Midwest Distance Driving Association
Iron Oak Clinic and Novice Drive/Ride
Saturday, April 26, 2003

Story and Photos by Jacque Deweese

This Midwest Distance Driving Association (MDDA) will be sponsoring a distance driving clinic in association with a novice drive and ride at Richard Loeb’s stable, just North and East of Lodi, Wisconsin, at the junction of County Road V and County Road J. This was the host site of the American Heritage Combined Driving Event in 2002 and it will host this event again in 2003.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about and participate in the exciting sport of distance driving! Novice riders are also encouraged to participate in the clinic and novice ride.

The photos show the facilities that will be used for the clinic.  The enclosed arena will provide a site out of the wind, but it may be chilly so dress accordingly.  Bring a comfortable chair and be prepared to take notes and ask questions.  You are encouraged to pre-register by April 19, for both the clinic and the drive or ride.  Pre-registration forms and detailed information can be found at Iron Oaks Clinic & Drive Besides instruction on the rules and scoring for competitive driving, the clinic will provide you with nutritional and conditioning guidelines that will help you to prepare your horse physically for distance driving.  This sport does put more stress on your horse than some other pleasure driving pursuits, but that same horse will probably be happier and healthier as a result of how you feed and condition for this activity.  Distance driving is not hard, nor terribly time consuming, but you should learn how to prepare your horse for sustained moderate to heavy exercise.

Safety is a key concern and this clinic will explain many elements of safety associated with the harness and vehicle. We'll illustrate the spares kit that is important when driving over unknown terrain. If something unexpected happens on the trail, we want you to have the means to patch up and get your horse and vehicle back to your truck.

The horse's well being is a prime concern. To assure this your horse must pass a veterinary check before you can even hitch. The vet will check the pulse and respiration as well as gut sounds and hydration. You will then be asked to trot your horse on a lead in both directions to verify freedom of movement and the absence of lameness. The vet will also look for any evidence of soreness or abrasions.

A similar check may be conducted at the half way point on longer drives and always at the end of the drive.  Scoring will be explained in detail during the clinic, but in a nutshell the condition of your horse will determine the bulk of your score.  Time is a consideration and you’ll have a 10-minute window of time to complete the course.  Finishing outside of this window, either early or late will cost you points.  However, these point reductions are minor compared to the loss of points for high pulse, high respiration, lameness, or soreness.  The sport of distance driving is designed to get you and your horse to spend time together while exploring some really outstanding scenic areas in Wisconsin and the surrounding states.   Our clinic offers you this opportunity with beautiful driving from start to finish.  This site is the home of a functioning tree farm and offers pleasant, wide trails through both evergreen and hardwood forests.  There are some hills but organizers have chosen a route that is relatively mild and the footing has few stones and some moderate sand. There are no water crossings on this trail, but depending upon the weather, there may be puddles.

The afternoon drive will be a relatively short and easy 6 miles, mostly through the forest. There are two road crossings since the property is divided by lightly traveled County Road J. The time allowed without penalty will be approximately 1 hour and with more time available to complete the course without elimination. There are also a number of options along the trail to return to the headquarters if you choose to not finish. Veteran drivers with conditioned horses may opt to repeat the loop and do 12 or 18 mile competitions. Novice competitive riders will be sent out on their own 12 mile trail.

The primary purpose of the drive is to introduce you to the sport and the practices that are required to participate.  Your turnout will be inspected at the Safety Check, and the inspector may suggest some modification in the fit of your harness.  Breeching fit is the largest consideration in driving these trails.  You must remember that the reins and bridle must be attached whenever your horse is hitched  to a vehicle.  Additionally, your hitched horse should never be tied up or left unattended.

Those of you who are novice drivers will also discover how quickly 10 minutes passes at the end of the drive while you unhitch, remove the harness, and try to help your horse recover for the final Vet Check. You'll see your scores and have them explained. You may compare your experiences on the trail with others who went on the same route. You'll meet new people and perhaps make new friends that share a common desire to participate in friendly competition. Maybe you'll just experience the reward of sharing an hour or two of pleasant surroundings while driving your horse.

It's almost certain that you will discover something that you will want to do to make the next event even more pleasant. Perhaps it will be practicing loading and unloading, perhaps it will be developing a check list for packing so that you don't forget an essential item next time. Perhaps it will be practicing standing, or trotting out. (I experienced all of these in my first year of distance driving, plus more that I don't particularly want to list!)

So, how do you determine if you and your horse should participate in the distance drive?

1. You should feel comfortable driving your horse. Your horse should feel comfortable out on the trail. If you or your horse feel uncomfortable, seek out help if needed and put in more practice time.

2. You need to plan to wear a helmet and must be able to carry a whip in hand at all times. (I’ve been reminded that a whip in the holder is useless… so plan to carry it while you are driving.)

3. Your horse should be able to do six miles. Six miles over relatively easy terrain should not put excessive stress on your animal. This is an introductory event, not a win at any cost. Take the time necessary, enjoy the scenery and learn what is required to improve.

4. Your harness should be in good repair, and it must have breeching, or you must have brakes on your vehicle.

5. The vehicle you use for this sport should have solid wheels of either wood or metal and be in good repair. We have had the experience of a collapsed "bicycle" wheel. No pneumatic tires are allowed.

6. You’ll need to have a required spares kit which should include these common items: a knife, screw driver, pliers, small hammer, leather punch, hoof pick, wheel wrench to fit axle, length of rawhide or string or wire, halter and lead per horse, cooler or quarter sheet for each horse, a hames strap if applicable (neck collar), a spare rein or splice and a spare trace or splice. Suggestion: keep the small stuff in a closed bag or pouch of some kind. Some people also carry a small roll of duct tape, a "universal repair kit."

If you decide to drive, and we hope you do, plan to arrive early so you can get through the Vet Check before the clinic. We plan to start Vetting at 7 am and the clinic will kick off at 9 am. Pre-registration will help speed up the process. Here are more pictures of the Loeb terrain showing the wooded hills and variation in trail - some open, mostly tree lined. In general a beautiful venue for a drive! Hope you can join us!