Very random question

[NuttyMare]

I'm having one of those random thought moments.

Is it possible to break a horse to drive if its broken to english so it drives and you can ride english? You must be able to since you get ride and drive ponies...I'm so weird


Should I send the horse to a pro?

[Yorkshire_Lass]

Originally posted by NuttyMare
You must be able to since you get ride and drive ponies

I think you've answered your own question there.

Originally posted by NuttyMare
Should I send the horse to a pro?

Yes, If you want a horse that can be ridden and driven. But if you don't know how to drive then the horse knowing isn't going to be very useful is it? so it might be more useful if you learnt how to drive well, before you pay for someone to try and train your horse to drive.

[JaniceH]

Dont forget though Nutty, that a horse that is described as Ride and Drive, may not actually have ever been driven :rolleyes: they are sometimes described like that because they are cobby type or have been shoved in a cart just once and then people feel justified in saying that they can drive. I can really say that driving is a totally different experience to riding and to get yourself some decent lessons as you may not even like it. I was lucky, I belong to a Driving for the Disabled group, but I dont know of any other local instructors, but if you intend to drive a horse/pony then you do really need to get them broken to drive professionally. After all you wouldnt get a horse broken to ride by someone who had never done it before?

Have a look at
www.britishdrivingsociety.co.uk

They have a list of instructors etc.

[Esther.D]

Can't better what the others have said. Yes always send it to a pro - things can go wrong very quickly if you add novice owner to novice horse and then add a cart! Although many horses take to driving very well it is still very strange to them at first and just like breaking to ride it needs to be done by someone who knows what they are doing. After all you wouldn't expect a total beginner to break their horse to ride...so a total beginner driver shouldn't be expected to break their horse to drive either....

I have never yet met a driving horse that does not ride (at all) I mean mine drive 99% of the time but they are broken to ride and could be ridden in theory. So all driving horses are Ride & Drive...or Drive & Ride ;)

I don't totally understand your question but I hope this has helped
:D

[bevy]

I agree with the above. However you could start him/her off by long reining. We were going to get our pony broken to drive( then managed to find little rider), and the "pro" who was going to do it said to get him ready by long reining him first. We started by 1 person behind with the reins and 1 person at his head until he got used to being worked from behind. Then we tied a tyre to a set of lunge reins from his stirrups to get him used to weight. Then the "pro" fell off his stallion and broke his pelvis so it as back to square one!!!!