Effects of horse being driven..

[claire1977]

Does anyone have any experience of this or do you ride a horse thats been heavily driven.

I am interested in a horse but its been driven a lot as well as ridden and has some stiffness through its back?

Any advice appreciated

x

 

[ElliePinza]

I sometimes find that they rely on the bit too much and can often get a bit heavy. However on the plus side they are normally pretty bombproof!

 

[claire1977]

Thanks - yeah it is sold as being suitable for a novice which is perfect for my bf!

Have never had much experience of drivers apart from one on my old riding school but she was a little heavy at the front and struggled to canter for a longtime.

 

[brucea]

My driven lad has perfect manners in the harness, and is a complete utter monster under saddle. Like TOTAL monster.

 

[Toffee44]

Winston was more forward going when driven however still cantered and did little jumps when ridden which some driving horses wont.

When I first got samba she had no idea what leg was but with a bit of schooling she has come round and is now doing 20M circles and Figures of 8. I never find her strong or on the forehand. Bonus is she listens to my voice very well.

I ride a driving mare every now and again. She only walks and trots and is very much voice ridden but she is a lovely drive and comfy ride.

I think most driving horses you can sit on. I broke my boyfs cob to ride kinda on a hack. Sat on him, he had no idea what I was doing up there and gradually round the farm he got the idea of my leg lol.

 

[KS1]

A correctly drivien pony is not heavy on the forehand, in fact a correctly driven horse works through the quarters just like any other horse and they do not rely on the bit. The only time a horse will be heavy on the forehand and rely on the bit is in the hands of a novice and incorrectly schooled.

I drove my horse in National Carriage Driving Trials and qualified and competed at the National Championships. My horse works from the quarters, is very light and responsive and definitely does not have a sore back. He wass also ridden to help improve his dressage for when in the carriage.

The stiffness through the back could be caused by ill fitted harness or saddle, uneven weight of the rider and rough handling of the reins but definitely not simply because it is driven

 

[simplyhunting]

As KS1 they should work the same as any other if been correctly schooled and worked.
I love them, the ones I ride are especially reactive to word commands which is brilliant and they tend to be more 'bombproof' in some cases as they have to be used to most things

 

[rara007]

Mine obviously ride and drive, plus at home we have a total of 9 ride and drives, most beign driven more than ridden. Driving them makes no difference to their riding. Certainly not automatically on the forehand or stiff- IMO Pip is the total opposite.

 

[Spot_the_Risk]

We bought a mare who was ride and drive. She was incredibly nappy, wouldn't even lead in front of her foal, wouldn't come up alongside whilst hacking, wouldn't even leave the field in hand without a lead horse. We then discovered that she'd been driven as the wheel horse in a tandem, so had always followed another bum!

 

[ElliePinza]

A correctly drivien pony is not heavy on the forehand, in fact a correctly driven horse works through the quarters just like any other horse and they do not rely on the bit. The only time a horse will be heavy on the forehand and rely on the bit is in the hands of a novice and incorrectly schooled.

I drove my horse in National Carriage Driving Trials and qualified and competed at the National Championships. My horse works from the quarters, is very light and responsive and definitely does not have a sore back. He wass also ridden to help improve his dressage for when in the carriage.

The stiffness through the back could be caused by ill fitted harness or saddle, uneven weight of the rider and rough handling of the reins but definitely not simply because it is driven

I understand what you are talking about but as im sure youll agree many horses are driven without the rider having much skill in that area and so do tend to look for the bit.

Congratulations on driving at the championships! I can respect anyone who has the patience to deal with a harness!

 

[dotty1]

I have ridden my friends driving cob. He was not heavy in the hand at all, but he was very much on the forehand, stiff and led with his shoulders. She mainly drives him, but does ride him too as a happy hacker. It would drive me mad but it doesn't bother her and they both enjoy themselves.

