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Loki 4 months old,Draft Cross
Carriage Driving

Group Lead: Emily Vander Kooy
Created: Nov 06, 2008
Members: 92

For anyone who is an enthusiast of Carriage driving, whether it be pleasure driving shows, driving for fun, or for those combined drivers out there.


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Posted By Christina Stearns
on March 4, 2009, 10:43 am
Hello, I just joined the site, and I'm looking for advice from miniature horse owners, on how to start driving. I have 3 mini mares, a brand new cart and harness, but I have no experience with driving at all. Any info would be appreciated !!! Thanks. :)

Comment By Bill Kraatz
on July 23, 2009, 5:01 pm

What part of the world are you in, Christina?
My first suggestion would be to find a professional or other VERY experienced whip (driver) in your area. Driving is much more dangerous than riding...you have 1 to 4 horses with a few hundred pounds of iron strapped to them and far fewer aids. It's GREAT fun, but safety first, always!!

Comment By Liz Petrello
on September 25, 2011, 4:29 pm

Chirstina - We are nearly neighbors. There are a lot of expereinced people in your area that train or just love to mentor. The WhipRSnapers are the closest cub to you Visit Link but Norco Saddle and Harness also has a lot of fun people and events. There is also a driving playday in Slymar on October 16th you can long line most of the events. If intersted PM me and I'll send you all the details.

Posted By Dave Millwater
on November 9, 2009, 1:25 am

My wife's goofy, generally useless, oversized QH-cross gelding, the unworthy son of my late stallion, has been finding himself between the shafts most Sunday afternoons here lately. Mostly because I'm trying to get my wife to spend more time holding the lines, and she's afraid the big drafters will get away from her. Although he's 16-3, her gelding doesn't have the brute strength (or raw gumption) to drag the heavy forecart anywhere if I step on the brakes.

He's getting to be a pretty solid cart horse. Today we switched around the harness on him a bit... We'd been using a breast-collar cart harness. I kept the surcingle, breeching, and bridle from that, replaced the breast collar and its traces with a collar & hames from an old harness we had in the back and the plowing tugs I'd made for his sister. Added the beta lines borrowed from a draft harness.

He was much more willing to pull with the neck collar set-up... Although still a lazy sod.

Now if I could get the wife to use her hands to work the lines instead of standing up and dancing ballet to use her whole arms to manage the things. But at least she's actually taking them now.



Comment By Liz Petrello
on September 25, 2011, 4:25 pm

Hi Dave - If you are handy you can make a rein board pretty easily. She could practice with it and help her lose the ballet : - )

Here is a PDF and explaination: Visit Link

Posted By Jay Hughes
on March 16, 2009, 8:32 pm
Met a great fellow in the world of carriage driving when I was in Ocala last. His name is Peter Pischer and he is getting some of our American teams up to snuff for the WEG in 2010. Great fellow and doing wonderful things with our folks. A real gentleman.

Jay
H & H Horse

Comment By Bill Kraatz
on July 23, 2009, 4:57 pm

Peter Tischer is doing a great job "fine-tuning" the American teams. See them in action this October at the Lexington Classic CDE, WEG Test Event.

Posted By Devin Gosselin
on June 30, 2009, 12:49 am
combined driving is probably one of the funnest equestrian events you could get into. every horseman should try it.. at least once and it should totally be in the olympics. :] i'll see you in the marathon.

Posted By Ashley Leslie
on February 19, 2009, 11:02 am
I have been driving for years and now I work at Disneyworld. I drive carriages and the horse trolley in Magic Kingdom. Look foward to sharing driving experiences with all of you!

Posted By karen ashford
on January 14, 2009, 1:07 pm
So excited about this group, my in-laws are huge in the carriage and driving world and my father-in-law just built a pony cart for my daughters shetland pony, we are so excited. My daughter can't wait to try the combined driving event with her grandparents, it is such a cool sport and everyone enjoys watching my father in law drive his pair. Send me any messages, would love to chat with other drivers, we mainly ride but my husbands family definetly got us into driving (:

Posted By Pam Kruger
on January 13, 2009, 10:20 pm
hi i have 2 wonderful horses for sale. if any one is interested in buying a horse you can look at them at my web site www.freewebs.com/kruzer16
one is starligh/lena pine bar and the other is romeo/royal tango. thanks

Posted By Belinda Paget-Brown
on January 10, 2009, 6:24 pm
Thank you all who helped me.

Posted By Shelby Cross
on December 2, 2008, 10:19 am
Does anyone know of any good locations or trails in central Virginia that are safe for driving a single horse and small wagon? There are a lot of places to go trail riding but I haven't found any places that are good for driving. Thanks!

Posted By Jayme Ponikvar
on November 14, 2008, 8:38 am
Hello, I am interested in learning how to drive what would be a good first step?

Comment By Shelby Cross
on December 2, 2008, 10:11 am

Find a very experienced driver to work with and start with a horse that's had a lot of experience at driving. It's tough to believe but it is so very different from riding and takes a whole new level of communication with your horse. Good Luck!

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