Spring Is A Time For Growth — Tiara Teamster Journey

Spring is in the air, and growth is happening everywhere, not just in the plants.
This Tiara Teamster and her team experienced many firsts this May.

Teeth Floated

The boys did great having their teeth floated. We confirmed their ages (6–7 years old) and made sure there were no issues needing attention. A big thank you to our Equine Dentist (Brandy) for doing such a great job, and for putting up with the hovering “helicopter parents.” We will continue to have their teeth floated annually to keep them healthy and comfortable.

Farrier Visit

Next on the list was a visit from the farrier. We were a little overdue since I missed the last
appointment. If you can imagine our ferrier (Stacy) trimmed Ted, Loki, fitted two standard breds’ for shoes, 1 draft for shoes and trimmed two more additional drafts in the hottest days of the year so far, she is one tough cookie! Because we are planning to head into the mountains this summer, I wanted to get the boys fitted for boots. We decided to go with Cavallo Boots, and the best time for fitting is right after a farrier appointment. Ted and Loki are both a size 4. Before we tackle the mountains, we will be sure to spend plenty of time driving around home with the boots on so everyone is comfortable and
confident.

Wheels

Being the nervous nellie I am when it comes to my four-legged kids, I had been putting off driving on wheels. But, as mentioned before, spring is a time for growth!
I wanted the drive for both me and my team to feel controlled, positive, and successful. I asked my mentor, Dale, to ride along with me for my first time on a forecart (two wheels). Well… we skipped right past that and went straight to four wheels!
A friend kindly let us borrow his beautiful brand new red shinny wagon for the test drive. To prepare earlier in the day, we took the team out for about an hour on the stone boat, and they were absolutely perfect. After that, we did ground driving and practiced walking over the pole from both directions, again, perfect.

Then came the wagon… and they were perfect once again.
I was glowing with pride. Thank you, Dale, for the support and for the little kick in the butt this Tiara Teamster needed.

We did decide to put Teddy back into a solid military bit, as he has started feeling a little sassy lately. Other than that, it is simply practice, practice, and more practice before we head into the mountains. And remind them who is boss, me!



Side Note:
When starting your driving adventure, always begin with two wheels before moving up to four… unless you happen to have a master teamster supervising.
The mountain wagon I drove was built at ACS. Stay tuned this fall for more details about the new ACS Mountain Wagon.

Since we drove shinny and new, the next step is elegant and historic.
The boys and I had the absolute privilege of test-driving a true piece of Calgary history, a carriage dating back to the mid 1800s. An inspection was completed at ACS to ensure it was safe for clients, and the test drive was part of the process. It drove beautifully, incredibly smooth. It was such a highlight. It is amazing to think something built so long ago was crafted with such care and workmanship. It was a pleasure to have it at Alberta Carriage Supply for a few days.