For thousands of years horses have been used to pull carts and transport people and goods. Even before the invention of the wheel, there was a contraption on skids. Man moved around a lot to find fresh pastures for his herds, so he made sleds by strapping his belongings to a few poles.
The Romans, Egyptians and Greeks had chariots that were raced. The sport was included in the Olympic Games in 680 BC. It’s undoubtedly the sporting aspect of driving, as much as the practical aspects that led man to develop and improve vehicles that were harnessed to horses. The structures were dramatically changed to benefit speed and stability. By the seventeenth and eighteenth century, driving became a sport because of the huge earning potential. Owners would place large wagers on each others’ racing teams.
In Russia, the dare-devil Count Orlov produced the famous Orlov Trotter. He established a stud of horses bred especially to trot very fast and that had great endurance. The Trotter horse undoubtedly had a huge impact on the popularity of trotting races. During the late eighteenth century, the English royals used carriages. To this day the British monarchy still compete in driving events, which contributes to the grandeur of the sport.
The Hackney horse is a showy type of high-stepping animal that looks most elegant and attractive harnessed to a light carriage. Driving is an expensive past time. The sport could be taught to any horse provided it’s done gradually. It’s a very good idea to go to shows and start talking to people who drive. Once you’ve learnt how to drive, you could start to teach your horses the basics. That should not be a scary procedure. Take your time. As with every discipline, the basics could make or break your career.
A horse that knows what’s expected has confidence. Arabian horses, American saddlebreeds, Hackney horses and ponies, the Morgan horse, Hungarian trotters, Thoroughbreds and Shetland and Welsh ponies can all be trained for driving events. Larger breeds such as the Belgian, the Clydesdale, the Percheron, the Shires and the Suffolk are also good candidates. These gentle giants give a powerful performance and are a pleasure to see in the ring. They can pull anything up to 3 000 pounds (1 360kg) and sometimes more.
This sport can however cause strain or even injury. Tension injuries could result in the upper and lower neck and the shoulder and chest area, because of the way the horse holds its head, and pressure from the collar. The lower legs are at risk if the horse has not been correctly hardened with building work. The horse closest to the wheels of the vehicle could show tension in the hind quarters. But the sport is exciting and enjoyable to all ages.
When starting to train a young horse it‘s important to concentrate on having fun. Start by lunging to ensure the horse is on the bit and its hind quarters are engaged and working all the time. When you’re confident your horse is enjoying what it has learnt, you could move to the next stage. Always keep the work challenging and encourage your horse to build its confidence. Make sure your horse understands the voice commands on the lunge. Youngsters have a very limited concentration span, so 20 minutes to 30 minutes is ample time each day.
If you’re sure you have total control on the lunge, you could start on the long line. That’s the basis of driving. When your horse has stopped dragging you around the paddock, you could introduce him to the harness. Get advice from someone with experience training driving horses. A driving horse requires a lot of energy to work. Make sure your horse is eating well, but don’t overfeed. The time you spend training makes your driving safer and much more pleasurable. – Kim Dyson (082 888 6511). |fw
