Both strongly advise anyone new to driving to learn the sport from experienced drivers using schoolmaster horses before looking for their own driving horse. They suggest joining a local driving club to meet others already involved in the sport and to take advantage of the resources available through the American Driving Society (ADS), the Carriage Association of America (CAA) and the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF).

Where to Start your Driving Horse Search

When you’re ready to begin your search for a driving horse, it’s important to define the type of driving you’d like to do and your budget (with pre-purchase exam and equipment costs factored in).

Cashion, an active clinician who has taught and competed in driving for 22 years through the international levels and holds CAA Level 1 Instructor and Level 2 Driver proficiencies, cautions newbies not to fall in love with the first gorgeous creature they see, but to carefully think through your ability level and personal goals when selecting a horse.

“The animal that catches your eye may be stunning, but if he drives or rides like a fire-breathing dragon while you’re a green driver who needs a reliable Steady Eddie, this won’t be a good fit for you,” she warns.

Arnold has represented the U.S. at four FEI World Driving Championships in the last six years. He trains horses, teaches students and manages the driving program at Hermitage Farm in Kentucky. Also a busy USEF Developing Athlete Program clinician, he thinks most horses can adapt to driving. “Almost any horse can be trained to be correct,” he says. “You just have to find the right way to motivate them. If the horse is forward and likes to work and likes the game, he can overcome some conformational flaws.”

A Driving Horse Mind

Both experts topped their requirement list for a driving horse by talking about desirable mental traits.

A good mind: This was first on Cashion’s list. She says a good mind for partnership and driving is of utmost importance.

“You want a horse that is not overly spooky, is trusting, and is able to learn new skills,” she says. “Even the most solid horse can spook, but a good brain is based on how they handle their fear. Will they listen to you and respond? Then you can work through scary moments. Do they want to react strongly without any known trigger or lack the ability to work through the scary moment? Then driving may not be for that horse.”

Forward-thinking: At the top of Arnold’s list was a horse that goes toward something he doesn’t know rather than backing away.

“I think all horses can be broken down into backward-thinking or forward-thinking horses,” he says. “Consider the horse that spooks and jumps back versus a horse that either doesn’t spook, or if he does spook, he goes forward. Those are the two basic mentalities of horses.”

Trainable: This trait ranked very high with both Cashion and Arnold. Cashion explains how she evaluates trainability.

“I like to try to teach the horse something new when I try him out,” she says. “I will choose something small, based on what I see in the moment, and tune in to how he responds. Does he want to figure out what I am asking of him, approaching with curiosity? Does he resist and become worried, shutting down or reacting strongly?”

Calm-minded: Arnold explains this as “a quiet, relaxed horse that doesn’t get fussed easily.”

A driving horse needs to accept flapping tack, a vehicle following them, and wearing a bridle with blinders that only allows them to see what is directly in front of them, among other things.

He says that just how calm they need to be depends on the task. For combined driving, they may need to be more keen, whereas for pleasure driving and parades, they should probably be “about a 5 on a scale where 10 is super forward and 1 is not.”

Smart: Arnold prefers a driving horse to be clever.

“They can pick up on the game quickly,” he says. “For example, some horses I have driven really love the cones phase of combined driving—they love the game of going in between the cones; they know when we cross the start and when we get to cone 20 and look for the finish.”

Willing to stand: Driving horses need to stand longer than riding horses in order to be hitched or if something needs to be repaired while away from the barn.

“Trying to convince your horse to stand still while adjusting a piece of equipment, if it isn’t already in his toolkit, is a recipe for trouble,” Cashion says.

Good steering: Arnold emphasizes that it is important that a driving horse steers well and understands steering on two direct reins.

A Body Built for Driving

The other half of the list provided by Cashion and Arnold involved physical attributes for a driving horse: conformation and movement. Here is a quick summary of what they recommend.

A wide chest for more effective positioning of the breastplate to pull the carriage and to allow for easy breathing.

A neck that comes high out of the shoulder and is not too short; this also helps with room for breathing and effective pulling.

A solid, short-coupled build allows for a good back-to-front connection for pulling power.
Strong, ample hindquarters are the engine for pushing.

Good feet and legs for longevity of soundness.

Quality of movement is important for competition, but also affects soundness; a naturally good walk and a solid working trot are very important.

The Wrong Stuff

Cashion says horses that would not be good driving horse candidates include those that often bolt out of control, are prone to bucking or kicking, or are not willing to work. She also cautions against horses that cannot overcome being very noise-sensitive and those that are not serviceably sound.

“If you don’t feel confident riding or handling your horse, you won’t feel safe sitting behind him in a carriage,” she warns.

