Hello? (crickets chirp in the background)

Is anybody there?

I can't be the only one here interested in driving. Can I? :confused:

I'll just post a little about myself and see what other people think.

I've been around horses my whole life. I was riding behind my mother at two years old, had my own pony at five and things just snowballed from there.

I got interested in driving when I was in high school and my bus driver hired me to teach his donkey to pull a cart. It ended up being a mother/daughter effort, but I don't think he minded. Then I got my own donkey that I trained to drive and sold. My mother started stepping down our older trail riding ponies to driving when they began to feel thier age. I haven't had much horse exposure after I left home other than trail rides on other people's horses.

I'm moving back to the area where I grew up and am in the market for a new horse. I *definitely* want something that I can drive. Age and sex are unimportant to me; I'd like anything from a thirteen hand pony to a draft horse. I've even thought of trying to start a private carriage company to help support my driving habit. But we'll see how that goes.

Hi and welcome to E-Equestrian! I have never driven but would love to experience it someday. Right now I ride english and western pleasure. I would love to learn more about driving and it seems that you have great experience with it! I am sure all of our members would love to get tips and advice on the sport. Also, if you have any pics there is a photo contest going on!

Well, I don't have any pics because I'm always the one behind the camera, but once I get back into the sport, I'm sure that will change; my mother's new boyfriend is quite the shutterbug.

If anyone is interested, CarriageDriving.net (http://www.carriagedriving.net/) is a very good resource.

I think of what really interests me in driving is A) the elegance of the sport and B) the sheer versatility that's encouraged.

A lot of the show horses I've seen and met specialize in one particular discipline. If they do reining, they do reining and that's about it. If they do dressage, the devil would skate to work before they consider running barrels.

A driving show is usually a three-stage event, first judging the horse in dressage (like riding dressage, just being driven instead), then in Marathon (a two to five mile timed drive), and Cones to test the obediance of the horse and the skill of the driver. Sometimes it's done in a single day, called a Horse Driving Trial (HDT) or can be stretched out to three days, called Combined Driving Event (CDE).

While you are allowed to change carts and clothing for the seperate events, it has to be the same horse shown in all three categories.

In addition to these, there are endurance driving events, pulling contests, plowing contests, chuckwagon races, pleasure driving, singles, doubles, four-in-hand, hitches, parades . . . . the list goes on.

Back before cars and tractors, people needed a horse that did everything. The driving sport still celebrates that and that's really what I love.

Plus there's nothing more relaxing than having a nice trot along a country road in a cart. I dare anyone to find something more stress-relieving.

I have never driven myself...but they do have driving at some of the paso shows. It is not the most popular class, but it still has a few participants. It's really cute to see the horses corto-ing along w/ a buggy. ;)

It does sound like a relaxing thing to do! I can imagine it would be quite a stress relief! Keep us posted on your horse search! Are you going to be looking for a particular breed?

Well, I was pretty open, but I've been giving this carriage service idea some mulling over.

I'd need a carriage that seats at least four, plus the driver, and a farm wagon that could carry about ten for hay rides. So I was thinking either a matched pair or a large draft. I found this guy on DraftsForSale.com -------> Fury (http://www.draftsforsale.com/ShowAd/index.php?id=42f4076975312)


He has pretty much everything I want, he's the perfect age and he's in my price range, but ai gu! 18.2 hands?!?! That's huge! I'd need a ladder to get on him! I'm only five feet tall!

He's a big guy alright hehehe! Believe me I know what being short is like I am 5 foot 1 and I have a 15.3hh. That is plenty big for me I can't imagine going to 18.2 thats crazy!! He sure would look good pulling a carriage though!

I have never tried Driving either, and if it is at all like my driving a car..I would watch out. EERRCHH Ooops, sorry.. ERRRCHH oh..they didnt' need that fire hydrant anyhow ERRRCHH oooh, you were walking slow anyhow.

KIDDING!! I would be horrible, but it does look like fun!

This is what I love about this forum, NOT ONE PERSON IN HERE DOES THE SAME THING WITH HORSES!!! I love the diversity and the wide aspects of our interests and riding experiences!! LOVE IT!

I do some driving with my dad and his halflinger.:) I am mainly there for company and sometimes act as his navigator at areana trials. It's such a fun sport that we just recently rescued a pony (more like a mini) who is only 40"! My dad told me that he can be my new project!!!!!!! I got a harness for Christmas and am looking for a cart. He is doing great so far.

I have a friend with a matching pair of Halflingers geldings for sale 8 years old with Harness he wants $4500 for the pair. They pull anything, Wagons Farm machinery if you can hook them to it they will pull it. Stout little boogers they are.

I have a draft horse but I don't know what I am going to do with her yet :) I might train her to drive if someone trains me first :)

I have driven Wagans, Carts, And Sulkys. It is fun My other half wants a Dr.s Buggy and a nice buggy horse. We used to go on alot of wagan trains during the summer months. Tons of folks driving Little covered wagons with Teams Of Horses or Mules. It sure was alot of fun.