How to get the most from your driving lesson
When you are first starting out in any sport or pursuit, you have an interest. That interest turns into a quest for knowledge. Somehow you have to be taught how to do the new thing. You learn from watching videos, reading books, or taking instruction. When you learn, you are the STUDENT, learning from someone who has KNOWLEDGE of that subject to pass along. Being a good student is a process that hopefully you learned in school. For many of us, it’s been a very long time since we’ve gone to school, so we may have forgotten some of the protocols of good behavior.
As a trainer, instructor, clinician, judge, I’m there to help you learn. I’m going to try to teach you in a systematic, building block fashion that is easy to understand according to your skill level. You are the one paying for the instruction, and you have your own motives and goals. Together, we have to agree on the steps to learning. We BOTH also have to maintain a safe environment at all times. That means, having a controlled environment, such as a fenced area to work in, free from hazardous, objects, areas and poor footing.
Resolved to learn to drive in 2016? Let’s get started!
"Driving is especially desirable for those with physical disabilities that may preclude them from riding, but not from having a good horse experience."
The New Year is upon us, with many goals and resolutions made and broken. So, you’ve always wanted to try driving a horse or pony and buggy? Do it! If your resolution is to get interested in driving, then what are you waiting for?
Start off correctly by getting the knowledge you need. What is driving? Driving is the act of controlling an equine that is hooked to an implement or a rolling vehicle such as a cart, carriage or wagon. Many people are interested in driving a horse and buggy, but don’t know how to get started.
In today’s modern world, there is still room and opportunities for carriage driving. Everyone from the young to “vintage” adults can drive. Driving is especially desirable for those with physical disabilities that may preclude them from riding, but not from having a good horse experience. You don’t need a “big” horse. Many adults drive miniature horses and small ponies.
Winter maintenance for harnesses and carriages
In many parts of the country outside California, the weather isn’t conducive to driving or riding, except by a hardy few. Winter was traditionally the time of staying indoors and doing repairs on vehicles and harness in preparation for the spring activities like planting, hunting, and visiting.
Inspection of harness: Take the whole harness apart. If you don’t know how your harness goes together or where all the parts go, look at it while it’s on your equine. Observe where all the straps attach to each other. When you take it apart, put each part- i.e. the bridle, breast collar, back strap etc., all in their own piles. (Hint- the first time I ever took my harness apart, it only took me fi ve hours to clean it and put it all back together. I was so proud of myself, as I only had a few left over pieces that I had no idea where they went! Now, I could assemble a harness blindfolded!).
Jingle bells and gifts for the driver in your life
Winter evokes thoughts of those Currier and Ives prints of sleighs, dashing through the snow with jingle bells through cold and snowy days or moonlit nights. Bells on bobtails ring isn’t just a quaint phrase. Bells in driving were historically important. In medieval times small bells were used to scare away the evil spirits from contact with your plow horse, lest he become ill and the family perish because he couldn’t work the fields. Bells come in all tones, shapes and sizes from small and “tinkly”, to medium and throaty, to large, loud and low sounding. The sound of bells, especially the medium-sized ones, travels quite a ways over a snowy field. They let you know that another sleigh or vehicle might be around the blind bend in the road or forest. Bells may be strung on leather straps with just a few bells, or a long strand of numerous bells. They were functional as well as fashionable. Saddle chimes, another type, are on a decorative framework that attaches to the harness saddle. This type of bell was typically used on freighting teams. Bells may also be attached to the shafts of your carriage.
Harvest time yields working images our gentle giants
Fall is fast approaching, and that makes me think of harvest time, which leads me to images long past of draft horses and farming. Long before we had tractors, draft horses were the original horse power that pulled all the various farming implements. In fact, horsepower is defined as a unit of measurement of power — the rate at which work is done.
There are many different standards and types of horsepower. The term was adopted in the late 18th century by Scottish engineer James Watt to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses and ponies. The development of the steam engine provided a reason to compare the output of horses with that of the engines that could replace them.
Drivers’ rules of the past still carry weight today
In the “good ol’ days,” horses, mules and donkeys were the original beasts of burden. Now, we have commercial truck freighting companies. In the past, there were big stables in towns and cities that supplied contract horses for everything from transportation to freighting.
Preparing for a driving show: Make your list!
Now that you’ve enjoyed your introduction to the sport of driving, you might want to try participating in a driving show. If you don’t feel up to participating with your equine just yet, please consider becoming a volunteer! You’d be amazed at how much you can learn about a sport by being a part of it without competing. You will also be very much appreciated, as the vast majority of events run on volunteerism. Often times, when volunteering, you may get your own personal mini clinic from the experience.
Safety in driving means being prepared if there’s an accident
Sometimes, no matter how experienced we are or how well-trained our horses are, accidents happen! Without a doubt, working with horses can be hazardous. How you plan, react and control the situation is the key.
Planning ahead requires education: reading articles, taking lessons, making observations. Why do horses get us in trouble?
Horses are fight or flight animals whose brains have been hard-wired for survival. A horse may react by standing, freezing and assessing the situation while deciding if staying is a good idea (fight), or to put some distance between itself and whatever it perceives as a threat (flight). When a horse chooses flight, things can go downhill very quickly – even more so when a cart or carriage is attached. If the “bolting” involves multiple horses, they can quickly bond into a herd mentality. If one runs, the others will too, as there is safety in numbers as far as an equine brain is concerned!
German Training Scale is helpful for common driving training issues
12th in a series
In my previous articles, I’ve referred to the German Training Scale. It is a logical system of training developed by the German National Equestrian Federation (GNEF), describing the progression of training of an equine for all disciplines.
It can also be imagined as a circle of steps, that one cannot make progress without a combination of all previous steps being established, before moving forward in which end result is the horse achieves balance, self carriage and engagement. The GNEF publishes a series of books, which are an excellent resource for all equestrians. I would recommend their book on driving, which is based on the Achenbach system, developed in the early 1900’s by Benno Von Achenbach.
This system of driving is recognized worldwide, who’s main aim is to produce a driver, who will not through ignorance, cause suffering and injury to his horse, nor place themselves or others in danger while out in public, as the result of bad harnessing or poor driving techniques.
Recreational and show driving
11th in a series
Welcome to spring, which means show season begins. Carriage driving shows share their history with the old agricultural fairs, where farmers and breeders would bring their best animals to sell or to publicize their breeding services. The good working animals would be paraded around for the prospective buyers, both private and military, and the general public who admired good horses and their beauty would also attend. The sellers then would compete their horses against one another with hopes of attracting the highest bidder.
Carriage and wagon builders would also bring their latest models to display to prospective buyers, very much like a trade show at a fair. Today, we carry on this tradition with horse shows. Some shows have both riding and driving classes, while others are events completely dedicated to driving.