 

[Louby]

Im pretty sure my last horse had been driven. She had come over from Ireland, I bought her as I felt sorry for her from a dealer and she was the best horse Ive ever owned. When I got her she used to trot round corners like she had shafts on, it was really wierd. She soon became 'normal'. Sadly she had advanced ringbone and sidebone, possibly as a result of hammering it along the roads in her past life??
She was bombproof and forward going. I loved her to bits

 

[Tiarella]

Doug used to drive heavily when he was younger 2-3 years old. He is pretty bombproof on the roads. He does find it very hard to walk down hills whether its on grass or road surface, I spoke to someone the other day that drove and they had the same problem its usually to do with them balancing the cart and themselves going downhill if the cart does not have brakes. He just walks very slowly and steadily picking his legs up weirdly. But apart from that driving ponies are great

 

[Toffee44]

Samba went on her first proper hack today (Ie no mum walking on foot) and she ended up leading the ride and was 90% bombproof just a few hiccups with puddles and pot holes. Soooo glad she has been driven buses, tractors, bridges, motorbikes not a issue. Tempted to drive her again but she was leg yielding (I asked her) between the cats eyes todays and I am not sure if driving her would ruin this in anyway??? God im a happy horse owner today

 

[Anniecarer]

We've had our Gypsy Cob for 7 months. She was driven and, we suspect, had recently backed (despite being sold a suitable for novice - which she certainly wasn't!) and was very heavy on the forehand. I took advice and took her back to basics, with lots of exercises to get her lighter in front and get her more supple. She still has a way to go (steering is not good), but is absolutely amazing and coming on really well. I'm so glad I took a chance on her, and she really loves being ridden. As I was advised, lots and lots of schooling/exercises and you will reap your reward. Good luck

 

[cobgoblin]

I have a ride and drive cob, when I first got him he had mainly been driven. He's not at all heavy in the hand and can be ridden on a loose rein with voice commands. He caught me out a few times at first though! I've always been taught to ride into a halt, and when i closed my hands on the reins he shot backwards in a very straight line!

 

[Tnavas]

Depends on how well or badly the horse was driven. I remember my ride on a Kings Troop horse, now that was interesting, breaks not fitted on the cannon models!

Can be a little heavy in front but as others have said often unflappable!

 

[hackneylass2]

I've ridden a lot of driving horses and my main observations were they were, at first, needing to learn leg aids, a few were jumpy, eyes on stalks mode when first introduced to them! but in their favour they were very attentive to voice, pretty bombproof in traffic and not at all heavy in front. All were Hackneys or Hackney Xs.

 

[pennyturner]

Samba went on her first proper hack today (Ie no mum walking on foot) and she ended up leading the ride and was 90% bombproof just a few hiccups with puddles and pot holes. Soooo glad she has been driven buses, tractors, bridges, motorbikes not a issue. Tempted to drive her again but she was leg yielding (I asked her) between the cats eyes todays and I am not sure if driving her would ruin this in anyway??? God im a happy horse owner today

A horse that moves away from the leg will also move off the shafts nicely, allowing you to do some lovely turns in a (particularly 2-wheel) carriage. Practice asking the pony to turn the cart on it's axle by leg yielding. A really good pony can take the cart around 360 degrees, with the wheels making a neat circle.

 

[CathyQ]

That's really interesting. 6 weeks ago I bought a 20yr old mare from Ireland, who had apparently been a riding/driving mare. I suspect she didn't do much riding, as she had studded shoes, doesn't respond to normal riding aids and will not canter, preferring to show off her most incredible extended trot! She is bombproof in traffic, but dreadfully nappy on her own, even refusing to ride around the field on her own. She is brilliant in company though. So perhaps she too was a wheel pony?

 

[eahotson]

A correctly drivien pony is not heavy on the forehand, in fact a correctly driven horse works through the quarters just like any other horse and they do not rely on the bit. The only time a horse will be heavy on the forehand and rely on the bit is in the hands of a novice and incorrectly schooled.

I drove my horse in National Carriage Driving Trials and qualified and competed at the National Championships. My horse works from the quarters, is very light and responsive and definitely does not have a sore back. He wass also ridden to help improve his dressage for when in the carriage.

The stiffness through the back could be caused by ill fitted harness or saddle, uneven weight of the rider and rough handling of the reins but definitely not simply because it is driven

Wish there was a like button.

