Driving question - what does a groom do, exactly?

[Peace]

As y'all know, I'm going to be taking my first couple of driving lessons while I'm on vacation next week. I found the instructors through a carriage club in the area - this is a very active club that puts on lots of shows and events.

Anyway, while my sister was getting her hair done the other day, she happened to start a conversation with a lady in the next chair who used to be a member of this same carriage club. The lady suggested that if I really wanted to learn about driving, I should ask my instructors next week if they knew anyone who might want someone to act as a groom for them and volunteer.

Not wanting to sound too ignorant to complete strangers, I thought I'd ask y'all first - what exactly does a groom do, anyway? Besides ride along, I mean. :o :)

[Esther.D]

The groom is your safety net, you never drive without one. They hold the horse while the driver gets in and gets sorted (and vice-versa at the other end), then they have to be ready to go to the horses head at any time if the driver asks - eg possibly at a road junction or if the horse is upset by anything. They are first out whenever you stop for more than a few seconds and go to the horses head. They are also responsible for helping keeping an eye out for traffic, helping with signalling turns etc on the road, and jumping down to adjust any harness/open gates etc if necessary.

[Peace]

The groom is your safety net, you never drive without one.

Thanks, Esther. :) Y'know, I think I just figured out why so many of the local horsefolk have a "my horrible driving accident" story to share. ;) A groom would've prevented about 90% of the ones I've heard so far! :rolleyes:

Thanks for clearing that up. I think I'll wait to volunteer as a groom until I know a good bit more about what driving involves. :)

[Miriam]

I like my groom to be on the ball and one step ahead of my horse just as much as I am. I'm sure my worst accident could have been a lot worse if my groom had been taking notice of what was going on instead of sitting back and watching me struggle :mad: Can't fault my new groom. She is really good :D

[Wally]

EXACTLY! This is why Esther and I have had relatively few bad tangles with the cart and many simply falling off horses.

There are safety rules with driving that you stick to, never think you can get away jut once because that once will be the time you have a really bad tangle.

All a horse needs 99% of the time is someone at their head to give them confidence and reassurance. if the groom is out and at the horses' head you can avert a lot of problems.

It's not rocket science either, once you are familliar with harness and the vehicle you'll be well equipped to act as groom for someone, you've also been around nags long enough to read the horse as well as any other horseman, so you'll be able to predict a shy or nap.

I'd offer my services if I were you, you'll learn so much and have a great time.

[EnduranceAli]

Now that sounds like something I could do - I can definitely anticipate when a horse is about to nap or shy (years of experience)! Will find out if there are any drivers locally who need some help.

[jinglejoys]

Get in the way---from my experiance! You are so busy worrying about what they might do you're not able to concentrate on what really matters ,your relationship with your equine! :)
Sorry but when I was learning to drive I had to have a groom.We were driving round the field with a lovely little welsh pony and I could see a rider comming up the road on the other side of the hedge.I new the pony would probably react so I was ready but I wasn't going to overreact and cause problems before it happened.I was concentrating on what the pony was about to do and not the groom (As up to then I had always driven groomless and it was just me and my equine)As predicted the pony broke into a trot and I was just about to cool it down when the groom grabbed hold of the reins jerked it in the mouth and frightened the pony.I was in "calm down" moad so I was already prepared but it shattered my confidence after that I couldn't concentrate properly as I always had one eye on the groom.
Driving out lost its fun--you had to wait till it was conveniant for someone to come out and keep to a time table (No more harnessing up and jumping in and going for a drive when I wanted to and for as long as you like like you can when you ride)When you stopped you had to wait for the groom and of coarse out of politeness you have to talk to them instead of your equine.Then when you return and after you've settled the equine in the field you have to "settle the groom" too so that adds time to the whole process instead of getting on with your work.
I ride now--no ties and its just me and Sarah-lee,unfortunately that leaves little Blue sitting in the field :(

[Esther.D]

Couldn't cope with a groom like that jinglejoys....my groom is a vital part of my driving and adds to the fun...but the various grooms I have had are sensible, agile and soon learn their job and I can relax and not have to worry about them as I know they will do their bit. Driving without a groom feels like riding without a hat..just not right and not safe. I like having someone to talk to when driving too :) Grooms should NEVER grab the reins :eek: unless of course driver asks them too or has been lost out of the backdoor!

