Skijoring
Derived from the
Norwegian
word for "ski-driving", skijoring is the perfect sport for the
cross-country
ski enthusiast with one or two dogs. The skier is outfitted with a
skijoring
belt, which hooks to a quick-release line which is attached to an
X-back
harness on the dog. The skijoring line has an internal bungee at one
end
which absorbs the shock when you are starting out, or if you fall.
Regular
track skis are good for beginners, and more experienced skijorers
use skate skis for speed or back country skis for off-trail work. The
key
to skijoring is a well-trained dog, as the faster the skier can ski,
the
faster the human-dog duo can fly. We've heard of people who have
skijored
behind teams of eight or more dogs, but no one in the club has been
tempted
to try this yet. Please see our links section
for more on the world of skijoring.
Hitch
one or two dogs behind a light-weight, Finnish-made kick sled and go
faster
by pushing the sled along with your feet. The kick sled was originally
meant for human power alone, but the folks at Canvasback Pet Supplies
modified
one a few years ago for dog power, and the idea has really caught on
with
mushers who only have one or two pets. The kick sled line has an
internal bungee to absorb shock, and a bridle which attaches it to the
sled. Owners of larger dogs often prefer this over ski-joring, as it
gives
them more stability when turning. Our kick sledders tend to use a
weight-pull
harness for a single dog, and switch to X-back harnesses for teams of
two
or more.
Join
the international world of dog sledding when you hitch two or more dogs
to a sled and howl away across the prairies. Our dog sledders can have
a maximum 4-dog team, as per the hosts of the trails we run on. Those
with larger teams should check out the Manitoba
Dog Sledding Association (see our links page
for more info).