I recently returned from a short visit to Arizona where, despite the cold, I participated in an assortment of fun equine activities.
It should be noted that while I was in Scottsdale there were days that were cooler than here in Alberta — I actually had to purchase a down coat as it was so cold out in the desert. That certainly did not stop me from participating in equestrian activities — just had to add a few more layers.
One of the highlights of my trip was an invitation to go spend some time with the Arizona Mini Mystique Drill Team. This dedicated group of miniature horse drivers invited me to attend and participate in a practice session for an upcoming performance of the team — what a thrill. What a great way to share the fun and fellowship of a group of people sharing the common interest of enjoying their horses and improving their skills.
Initially, I watched the practice, where eight drivers and their miniature horses performed a six-minute precision drill full of lots of turns and intricate manoeuvres with no incidents. Everyone remembered the patterns (although once or twice, I think the horses were in charge when a driver got “a might confused” for a moment) and executed each step in the correct sequence. Some of the elements of the performance were quite intricate and one wrong move could result in a horsey collision or two.
After the group had practiced the routine three times as well as repeated small segments to improve precision, I was invited to ride along with one of the drivers — wahoo! I could not get in the cart fast enough.
Off we went, doing moves such as wheels, weaves, interlocking lines, arrows, dosey does and many more. It was too much fun. The accompanying photo shows the drill team heading into the practice area in their arrow formation — look how well everyone was doing.
At the completion of the routine, the gal I rode with asked me if I would like to drive — you can guess my response. A couple of us went out and tried a few of the simpler elements of the routine and had a great time. My mind was buzzing with all the possibilities of doing something like this at home.
After this fun day, I thought a lot about the possibilities and benefits of participating in a drill team. We have some excellent examples already in Alberta — the Stampede Show Riders comes to mind, but there are quite a few other drill teams sprinkled throughout the province, all enjoying this interesting activity.
A number of things impressed me about this kind of equine activity — it encourages good horsemanship, it improves your riding/driving skills by demanding accuracy through proper management of paces and reinsmanship and it provides another different kind of activity to do with your horse. It puts you and your horse in a situation where you have to work as a team in close proximity to other horses/riders/drivers and everyone has to get along (good lesson for us all).
So, what do you need to put together your own drill team? You need committed members who will work at it and participate in every practice; you need a combination of leaders and followers; you need suitably matched horses and riders/drivers (not the place for a green horse and a green rider/driver); members with positive attitudes (won’t get upset if there is the occasional blunder — will just laugh it off and have fun); and horses who do not bite or kick.
Start with simple patterns and work your way up to fancier ones — don’t try to tackle complicated patterns too soon as it will be too frustrating and confusing for all concerned. The goal is to look good and have fun.
I am already planning some simple patterns I can have my driving students doing — the possibilities are endless.
