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Horse carriage driving

November 3rd, 2009

Horse carriage driving

Carriage Driving

Carriage Driving

A very popular equestrian sport gaining rapid ground is horse carriage driving. The reason is that most people can learn the skill and the experience itself is a very exciting one. The feeling is one of immense exhilaration and control upon watching the horses pulling the carriage with the reins in your hand.

For those just starting out, the accent should be on finding an experienced horse well versed in pulling along the carriage. This will enable them to get to know the different nuances of horse carriage driving. In addition, the one starting out should take the assistance of an expert driving mentor who would be able to provide guidance to make a good start. This sport may be exciting but can be fraught with danger if the ropes are not picked up properly at the right stage. Some are of the opinion that they can get a horse to pull a carriage pretty easily within a week or so. Nothing can be more exaggerated and farther from reality.

So what exactly is this sport and how does it evoke such a following?

Cajoling and orienting a horse to pull the carriage is no mean task. It needs tremendous patience, planning and intuition to know how things are going along and take proactive steps to combat any problems that may crop up along the way. You need to build a trust quotient with the animal to get the best out of it and that is why there is a requirement of somebody experienced to stand by you during this process. There is no room for exuberance or experimentation of any sort.

Some of the common reasons for accidents occurring in this sport are as under:

* The driver lacking in skill and ability
* Some carelessness & a casual approach on the part of the driver
* The driver not understanding his horse and lacking the animal sense
* The horse or pony itself not being trained adequately
* Sudden bout of indiscretion or a temperamental outburst on the part of the animal
* The carriage itself malfunctioning
* Inadequate fitting of the harness

While you have a good choice of equines of various breeds and it is a purely a question of personal choice as to what you end up selecting, some of the time tested breeds such as Hackney, Morgan do have the edge over other breeds. In the ultimate analysis, it is the love for carriage driving that motivates people to select any breed and not many are very particular about it.

As a broad rule of thumb, it is advisable to keep away from horses that have the tendency to stomp or bolt as these suggest a problem with the temperament of the horse and may not be suitable for beginners. Generally, people always wish to only drive the horse they already have in their stable and have owned it for some years. But they need to evaluate whether their horse would be up to this task and should not take the chance of thrusting the animal into this sport without a proper evaluation of its capabilities and physical condition.

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