Do you do driving classes or take your horse/pony on driving outings?

[welsummerchicks]

I was wondering if anyone else here competes with a driving horse or pony.

If you do pleasure driving outings with a local or other driving club, that's just fine too.

What do you do with your driving horse or pony, and what type of vehicles do you have?

The Bravest Pony in the World just had another successful driving session today - he was fantastic. We won't have the final word until end of September or so, but are hoping we can take him on some driving outings with the local club some day.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

I did a bit of driving with a friend's horse a while back and it was such a fun activity! I always said I'd like to get more into it some day. I would love to buy a mini to train for driving, but I've always kicked around the idea of training one of the big horses for driving. My friend started showing me lots of ways to start the training, but then college got in the way.

I've seen a few people driving on the trails every now and then. Seems like a lot of fun, although I can't say my horse was too pleased with the strange little alien horse dragging around a person! I've never shown in a driving class, but I love watching the classes when we have entries. We usually don't get many entries at the local shows though.

 

[2pinkmom]

I drive draft horses for a carriage company. I do have a semi-retired "Sunday Driver" Percheron gelding here at home. I just got a Pioneer forecart for him. The harness hasn't arrived yet, so we haven't gone out with it yet. When I start my retail farm operation, I plan to try to do at least 50% of the work via horse power.

I swore I would never be seen driving minis, but I bowed to the pressure of my little girls and have two minis arriving later this week. They're young and need a lot more ground work, but they're going to make a nice little team someday.

This area does have some people that do the "fancy" driving classes with the restored carriages and the custom Shannighan harnesses. I drool, but it just isn't anything I could afford to do. I'd love to try showing hitches someday. I think my husband would divorce me overbthe expense, though!

 

[welsummerchicks]

Oh I couldn't afford to do that but I am learning about rebuilding carriages and am fascinated with that. I have thought more than once that it would be incredibly fun to restore carriages. I'm such a detail nerd and have always fixed things, I'd probably be great at it.

Well we will see how much The Bravest Pony in the World will be able to do.

I'm mostly interested in Combined Driving, and the kind of 'Pleasure Driving' which is basically done in the same sort of way/same sort of equipment/vehicle as combined driving.

 

[2pinkmom]

Is combined driving the stuff that Chester Weber and company do? Really, any sort of driving is fantastic fun. I hope the pony works out well for you. I had intended to retire my Percheron, but he looks so eager to work sometimes that I got the forecart for him. It is really more a universal hitch for farm implements, but it can double as a small , light-weight runaround. Ain't pretty, but it will get the job done. And Prince can tool around the farm with me collecting firewood and the like.

If you're interested in restoration, check out Rural Heritage's message boards. Lots of knowlegable folks, many of whom restore horse drawn farm equipment to put to use now. Different from what you're interested in, I know, but if you like detail... LOL. Quite a few live in Wyoming/North Dakota and the like, and use drafts because tractors get stuck for large portions of the year. Some of them are so remote that they have to do their own horse doctoring - the nearest vet is 200 miles away. I'm always fascinated by their stories.

 

[welsummerchicks]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHwJapP3vFo&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwV5eHrpO9c&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LY7_3-37dXY&feature=related

Hang onto your braids!!!!!

 

[2DogsFarm]

About 2 years ago I took a handful of lessons with a local trainer after seeing Andy Marcoux give a clinic at her barn.

Prior to that I had zero driving interest or experience - but seeing him work with people it was like D'OH! & the light went on.
They were doing DRESSAGE with carriages!!!

I went on to take a clinic with Muffy Seaton - using the trainer's pony - but then time/money/etc got in my way.

FF to last February when I was looking for a companion to my horse.
My shoer offered me a Hackney pony he'd driven, but had a wreck with, so had pasture-boarded with another of his clients.
Last May I brought home a ribs&hipbones-showing skinny pony who then taught me the meaning of "airfern".
By Fall when he came to trim them, shoer asked if I was intending to butcher the pony.
He had {ahem} put on some weight....

We are now ground-driving and hopefully I'll be able to hitch & drive him some day.
No hurry & in the meantime I've been hanging with the local Carriage Club on their drives & picking brains.

In the meantime:
Does anyone know of rollerblades or skis that will work in sand?
That dang pony walks F-A-S-T!

ETA: Have fun with your BPITW!

 

[turney31]

WC, You always find the neatest videos....I love them, thanks for sharing.

Any pics of the bravest pony in the world?

 

[Glenmar]

I would love to learn how to drive. I have some minis that I could probably train, but I don't have time.

 

[welsummerchicks]

No, no pics. I'd have to buy a new scanner, or new software, a cable and a digital camera to get them into the computer, and that ain't happenin'.

What he thinks he looks like: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPa7cTjlvA8

What he looks like: http://www.dreamhorse.com/show_horse.php?form_horse_id=1672510

Except he has higher white on him and a bigger blaze, and is finer.

And I trim all the long hair off his ankles when he's in work.