I am able to take ponies, as a single or in pairs, to train them to drive, from pleasure to performance.
I have successfully driven from singles to teams and from Shetland ponies to Heavy horses.
I work at the learning rate of the individual pony/ponies. I do not work on an “I’ll get them going in 5-6weeks” system.
To me each pony must be taught to stop on command before I do any thought provoking or challenging work with that pony.
I also train the owners/drivers to understand the signals that their ponies give them. This makes for a tight bond between the driver and the ponies and I strongly believe that this ‘trust’ is what makes a good safe turnout.
I have 53m by 20m outdoor, all weather arena, enclosed by a high post and rail fence. This arena is gated at one end directly onto the yard. The other end is gated onto one of the farm tracks, so I can go directly out onto the farm to train as soon as I feel the trainees are ready.