Driving as a Sport

[Platinum Equestrian]

So in regard to driving as a sport, what are the different "types" of driving out there? Mini horse driving, draft horse pulling... I'm familiar with combined driving... but what are the other types available to enthusiasts?

[Drive NJ]

Various Breeds offer driving specific to the Breed - Morgan, Mini, Saddlebred, Welsh, Quarter Horse etc.

Pleasure Driving Showing - see www.americandrivingsociety.org (http://www.americandrivingsociety.org)

Coaching meets - where drivers of fours and occasionally pairs get together and drive from a central location

Distance competitions - similar to ridden competitive trail

Fun Days/Gymkanas - usually held by local clubs for their members

group drives - again typically by local clubs

Draft horse competitions
driving for singles through multi-horse hitches
pulling
plowing competitions

I know there are alot of other types of competitions I'm not remembering right now

[Thomas_1]

Scurry driving (speed and tight turns on wheels)
Le Trec (distance driving)
Private driving showing classes (beauty competition!)
Coaching (VERY expensive with 4 horses and a carriage that costs a mint!)
Agricultural classes (what farm horses do)
Trade classes (showing harness horses in delivery van attire!)
Harness racing (does what it says on the tin)

[Cartfall]

Competitive Trail Driving see post number 20 in
http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?t=196535&page=2

And others are discussed in post 21 - 26

Trace paces similar to hunter pace

dressage

cones

continuous drives ( a trace pace with cones and obstacles set around the course)

paint ball courses on a carriage

picnic drives (sounds stuffy, but oh so much fun--each contestant sets up a picnic and you go from picnic to picnic eating and drinking.

running barrels and poles (yes in a cart or carriage)

anything you can do with a horse can pretty much be done with a cart or carriage (and yes I have seen videos of folks jumping with carts--through fire no less)

best one of all----trail driving through the woods

[Renae]

And even within a "type" there are more types. You could say breed show driving, then specifically American Saddlebreds, then specifically Fine Harness, Show Pleasure Driving or Country Pleasure Driving. Or Hackney Ponies which more specifically show in Hackney pony (cob tail), Hackney Harness Pony, Hackney Pleasure Pony or Hackney Roadster Pony classes. And trust me a cob tail and a road pony are doing two very different things! Also in general I have not seen mention so far of Road Horse classes (which happen to bike or to wagon with Morgans and Standardbreds mainly these days), chuck wagon racing or chariot racing. So basically your question is like asking how many different types of riding there is.

[Cartfall]

Under recreational driving, would be things like wagon trains --cross country treks where you can actually sleep in your wagon or move your more modern sleeping rigs from camp to camp. Just about every state I know of has one--

Florida has its Cracker Trail Wagon Train and Ride every spring--to celebrate its cowboy heritage (yes we have one) when the scrub cattle were collected up and driven over to Bradenton and put on stock ships. The trail the riders took home is the route of the present day event.

Illinois has its River to River Wagon Train and Ride--part of the Trail of Tears.

There is one that starts in Bonifay Fl, goes into Alabama and Ga.

Wyoming had one several years ago that followed the Oregon Trail on some anniversary.

[Platinum Equestrian]

WOW, there is so much more to chose from when considering driving than I knew. Thank-you for sharing. How did you learn to teach your horse to drive?

[Thomas_1]

I've had something to do with driving horses from my earliest memories. I've worked training them virtually since I remember. From heading them when they were long reining or riding on the backstep from being very young.

I was born sort of a generation too late and as an afterthought! My mother was in her late 40's when I happened along!

My father was a hunt master and trained horses and had point to pointers and my mother showed old fashioned hackney horses in harness. We had heavy horses to work on the farm and fell ponies for riding the moors to check and winter feed stock and they also were ride and drive.

My parents also had a driving team of Yorkshire Coach Horses so I guess it was sort of in the family. They had some great coaching and driving friends who were very patient with me and when I was a boy I had lessons from Thomas Holgate and then Tom Ryder.

I started driving competitively over 50 years ago when I entered my first Junior Whip private driving competition aged 10, went on to be a Commissioner of the British Driving society, was a founder member of the Horse Driving Trials Association and the spin off from that: the Double Harness Scurry Driving Association.

[Cartfall]

WOW, there is so much more to chose from when considering driving than I knew. Thank-you for sharing. How did you learn to teach your horse to drive?

Driving a horse was on my bucket list since I was a kid. I bought a horse that was supposedly taught to drive. They just forgot to tell me he had not been put to a cart. Found that one out when a trainer put the horse to my cart--hence my first cart calamity before I even got it the cart!!! He never did drive safely.

Helped my trainer teach an older gelding I had to drive--he took to it like a fish to water. Drove him in open bridle because I did not know any better and he preferred it that way.

Most of the horses I own have been taught to drive before they came to me. I did teach my youngest one born on my farm to drive. Did all of the ground work and then called upon the professionals to hitch him. Was a non-event, he is a great driving horse now. Great in my mind because he so versatile. We have done a lot of different thing, but he excells in CTDs -- he was bred to be an endurance horse, so not surprised.

If I were asked if I taught my own horses to drive-- I would have to say I can;t claim the credit. Folks have asked me to train their horses and I decline--I am not a trainer, don;t want to get hurt trying to help someone else and there are folks who earn their livings doing that. I will explain what I have done and am willing to show them some of the ground work necessary but that is the limit to what I will do. They can do it on their own and find a pro after that

[paohatch]

Precision log pull competitions :)

[Cartfall]

sleigh racing