Driving lessons

[Zingy]

I want to break my section A to drive - got the harness (and got it on!) and the trap, but I'm a wimp and I daren't put the two together. Can anyone recommend what to do next - where can I get some lessons?

[floppy]

before you try driving your horse with the trap attached can you long rein your horse?

ehm as for the rest i dont know because i dont live in england.
but there are a few peopel that may be able to help here on the board

[Wally]

I am assuming you have never driven before either?

I really cannot reccomend strongly enough that you get some expert tuition first, you don't hold the reins the same way in driving as you do for riding, there are so many little things to be aware of in the interests of safety, an accident riding is bad enough add harness and a cart to the equasion and it can be a recipe for a nasty accident.


But for the basics get the horse used and confident in winkers, get her long reining and lungeing in the full kit, until you are confident that the traces, pad crupper etc are not going to scare her.

Next you need someone to lean back on the traces to get her used to pressure on her chest and still going forward in long reins. Once she is happy then go on to pulling a tyre, any old car tyre, but you MUST, MUST MUST attach it to the ends of the traces with a swingletree and a quick release knot which a helper holds the end of and will release if she panics.

Once you can long rein her over any surface including niosy gravel and tarmac roads you are ready to start her in the shafts, go slowly and get two of you in case you need to release her in an emergency. Once she is going happlily in the cart and able to turn the shafts in quite tight corners (a bit like a turn on the hauhches) you can get in the cart and drive with someone walking beside her, this person drops further and further back until they are able to get into the cart too. But this is just a bare bones description, there are so many things you need to be aware of to avoid accidents. Get some books, read up on the safety issues, I have tried to take short cuts in the past, I can tell you rolling a carriage at a fast trot is scary! be careful. and have fun, she sounds lovelly, section A's in harness are so beautiful and dainty, Good luck.

If you contact Jenny Dillon at the British Driving Society, Warwick, she will give you lists of qualified driving instructors.

[Zingy]

Thanks for the advice. I've long reined him, had people pulling the traces and had him pulling tyres which I don't think he even noticed. Think I'll get some help for the next bit though - and some experience driving something else first!

[Sharon H]

Check out the British Driving Society website

www.britishdrivingsociety.co.uk

They have a list of instuctors on there I believe.

[Wally]

I shall try to post a pic. here

[Miriam]

Zingy I think Wally has said it all. Take someone with you until you are confident. The girl who taught me to drive always said it was nice to be able to have someone to go out with as when she drove I would always be there to groom or she could groom for me.

[Cathy Reynolds]

DEFINITELY get some driving lessons says she who luckily lives only 20 miles from the carriage driving heaven that is Swingletree and John Parker (Chairman of BDS). Read Sally Walrond's books from cover to cover, get yourself a subscription to Carriage Driving magazine. Practice holding the reins properly (I can recommend a child safety gate to tie a pair of riding reins to, sit in a chair, keep the gate stable under your feet, use a cake-baking spoon handle as a whip and try driving reins properly). NIGHTMARE if you are a rider. Took 2 lessons and suddenly made sense. Am going back at Christmas for more lessons. Grand-daughter has had first lesson with one of the greys that pulls Father Christmas's sleigh at Olympia at the Christmas show. She was a natural.

[Wally]

Just trying another pic!....