 

[cptrayes]

Will this not depend on the breeding of the horse?

When I look at heavies pulling carts and ploughing, it looks to me that they are leaning into the harness to use their weight to move it, not just the power of their hind legs. It looks very different from a carriage horse action.

I have spent the last six months persuading my Clydesdale cross that he doesn't need to lean into his forehand. He is built to do it, and I am working on the basis that I can change his shape while he is young, but it's clear what his body really wants him to do.

 

[Montyforever]

I ride a horse that was driven before, apparently he was a little strong in a snaffle but is now in a pelham and never leans on your hands, always feels really light
He's not really well schooled either, and is older now but tries his heart out and is a gent. Plus totally bombproof!

I would consider a horse that's been driven before a plus, they are much more sensible and unflappable.

 

[Goldenstar]

There is a difference between draught horses bred for plough work and pulling drays and the like at one end and at the other end the modern sports bred carriage horses developed on the continent for sport work.
And there no doubt it's easier to drive hazards at speed on a horse that takes a good contact but that's not the same of leaning .
There's nothing worse than driving a horse where you feel it's getting in draught by using the reins except driving a horse who won't take the contact .
And you can't get away from if the horse is pushing on a collar or breast girth it going to be very difficult to have shoulders as free and be as uphill as a ridden dressage horse , but that does not mean the horse is not using it's back and engaging it's hind end at the same time .

You do see some very incorrectly muscled backs in driving horses but then you see them in riding horse too.

 

[cptrayes]

There is a difference between draught horses bred for plough work and pulling drays and the like at one end and at the other end the modern sports bred carriage horses developed on the continent for sport work.
And there no doubt it's easier to drive hazards at speed on a horse that takes a good contact but that's not the same of leaning .
There's nothing worse than driving a horse where you feel it's getting in draught by using the reins except driving a horse who won't take the contact .
And you can't get away from if the horse is pushing on a collar or breast girth it going to be very difficult to have shoulders as free and be as uphill as a ridden dressage horse , but that does not mean the horse is not using it's back and engaging it's hind end at the same time .

You do see some very incorrectly muscled backs in driving horses but then you see them in riding horse too.

Very interesting GS thank you. Maybe the OP needs to identify whether the horse is draught like mine, or carriage, and ride accordingly? Mine's only four and I'm having a lot of success with training him to lift his shoulders, and since they aren't attached to the rest of his skeleton I think we'll get even more yet

 

[Kat]

I have ridden a big WB carriage horse who had competed at driving trials internationally. He was fab, a dressage school master and a totally unflappable hack. Only draw back was that he insisted on hacking in the middle of the road.

I now ride a fjord who is mainly a leisure driving pony. She is also a dream to ride, forward, light off the leg and unflappable. She has a stonking trot and a great walk but doesn't really canter much, she will but she is slightly arthritic so we don't push her.

 

[pennyturner]

I recognise the riding in the middle of the carriageway thing.

Mine also exhibit a strong desire to canter every time they hit a hill - regardless of whether they are pulling anything.

 

[Lucyad]

I have ridden my neighbour's driving ponies a fair bit, and also used to drive my daughter's pony. None are at all heavy in the hand, in fact they all have lovely mouths and good self carriage. They are difficult to place in to the side of the road, they are used to taking up a full carriageway. The cobs I rode all have some trotter breeding, and they are all difficult to get to canter. However they are lovely to hack out, and are bombproof in traffic. They are more difficult in the arena, none are very bendy! They are prone to crossing their legs to turn, straight through the body, in the same way they do a sharp 'u' turn under carriage (which is amazing to watch). They are all actually responsive to leg aids to move forwards, but no bending aids.

 

[happyclappy]

Our old cob has been driven very heavily all his life, he is sensitive to leg aids but is admittedly heavy mouthwise. Another we had who had been heavily driven, but still younger, is sensitive both to leg and mouth aids.

 

[millikins]

My Shettie X has spent the Summer doing PC with a 7yr old as felt she was getting a bit stale driving. She's been fab, safe bombproof hack, won mini camp, obedient but they have struggled to get her to canter rather than trot faster.