Draft Horse Driving: Cultivating, Log Skid, and Fun Class

Cultivating was the next event in the competition. I had never seen anyone drive a cultivator before yesterday, so this was entirely new for me. The pattern is set up in a U-shape. Along each arm of the U are even rows of 50 water bottles. A team enters through a set of two cones and heads down the left arm of the U. The horses and the cultivator straddle the water bottles, the goal being to knock down as few as possible. After the first row, the team turns and realigns with the second row of water bottles. Again, the team and cultivator straddle the water bottles and try not to knock any over. The event is timed, with time used as a time-breaker.

This team of mules did a nice job in the cultivating class. Here, they enter the pattern and the time begins.

Down the first row of water bottles


Big U-turn and realign with the second row.

Down the second row.

Out the gate and time stops.

After cultivating was the log skid. In this event, a team pulls a set of two 16' logs through a weave cone course. The cones are set 16' apart. The course measures 35'x81', with the first cone set 8' from the starting gate. This leaves only 25' to turn the log at the last cone to weave back through the slalom.

My instructor and her team made an excellent run. First, she crossed the line to start the course (and time) and negotiated the first cone.

Second cone.

Although the team in this picture is past the third cone, once they make the turn they will both miss the third cone and keep the logs clear of the second cone. Once half the length of the log is past the cone, the log should clear the cone.

Around the third cone and towards the fourth.

The team must make a complete circle around the fourth cone. Although they have 25' to do this, it's very tight.

Back around the third cone towards the second.

See the red marks on the log? As a final challenge, the team must stop the logs so that the red strip on the end rests on the chalk start/finish line. This requires a big stop...

...and done! Perfect!

The final event was the fun class. Since it was Valentine's Day, each team drove a heart-shaped pattern. The event was timed, with penalties for knocking gates or cones, just like in obstacle. This pair of Percherons did a wonderful job at this. These boys were only 2 1/2 years old! They've only been a team for the past 6 months. Despite their inexperience, they did very well in all of the events. Both horses were very focused and alert. A few of the gates and other obstacles caught their attention and both would stare hard, but despite this they never took a bad step!

Here, the young boys enter through a gate and pass to the left of a cone.

Heading for the next set of gates. Each set is numbered and the course is completed in numerical order.

The "V" of the heart is a tight circle around a cone. The chalk circle is 4' in diameter and the right rear wheel is supposed to stay within the circle for at least 3/4ths of the turn.

Around towards the far gate.

Through the second to last gate.

Look how alert and focused these guys are! With training, they'll be a very nice team.

Again passing to the left of a cone and through the finish gate!