driving advice needed

[Allie]

does anyone know of any good websites or books that can give me pretty much step by step instructions on how to teach a horse to drive? I'm intrigued by the possibility of breaking Champagne to harness, but I'm not really sure how to go about it other than ground driving. What is the best way to get the horse used to having loud objects following them around? I need the advice to be directed at a beginner - I'm afraid I really have very little knowledge of driving. If you could tell me a good website or book that I could learn from I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks.

Allie

[Silvia]

I think you'd need professional help with this. I took a few driving lessons - and believe me, it's almost as hard as riding. So I think it would be really important for you to learn to drive first. I mean, you would not expect a beginner rider to train a horse and I think it's the same for driving. I'm sure you could get the horse used to having something follow her, and teach her to long rein ans such - but for the actual driving I'd get an expert!

[Edited by Silvia on 2nd Jun 2001 at 06:52 AM]

[Miriam]

The important thing is not to do this yourself. Get someone to help you. We would have normally had the horse pulling a tyre behind them to get them used to pulling things but Rhi missed this part out as she seeemed to be OK with the harness and I did break her in a friend did. He seems to think Rhi had already been trained for the cart which is why she was so easy, but I have had a hairy moment in the past with another horse I tried to break in when he took off with the tyre. I will ask my friend what the book is she has that I borrowed.

I have to agree that you will need to have a few lessons in driving. I was lucky that the horse I used to exercise was a driving horse also and after an accident, when I could not ride, I asked his owner to teach me to drive.


Miriam

[Wally]

Honestly, the best way is to become completely familiar with the harness and controling a horse with the reins held correctly for driving (not a rein in each hand as you would for riding) Once you are confident with the harness and are sure it's fitted correctly then go ahead and train him/her.

If you start using winkers always use them because a horse that is used to wearing them can react very badly if you suddenly try driving without them (even after years of winning show classes!)

Start by getting them used to the harness alone, there are loads of irritating dangly bits to get used to. Once they are completely happy with all this get then used to pressure on the collar. Two of you will be needed! Get someone to extend the traces and as you long rein get them to lean back holding the traces while you ask the horse forward.

Next get her used to pulling a noisy thing, maybe an old tyre, logs are less controllable and can roll sideways and tangle the traces round legs. Always, ALWAYS have another person holding the end of a quick release knot when you do this for the first 10 or so times, more if she's nervous. This is the make or break bit, if you scare her now it's back to square one! If she panics pull on the quick release knot and let that tyre go!The horse can soot forwards without the tyre chasing them. It may take several attempts to show her that it's not going to kill her, try pulling it yourself in fron of her so she sees what's making the noise.

I could go on, but unless you can drive and are used to harness names and cart terms it will mean nothing to you. This will give you a start and it is good practice in between driving lessons. Be careful though it's not as easy as it looks!

Sorry this is a long one.