[Wally]

Absolutely, if any of my grooms tried to grab the reins that'd be the last time they drove out with me.

You don't have to talk o the groom instead of the horse, in my experience too many drivers talk too much to the horse and it ends up with a poor horse nagged to death verbally, the equivalent of being thumped in the ribs all the time for a ridden horse.

when I am training young horses (one in particular at the moment) the last thing he needs is folk jabbering in the cart. We need a groom as he is relatively green and I wouldn't drive him out without one.

If you are acting as grrom you NEVER grab the "steering wheel", If I am teaching someone I might have dual reins just in case and then I tell the driver to let me have control if need be, but then only in exceptional circumstances.

Groom is groom, driver is driver and that's that.

[Peace]

and they were wonderful! :)

At the first place, I got to drive a Fjord! Imagine that, in the foothills of South Carolina :D! What a great little mare - Sophie is twenty years old and still full of beans. :) My husband - a kind of amateur evolutionary geneticist ;) - was very taken with her dorsal and leg stripes, like the wild horses'. :) I'll post pictures once they're developed.

Thanks for the information everyone - and for the encouragement, Wally. :) My first instructor - a wonderful older lady who, besides driving, still rides with her local hunt - told me about a big driving show next month. It's a five hour drive, but it would be a good way to meet people and offer my services, so I'm definitely thinking about attending.

Driving was every bit as much fun as it looks! :)

[Wally]

Kina is a Fjord and her mother was called Sophie! :) Not the same mare obviously but what a coincidence. Kina is a wonderful driving mare.

Glad you liked it.

I'd definately drive out, make a day of it and stay over night to get to meet everyone. You learn a huge amount especially if you get an introduction to some of the folk. A chance not to miss.

[Peace]

Wally - what a coincidence! :) Of the two horses I drove, I have to say I liked Sophie Fjord better. :)

The second day I drove a nine-year old Haffie named Ara, who was *definitely* of the "modern" type, having almost the height and build of my paint horse! Ara was a willing fellow with a very smooth gait, owing to those long legs I suppose - but there was something about Sophie's enthusiasm for her work that I just found charming. She was such a whizzy little thing - she made me think of your description of one of your mares as being like the vicar's wife at the village fete. :p

The driving club emailed me a list of classes for their big show - and there's a class just for Fjords! So there must be more of them around the Carolinas than I imagined. I'm definitely going! The descriptions of the classes - carriage dog; town and country obstacle courses - just sound too interesting to miss. :)

[Wally]

I will be expecting photos :cool: lots too!

My Haflinger stallions were of the old type, fat and round and pull a house down, they, being stallions, could have a bit of a sense of humour :p at times but great fun to drive.

Kina is a dear sweet thing though and very trust worthy in harness.

Every home should have a Fjord, if you want to be loved get a Fjord. They can be a bit overly sometimes, Kina thinks she could sit on your lap as "I'm only little!" They can cuddle you to a standstill, bit like an over enthusiastic Labrador puppy! Icelandics are a bit more like a Border Collie, very faithful but very polite about it! :D

[Peace]

They can be a bit overly sometimes, Kina thinks she could sit on your lap as "I'm only little!" They can cuddle you to a standstill, bit like an over enthusiastic Labrador puppy!

That's exactly how Sophie was! :D She wanted to have her nose on me the whole time I was leading her - not in a bite-y or rude way at all, it was more like she wanted to "hold hands" as we walked along. :) Barbie - my instructor - said she had to set some very definite "personal space" boundaries with Sophie when she was younger. :p

I just can't wait to meet more Fjords, especially now that you tell me that temperament is typical of the breed.

Definitely will take pictures, not to worry! :)

[Wally]

Hmmm, yup, personal space,.... but they are not being nasty just cuddly....but 600kgs of Fjord on yer lap isn't ideal! :D

Tell the truth we are seriously considering getting another Fjord.

[Peace]

Do you ride your Fjords as well as drive them? Are they capable of carrying adult riders?

edit - oops, just found this pic, which kind of answers my second question. :o
http://www.nfhr.com/gallery/hrs011.gif

[Wally]

... :D :D :D capable of carrying adult riders?What do you think they do in Norway? ;) ;) They are up to a good 18 stone, the bigger ones anyway, small tanks on legs.