Parting Advice from Driving Horse Pros

Both professionals encourage others to try your hand with a driving horse.

“Driving is the most fun you can have while partnering with your horse,” Cashion says. “Buy or train the horse that best fits you. Make sure the people you trust to give advice are acting in your best interest, not their own pocketbooks. The sport of driving has some of the best people and equines in the world, if you know where to look!”

The post Driving Horse Qualities appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Learn from the experts what it takes to get started in the sport of driving horses.

The sight of a horse-drawn carriage conjures up thoughts of power and elegance. It’s a nod to history for equestrians and non-equestrians alike. While the prospect of learning to drive may seem intimidating to some, it shouldn’t be, according to driving instructor and judge Andy Marcoux of Coachman’s Delight, Inc. in Massachusetts.

Marcoux teaches students, trains horses, and competes in combined driving through Advanced level and pleasure drives with singles, pairs and four-in-hands.

“It’s really kind of interesting in carriage driving—there are many who come from riding to driving certainly, but there are also a lot of people who are new to horses,” says Marcoux.

Martha Custis Merry of Lebanon, Ohio, an amateur adult dressage rider who now also drives her 8-year-old Percheron/Friesian/Dutch Harness gelding, Lancer, shares that the sport is something that can be enjoyed as a pleasure driver or competitive driver. She likes the team aspect of working with her husband, Dave, who serves as her navigator in combined driving. Together the Merrys successfully completed their first combined driving event (CDE) at Training Level last fall, and they look forward to doing more.

Where to Start

Both Marcoux and Merry advise finding a local driving club as a very important first step, as well as reviewing the resources available through the American Driving Society (ADS), the Carriage Association of America (CAA), and the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF). There are carriage driving clubs in just about every region in the country; lists of clubs can be found on the ADS and CAA websites.

These are good resources to find local instructors, learn safe practices, get advice on selecting equipment, get help with training or purchasing a horse, and to enlist experienced drivers to lend a hand to newbies.

Those interested in driving will find a very welcoming group, according to Merry.

“The driving community is loaded with wonderfully generous folks. Most driving clubs embrace knowledge-sharing and invite potential drivers to join for a free trial period and to ride along in their carriages.”

Marcoux offers this logical progression in learning to drive:

■ Gain experience and confidence by riding along with a driving instructor and
other experienced drivers, with the goal of eventually taking over the reins while still having them at your side for guidance as a co-pilot. After doing this for a time, they will let you know when it’s time to solo.
■ Use an experienced horse while learning to drive. After learning with a seasoned horse, then the person can work on training their own horse for driving with the help of experts.
■ Learn the parts of the harness and vehicle (cart, carriage, wagon, sleigh, et cetera). Marcoux says that the harness can often look like a “bucket of squids” to beginners, but it really is no different than learning the parts of a saddle.
■ Learn how to safely harness a horse and hitch them to a vehicle.
■ Learn ground driving and long lining.
■ Learn by volunteering and watching, help at shows and meetings, and shadow experienced drivers.

Merry adds these tips:
■ Do your homework by reading and watching videos. Study the rulebooks. Ask questions.
■ Spend plenty of time doing groundwork with a horse to develop a rapport and communication before climbing into the carriage.

Riding Versus Driving

The view between the ears of a riding horse is much the same in driving, but from a slightly different angle and with communication through a few new aids.

“I was accustomed to feeling and influencing my horse with legs, seat, hands and balance,” says Merry. “Driving takes that communication to a whole new level. I still needed to accomplish the same type of tasks, but now using voice, reins, whip and brakes when applicable [not all horse-drawn vehicles have brakes].”

Your riding horse could also make a great driving horse, even if he needs to be retired from riding in some cases.

“Driving can be a fabulous second career for a horse because it’s very low-impact compared to riding,” says Marcoux. “When you get horses that have conditions such as kissing spine or navicular—conditions that make them not appropriate for ridden work—they may still be fantastic horses for driving if they have a decent head on their shoulders.”

Try Driving Now

Marcoux encourages those interested not to wait to try driving.

“The biggest thing I see is that most often people have a tendency to wait too long before trying the sport,” he says. “They think it looks like fun and maybe they’ll do that when they get older and can’t ride anymore. Then you know what happens? They feel like they have cheated themselves once they start driving. They say, ‘Wow, I absolutely should not have waited!’”

This article about how to get started with driving horses appeared in the July 2020 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

Further Reading

■ The Right Stuff: How to Choose a Driving Horse
■ Scurry Driving: Your New Favorite Equestrian Sport
■ Driving Mini Horses
■ Driving Lessons from the Show Ring

The post Dive Into Driving: How to Get Started Driving Horses appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.