Originally posted by Jadapit
Omg that looks like so much fun!! I would love to be able to go on a ride with you and your beautiful team. How long have you been running sleds? Does it take a long time to learn how to do it? It looks like the dogs enjoy it as much as the people.
I've been running dogs for five years. How long it takes to figure it out varies alot. I have a friend who's husband is a champion sprint racer, but after 30 years she still can't drive a sled. She handles for him and he does all the driving and racing. It took me three years to get confident enough to drive a big team and to be able to hook them up alone.

It's much easier to learn if you start with a trained leader. A good leader will teach your other dogs what to do. I was given Sleet the first winter I lived in the North. Sleet is a natural born lead dog who never misses a command. She taught me & the other dogs more about mushing than I could ever have learned on my own.

I also live in an area where I am surrounded by mushers. It's very helpful to be able to call someone who's run the Yukon Quest with questions!