What Now…?!?!
I have my new team—and I stand in front of them with pride and joy. I brush and braid their hair like any Tiara Teamster would (and should). But the big question remains: What do I do with them right now, especially since they are new to me and I am a new"ish" Teamster?
The truth is… I don’t know all the details of the team’s history.
I don’t know their quirks, their “isms,” or their triggers.
I don’t know what they excel at or what they struggle with.
At this moment in time, I really don’t know anything about them.
I know my dogs. I know what they’re good at, where they need support, and what is simply
“them.” Calamity Jane is all business—even her invented games have rules. She needs to be heard and she makes sure of it. But bring out an air compressor or a pressure cooker and she’s gone hiding. Tallulah is a clown who loves her people, but if she sees a jack rabbit in the field, she is gone…gone… ggggoooonnnneee chasing.
With my new team, I need to get to know them—and they need to understand me. I need to establish that level of knowledge I have with my dogs with Ted and Loki.
I am around good horses and I see the relationship between team and Teamster. I see how a good teamster can read their horses and knows when to push and when to stop.
I see how a good teamster can drive a team through the mountains, weaving in and out. The horses have confidence and trust in the Teamster and enjoy the journey..
So… How do I get that ?!?!
Starting the Journey—Safely
The first step was to begin in a secure environment where both they and I could learn safely. I reached out to my mentor, Dale at ACS and asked for guidance and step-by-step instructions. He is a wealth of knowledge, and I trust his experience fully.
We started simply: Neil (my husband) and I haltered each horse and walked them around the smaller enclosed pasture. They followed behind us, stopped when we stopped, backed up when asked, and they yielded to our space. We focused on respect, manners, and responsiveness.
We did this for about a week, until we consistently got good responses from both horses each time. They did amazing—perfect gentlemen.
Getting Ready to Drive
Next came the harness review. The boys arrived with a harness, but I quickly realized I wanted a new one. As an employee of ACS, I cannot be seen in anything less than an amazing harness (more on that in another blog). Their old harness worked and they were used to it—I had driven them in it before with the previous owners. I wanted their first drive with me to be solid. Limit the variables so I used the current harness. I wanted a good, confidence-building experience.
I did a good number of ground driving sessions with the boys. The team has been driven regularly in the mountains with the past owners. They did not require "training", we needed to get to know each other.
One “ism” we’ve had to address is that their previous owners often had their partner “show” the boys what to do first. If they were to walk over the pole, they would walk over the pole to show the boys. This resulted in the boys looking to Neil when I was behind the lines for initial instruction. We’ve been working on teaching them to stand and wait while Neil walks around them, and making sure they stay and only take instruction from me. Improvement is happening daily. As the Tiara Teamster, I am the boss behind the lines.
Working Sled
We decided to start with a working sled—no wheels, just a nice steady load—in a secure smaller pasture. My immediate goal was to build skills, trust, and rock-solid voice commands. “Woa” needs to be 100% reliable before we venture anywhere else. When asked to stop, they need to stand quietly.
At the moment, when they stop it turns into sibling rivalry—like kids in the back seat on a long road trip, poking at each other when the car stops. We are working on that. A neck yoke has helped keep them in a better team position.
We practice different turns—some tight, some wide—and we have two cones set up for figure-8s. Repeat, repeat, repeat… great time to listen to music or a podcast. After about an hour, I give the “woa” command. I want “woa” to be a happy place, a spot of comfort and calm.
When the day is done, I unhook them facing away from the barn, we wait and then we walk back calmly, with patience and clear expectations. We do this also when unhitching from hitching post and hooked up to working sled - wait.
We as a team are building confidence—in each other and in the process.
A Few Lessons Along the Way
We made the mistake of giving them oats after a driving session. That backfired quickly. The walk from the pasture to the hitching post became faster, and faster to get back to the treats. We stopped that immediately.
I also managed to get a checkline buckle caught on the back saddle strap. That left me with no line input on the Gee side, and I was pulling with everything I had on the Haw side—resulting in a very tight turn toward the fence. Once both lines freed up, they stopped, but it highlighted something important: our “woa” still needed work. They should have responded to my voice alone. Also, it gave me a lesson in how not to panic and work the problem.
So we remain in the secured pasture with the working sled. Wash, rinse, repeat.
What I’ve Learned About the Boys (So Far)
They don’t like to drive single.
Ted is the lover—very affectionate.
Ted is also the lazy one.
Loki is the boss.
Loki is the hard worker—always wanting to be out front.
If someone is going to spook, it will be Loki.
Loki is my right-side horse; Ted is my left.
New Experiences
We introduced the boys to the farrier and took them for a barn visit with the big boys at ACS. I wasn’t sure if they had ever been inside a barn or met a big draft—but they handled it beautifully. Oscar the barn cat didn’t faze them. Neither did the farrier’s dog, who is a pretty good judge of character.
They were gentlemen with the farrier, aside from Ted’s curiosity about the farriers belt. We also practiced loading, unloading, and tying them to the trailer. They handled all of it with confidence. The only moment of concern was when the hay sack was empty—that caused some panic!
Current Focus
We are using winter as a time to build a very solid foundation as a team. We had a good dump of snow this week and the plan is to continue with the working sled and focus on even driving. Wash, rinse, repeat. Then come spring we will “spring” into some more adventures.
Heading Beyond the Pasture…
Once we’re fully comfortable, we’ll leave the safety of the enclosed area and head into the open field. We are not in a rush - enjoying the journey. That will be a new chapter—new sights, new challenges, new tests of trust.
