Driving
Awareness of the outside horse world. Driving Digest: Going the Distance w/ Robin & Wilson Groves, Pringle.
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Coach Kate brought driving instructor Robin Groves, R&W Horse Drawn Services, down from Vermont for a clinic. We went up to Tennessee. Saturday was moved to a local indoor when the rain showed up on the forecast. Sunday was cones and dressage at Whip Hand Farm.
Greg drove with Robin Groves back when he was taking lessons with Coach Kate’s horses. Liked her teaching very much. When he heard about the clinic, he announced that he wanted to take Milton.
I thought he was nuts. Milton’s record is not good for going places and covering himself with glory. [Several instances come to mind are seared indelibly into memory. No links. Looking forward to good not back to bad. But I digress.]
Diligent work commenced. Milton kept making incremental improvements. We headed off to Tennessee. We posited all manner of off-ramps. Milton might just ground drive. Milton might not hitch the first day. Milton might come off the trailer and decide that the aliens were landing. In which case, we would pat him on the neck and go home.
Come the day?
Milton was a star. Milton was an absolute, amazing, freaking, platinum star. Elegant, forward gaits. Energetic without a trace of stiffness or anxiety. Holding a steady contact with the bit. Tolerated a noisy indoor ring on a windy day. Transitions. Figures. In and out of cones. Trotting around a dressage ring for the first time ever in a cart.
It was unbelievable.
Literally unbelievable.
As in, who is this horse and were did he come from?
We got exercises. We got advice. We got guidance for the future.
The big thing we learned at the clinic?
It’s in there.
Onwards!
Katherine
Virtual Brush Box 
Hooray! Now to convince Milton that he not only has it but it’s worth using.
Jaon? My sister used to spell it Joan.
Milton deserves a treat.
Milton was wonderful! And Robin wants him, provided you can shrink him a couple hands, and shave a few years off his age… 🙂
Robin is going to be doing a clinic down by us this month. She comes to the area regularly and I really need to get to one of them one of these days.
Milton got treats. So many treats.