phil he is always looking for an opportunity to scoot past. I'm pretty vigilant about keeping him behind me, but sometimes at a wide spot or a switchback he manages to get ahead. Always before I have had to either tell Phil to stop, or run a few steps to catch up to Finn and grab his halter. But last time we went hiking I simply said "Whoa Finn!" and he stopped and let me get past him. It was very gratifying to know that he is obedient to this command even when I have no physical means of restraining him. I'm quite proud of him!

[Nanno]

We took our team out for their first drive of 2017 yesterday. They haven't pulled together since the Christmas parade two months ago. They were spunky and Finn was fractious at first, but they soon settled and went very nicely for most of the drive. As we neared the truck they got quite strong though, so I took over the reins from Phil and really put them through their paces. We made lots of donuts in the road and I drove them away from the truck several times. We practiced walk-trot-whoa transitions, and when we got back to the truck I made the boys trot circles around it for several minutes until they were quite out of breath (at least Finn was). I don't want them thinking that going to the truck means an automatic end to their work. In fact, arriving at the truck may even be the hardest part of the whole drive! When I drove them away from the truck after their vigorous workout they were quite compliant about walking nicely away from it. I stopped a couple hundred feet down the road, got out, rewarded, and led them back to the truck.

I was very happy with how the boys did for having been out of practice so long. Finn was kind of mean to Sputnik and occasionally tried to bite his ears, but he wasn't terrible. He also didn't have the greatest attitude. He started off both balky and chargey (couldn't make up his mind!) and even reared a couple of times when we first started, but he eventually settled, did the work, and was rewarded. Hopefully next time he'll have a nicer attitude about it. I don't think Finn will ever really enjoy pulling like Sputnik does, but that's ok. If he can eventually learn how to just put his best face on and do the work without complaining, he'll find it's not nearly as bad as he thinks. Not every activity has to be your favorite to still be enjoyable or at least tolerable. Sputnik has gotten pretty good at putting his best foot forward even when he's not sure about something. Finn not so much. We've come a long way with Finn in the last month, but he still has a ways to go.

[Nanno]

Took the boys out again yesterday and had a better drive. Finn did not rear up this time, but he was still fractious. Phil made the team circle up and back on the road this time and they did well for him. Sputnik had his first big spook when we drove past the golf cart washing station. There was a charged water hose on the ground with the end closed off and it was making a hissing noise behind a trash can. It was on Sputnik's side of the road and he freaked out. He wouldn't move any further and tried to plow into Finn and run the other way. Finn, however, did not particularly want to be plowed over (he is, after all, the dominant goat AND we were headed back toward the truck). So we got stuck going nowhere until I got out and went to Sputnik's head. I was able to lead him over to the scary spot and reassure him before moving past. We turned around and drove by the spot again and this time I was able to convince Sputnik to scoot by without me having to get out. Third time was a charm and he walked by the hissing hose with only a sideways glance and a bit of hugging on Finn. I let it go at that and gave him some cookies.

[DownUnder Gal]

They seem generally to be less spooky than horses don't they? They don't bolt off into the sunset as easily

[Nanno]

Yes, goats are much less spooky I think. One difference is that if a goat spooks you can physically prevent him from going too far too fast. If a horse spooks he's more likely to get out of control or get away entirely and spook himself worse. Goats are so much easier to manage!

[Nanno]

Phil and I had a great drive with Finn and Sputnik today. We're still practicing with them as a team. I think we'll try to get them going well as a team again before we go back to single carts. Besides, they are both in the middle of growth spurts (especially Sputnik--my goodness!), and I don't want to work them too hard on pavement while they're growing. They were better today than the last two drives and they left the truck without weaving, charging, and stopping. Phil did most of the driving today and got in lots of good practice. The boys were patient a couple of times while we stopped and talked to people along the way. I could tell from their restless shifting that they wanted to get going, but they were obedient to the "whoa" command and did not fuss. Phil and I are teaching a goat driving clinic at the end of April and I think the boys will be well prepared.

[DownUnder Gal]

How exciting about the goat driving clinic!

I need to get back to the driving training with Koby after a mishap the other week. The wagon turned over on a tree root and needs work. Nobody was hurt but the shaft assembly isn't quite what it was! I think that due to Koby's height, combined with the relatively narrow wheel base on the wagon, it's not very appropriate to use. But we will reassess once we have fixed the shafts.

[Nanno]

Oh dear! Those narrow wagons are a bit of a tipping liability. Ours has tipped a couple of times but no real damage ever occurred. I would love to have a wider, bigger wagon. Ours looks pretty comical being pulled by two big boys. It's like a little clown wagon. But it was the one we could afford!