Driving question- (also in tack room) Hurtling downhill???

[mayangold]

Hi,
We are looking for a carriage for our 13.1 native type pony. The question is would she be able to stop a two wheeled Bennington gig going down a steep hill with two people on it? I have this horrible vision of all four hooves being scooped out from under her and hurtling downhill!

We live on top of a hill and there are steep hills in all directions.
I've been told brakes on carriages are not a good thing as the pony needs to be able to stop the carriage on its own.
Also the bigger the wheels the easier it is for the pony to pull as the wheels go over stones easier.
That two wheeled are better than four as it cant jackknife if the pony goes backwards.

I appreciate the pony needs to learn to sit into the breaching to slow down/stop and we are working on that. But how much is too much?

Any thoughts?

 

[paddy]

Sounds as though the best thing is to find someone local and experienced to help, to be honest. Not sure where in Cornwall you are, but Bob Elliott is in Cornwall and is very experienced and helpful. When carriage driving goes well, it's fairly easy. When it goes wrong, you need to know what to do - particularly if you're going down steep hills!

 

[popsdosh]

4 wheeler and brakes every time for hilly country and inexperienced driver . Who ever told you otherwise is wrong IMHO .
Vehicle balance is so critical with two wheelers especially with hills. Why would you not want brakes??? they are an aid in an emergency if you have them it does not mean you have to use them,you can still train them to use the breaching.