What do you enjoy about driving?

[Peanut]

Driving is a discipline I have very little knowledge off and I'm genuinely interested to know what the attraction is.

I did watch it at the Royal Windsor horse show last year and it looked fast and furious and clearly needed incredible skill to manoeuvre a team of ponies (or even one!) around obstacles and tight turns.

Are most drivers riders as well, or is it usually an either/or sport?

Does one normally chose between being a single pony/horse driver and a team driver (in the same way that riders might choose to specialise in dressage or show jumping), or for most people is that just a variation depending on what you are doing or the class you are entering?

Loads more questions I could ask - but that's a start. :D

[Wally]

Sounds like you were watching the pair horse scurry , or the obstacle driving.

I think most drivers started out as riders, I only ever heard of one eminent coachman who couldn't ride.

If you specialise in team driving you still need to school the horses in singles, it keeps them out of bad habits they can pick up with their buddies. Most drivers I know who drive teams, pairs and tandem also still take a single turnout to certain events. Once you are a driver of multiples you still have to keep your single skills up to train up others.

There are LOADS of different driving competitions all with different rules. Esther.D is the trials feind, I have always specialised in Private Driving, which is show ring stuff. Esther is the headcase who trashes stuff at 90mph! I'm the one who ponces about trying to look 150% immaculately turned out with traditional original antique (if you are lucky) vehicles.

Pair horse scurry is another one with a rule book all its own, then there's indoor trials in the winter, slightly different rules to out door trials, but great fun.

[Peanut]

But Wally, what is it that you enjoy about driving - what attracts people to it?

I love xc because it combines jumping with precision and I get to incorporate a little bit of speed (or a fair amount of speed if I'm truthful!).

[Denbenj]

Hiya

I to love driving. I used to compete in BHDTA nationals up and down the country. We mainly did Tandem pony ( one in front of the other)

It is very exciting to say the least, and takes alot of training/fitness with the ponies to.. then they usually had the winter of to put there hoofs up.

Its something I got into after I had a bad fall when I was younger, but still wanted to be with horses.

I found it great experience and really enjoyed the horsemanship side of it. I felt I had to have a lot more trust in my horse than riding as they have to listen to you aswell as the usual aids alougth of course you cannot kick/squeeze them on!

Plus we got to compete against the likes of the Duke! and lady Rhomsey. I was lucky enougth to be invited to a private driving party with them and my Boss, At the end of the week I had had a lift back to the cottage on Sandringham by the Duke! ( he was a crazy driver and F'd n blinded at the tourists!) and Him and lady Rhomsey also cooked us a BBQ in a hunting lodge on the grounds!! He came out the BBQ room and had a miners hat on and said " Bloody hell... I burnt the lot!"

there was plenty of wine,whiskey and cheer! Hes actually really funny bloke! and me and Lady Rhomsey chatted about darning socks of all things!

I was a bit concerned about all the armed guards outside :eek:

I will always love driving, and Hopefully Soon Kai will to!! I do enjoy riding to but I have always just been a Happy Hacker :o

[jinglejoys]

I'm a pleasure driver (Unless you count Blue taking me to work as "Industrial Driving":D )
I love the pleasure it gives me of being with a little mule that can't be ridden.Its more like dog carting but with more power;)

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y190/jinglejoys/cid_001e01c702cbb9e4e1707a1a8351you.jpg

[Esther.D]

You usually start with a single horse/pony and then progress onto a multiple if you wish (or can afford it!). As for the disciplines it is up to personal choice - like dressage/showjumping etc.

I have yet to meet a driver who doesn't ride, excluding those who cannot due to a disability etc. Plenty prefer driving but most do both, even if they drive most of the time rather than ride. A lot of competition driving horses are also schooled and partially fittened (on gallops etc) under saddle.

I love competition driving but at the moment am a pleasure driver.

[jenren!!]

I did watch it at the Royal Windsor horse show last year and it looked fast and furious and clearly needed incredible skill to manoeuvre a team of ponies (or even one!) around obstacles and tight turns.


Same here, it was incredible at royal windsor wasnt it?! I will be going again this year :).

[Peanut]

Same here, it was incredible at royal windsor wasnt it?! I will be going again this year :).


I hope to as well Jen. The class I saw had Prince Phillip driving 4 fell ponies (I think they were fells) and I really enjoyed watching it. They all drove round the obstacles with incredible skill. Prince Phillip seemed to be the only driver who hadn't learnt the course as he had to have someone shout out the route! :D

[Esther.D]

Was it one of his grooms shouting it? That is perfectly acceptable - as drivers have a number of obstacles to remember the grooms walk them too and then will shout 'left', 'right' etc to allow the driver to concentrate on driving the obstacle as accurately as possible without forgetting the route. Grooms speaking in cones/dressage will disqualify you but in obstacles it is ok and normal :)

[Denbenj]

You usually hear him swearing his head of aswell whilist he's going round!

[Esther.D]

You usually hear him swearing his head of aswell whilist he's going round!


Definitely! He is one of the worst for that :D I used to steward an obstacle at a national and he was terrible for his language! Not at us though, he was very polite and understanding (even if held up by someone else in the obstacle) to us, unlike some of the other team drivers :mad:

[jenren!!]

I hope to as well Jen. The class I saw had Prince Phillip driving 4 fell ponies (I think they were fells) and I really enjoyed watching it. They all drove round the obstacles with incredible skill. Prince Phillip seemed to be the only driver who hadn't learnt the course as he had to have someone shout out the route! :D
Yep, saw that one. We were stood very close to the royal people :D. And then i realised why...the beautiful Fell ponies wooshed by :D.

We watched it all the way up to the horse 4s (or whatever they call it) and it was amazing seeing groups of Lipizzaners doing it! It got so much more tricky as well, especially at the one with the water!

[Denbenj]

I think its great how he keeps it up, I mean hes getting on a bit now!

When I was at Windsor..I was walking with a fellow groom friend. He came out of his way to say hello etc...

My friend was stunned... I said ahhh yerrr thats just ole philip !!

I think tho he likes to feel just like another competitor when hes doing his passion of driving, and thats how everyone else treats him.

I think hes a ' jolly good sport' :D

[Peanut]

I guessed it was acceptable as the groom was shouting so loud! :D

I loved all the clanking of harness, the feisty ponies and the tremendous team effort of the ponies. Everything really! It opened my eyes to a discipline I'm not sure I'd want to try but I would certainly like to watch more of. I'd never really thought about driving before - it opened up a new world to me.

ETA: He also looked as if he was wearing his bedroom slippers!

[Denbenj]

I'm a pleasure driver (Unless you count Blue taking me to work as "Industrial Driving":D )
I love the pleasure it gives me of being with a little mule that can't be ridden.Its more like dog carting but with more power;)

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y190/jinglejoys/cid_001e01c702cbb9e4e1707a1a8351you.jpg

I just love that photo its brilliant!!

[iloveshearer]

...

[WYCHWOOD]

i love it because i can relax and enjoy the whole experience of watching my pony enjoy his little self
i have no fear driving but where in ridden i am such a scaredy cat after a few acciedents i just love the whole experience of driving and daft as it sounds feel more incontrol

[Dinsarsio]

I drive my sec D and my welsh mountain pony.They both prefer to be driven.I find driving very relaxing and i can enjoy the horses with my disabled son who loves the carriages.I have recently joined an association so i can drive around a forest.It is only 20mins away from my house its absolute bliss,no cars in sight.