Horses of the outside world. “The former stallion has been part of the barn for two years now, ponying horses to the track for morning workouts and serving as the stable’s mascot.” Twin Spires: After the Racetrack: Zivo and Cherie DeVaux, Kelly 2022 & 2023. According to a recent Insta post, Zivo is still working as a pony horse, @americansbestracing and @reredevaux, 16 October 2026. You may be able to open it without an account or signing in.
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Shadow Cart
Driving lesson with Boogie
Stepping Stone Farm
16 October 2026
If hands are important in riding, they must be ultra important in driving, right? It’s your main aid by a wide margin. Maybe a lack of friendly contact was a reason Rocky had ignored me last time? [Change Partners]
I resolved to work on this.
Me: Presents extended dissertation on my theory of hand usage.
Couch Courtney: Elbows.
Me. Elbows? Elbows?! That’s a whole new body part to keep track of!
Of course she was right.
Soft hands come from a take & give with the elbows. Even more so with driving, perhaps. There is just too much rein for subtle finger movements to get from me all the way up to the horse.
Halfway through the lesson, Boogie said, ‘Okay, let’s hit it.’ We started sailing around the ring in fine style, dirt flying in my face. That has remained a driving metric since my wonderful classes with Alvin, lo these many years ago. “If dirt wasn’t hitting me in the face, we weren’t going fast enough.” [Team Awesome]
Boogie decided to motivate because he decided I knew what I was doing? He had confidence in the driver? Horses are herd animals. They have to know they can rely on other members of the herd. If that is basic to their nature, it has to color how they relate to their world. I would think.
As for the other body parts on the checklist, I ended up using my upper body as well. Moving your elbows freely means having a strong, steady upper body. [Goldy Sparkles]
Couch Courtney said it improved my overall look as well.
I also tried, once again, to use my weight once or twice. At least that is harmless, if uneffective. [After Afterthoughts]
At one point in my lesson, I thought to self, I can do this. I can drive well. I recognized the feeling. I recognized that I have driven well in the past. The problem is that I don’t know why it happens, so I can’t be consistent.
Does everything I do have to have a theory? Yes. Next question.
Text to Coach Deana after driving lesson. “TIL. Good hands in riding translate to good hands in driving. Imagine that.” [Meeting The Goldy Standard]
Onwards!
Katherine
