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Days in Horse Country – Driving
Most people no longer need horses to pull carriages for transportation in this modern world, yet this use for our equine friends is alive and well.
Driving is not as popular as riding, but it’s still high on the list for many equestrians. This elegant discipline harkens back to a time when horses were the only way to get from one place to another, often in great style.
Driving is essentially a horse working in harness, pulling a cart, wagon, or carriage behind. Driving comes in many forms. Heavy draft horses pulling hay wagons or trolleys are at one end of the spectrum, while light, high-stepping carriage horses competing at shows are at the other.
Driving can have a practical purpose in rural areas, where some horses are still used to till the fields and bring fallen trees in from the forest. In many cases, driving is a competitive event, whether it’s a small, elegant horse in light harness or a four-in-hand working through a combined driving course.
Horses must be trained to drive, of course, but they can also learn easily if they are already broken to ride. Carriages and wagons of every type are still for sale in the horse world, some antiques and others newly built. Driving is a rich discipline that deserves a look from every serious horse lover.
Michael