In Norway they have a dead drag weight competition where they have to drag a wooed sledge with stone blocks on it, it is a drag on grass on wooden runners from a standing start. I cannot remember the record but it is in the tonnes not kilos range!

Kina can shift her little harris with 14.5 stone of me on her and has done the same with 16 stone of other riders on her, no bother at all. (14lbs to the stone) They are work horses and up to considerable weight, they are not just for the kids to enjoy. ;) ;)

[Wally]

...BTW that guy up top in your photo is no super model is he?? more than 8 stone wringing wet I'd say! :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[Miriam]

Glad you enjoyed your experience

[Peace]

Miriam - thank you. :)

Wally - Fjords do sound like the perfect breed, at least for my purposes. Short with a nice disposition so it doesn't intimidate children (or husband ;) ), good weight carrier, ride and drive.

I think the breed must be growing in popularity here - the picture above comes from
National Fjord Horse Registry (http://www.nfhr.com/)
and I notice that a Southeast (the part of the US I'm in - not generally known for being on the cutting edge of fashion :o ) Fjord Association has just been formed. There are two breeding farms not far from where I spent my vacation.

I hope Fjords don't suffer the same fate as Haflingers and the Shetlands did here. Don't know what it is about the U.S., but if those two breeds are any example, we might start seeing tall, skinny Fjords who eat children for breakfast! :eek: I better hurry up and get myself one before that happens. ;) :D

[Wally]

The Haflinger is not what it used to be here, I wouldn't have a Haflinger as a gift now. Last time I saw them in a demo, the riders where being bucked off left right and centre. Haflingers never used to buck.

The temperament of the Fjord is its most prized asset. If they don't come up to scratch in Norway they go for sausages, :( but at least you don't get bucked off or eaten.

I'll try and find a pic of Kina

[Tharg]

Is that a goat in the second pic in the left of it?.

[Peace]

Kina is such a cutie! :) I love the expression on her little face - she looks as though she means business! :cool:

[Miriam]

Peace does that mean we have another driver in our midst :D

[Wally]

Yes, that is Seth, the goat, known as SETHIE. He is an Anglo Nubian who I keep threatening to drive as he is bigger the most Shetlands.....but not as bright. He has a brother and adopted Aunt, Dingle Dangle and Toggle.

Kina is a dear sweet thing.


So are you hooked???

[Peace]

Oh, yes, I think I'm hooked! :)

Not only was driving loads of fun, but I saw the very first spark of interest that anything remotely horse-related ever produced in my husband. :cool: Barbie says some men tend to be drawn to the mechanical nature of the carts and are reassured by not having to try to "look pretty" as a rider. ;) :rolleyes:

I live in the perfect place for driving - there are miles and miles of county-maintained but virtually deserted country roads around my house which are made of enough clay to be firm but enough sand to drain well. Only problem would be loose dogs, which we are plagued with in the country, but I'll cross that bridge when I get there.

First I have to get enough instruction so I'm not a danger. Barbie lives over two hundred miles away! :( But, happily, only a half-hour from my dad, who's always happy to have visitors. ;)

[Wally]

If you get a good drivng horse they will take a charging dog in thier stride.....you could always get a Dalmation, which was the traditional dog used by carriage drivers to beat the living daylights out of any attacking cur who was insolent enought to have a go at Lord and Lady Snot and their carriage...and folk wonder why Dalmations need a lot of worK???

Kina , in harness wouldn't blink at an attacking dog, she might take a pop at it if it made contact, but you'll son become a dab hand at flicking any rude dog behind the ear with your whip. :D :D

[ponylover88]

...

[Peace]

you could always get a Dalmation, which was the traditional dog used by carriage drivers to beat the living daylights out of any attacking cur who was insolent enought to have a go at Lord and Lady Snot and their carriage... you'll soon become a dab hand at flicking any rude dog behind the ear with your whip. :D :D

Is that what carriage dogs were used for? :o I had no idea - I knew they ran along with the carriage but didn't realize they were bodyguards! :lightbulb moment: This explains a great deal about some of the Dalmations I know. :p

So what do the dogs do during the carriage dog classes at shows?

Heh - I think I'll get myself a whip and start practicing on the next canine miscreant I encounter on my bicycle. ;) :D