Oh dear, I see that AengasOg hasn't look at Mr Mulholland's site, or my last post. In my last post I gave a link to driving with several grooms and they were unable to do anything to help what looked like a really nasty situation. By all means drive with a groom if you feel unable to deal with driving alone.
I'm not sure what drivers of the old milk cart or ploughs would have to say to this, but I can imagine. In many parts of the world horses are often driven by one person, in fact the UN is now urging getting animals back to work world wide.
Here's a link if you're interested
http://www.fao.org/ag/ags/agse/chapterps1/chapterps1-e.htm
It doesn't seem to be just in developing counties, infact there is a lead on the web page to a university in Scotland.
As to "Why do SC enthusiasts think they have something which will exclude them from such scenarios"
I wonder where you get that idea from. It is an added safety precaution and should be treated as such, which is what is advised about Saddlechariots by the inventor.
I take it that the groom's job is to assist the driver in the event of an accident ? Once a horse gets really scared and bolts how is that possible ? I really would like to know. Neither Prince Philip, or the driver in the first clip I provided seem to be able to do it even with the help of grooms. From my experience horses seem to be able to run a great deal faster that us. With a Saddlechariot if the release rope is pulled, it doesn't mean the driver just lets the horse go any more than a driver with a groom would.
Having now attended my second Saddlechariot demo/teaching day, we spent most of the time learning about horse handling and driving. It was certainly not the case of just taking off and bombing round a field, clutching the release rope thinking that's all that was needed.
Saddlechariots can now be used by two people, with wheelchairs, with harrows (with someone walking rather than driving), with a wagon, with more ideas in the pipe line.
As hoof marks and backs, well surely the clips in my last post proves that accidents happen, even with an experienced man like Prince Philip. Surely with those of us who put safety first the type of tire used in a Saddlechariot can do less damage than a traditional one?
Quote "It looks like some botch job effort in the videos, and the harness looks scruffy and yack". Did you mean yuck or yack? IMHO the harness looks fine. Former Animal Welfare Minister Ben Bradshaw seemed to think so too, at least when I met him on the 20th September this year, he didn't say other wise and infact seemed quite impressed with Saddlechariots. I enclose a photo of him, which shows most of the harness.
If anyone wants to drive semi posh way, that is their choice.
For my self I want to drive for pleasure, and am not really bothered so much by the look, but I am bothered about safety, and again I ask if anyone has any comment to make about thier safety I really need to know.