Harness and Cart hire????

[Shellby27]

My parents are renewing their wedding vows next June for their 30th aniversary. I have been asked to help mum plan it and I would really like to involve my horses.

Apparently Rosie has been driven before and I am going to use the next few months to retrain her eg long reining, pull a tyre around her field etc.

Do you think the timescale is possible that she could pull a small cart from the church to the reception. They are only just over a mile apart and very close to her field. I have now until June next year, but of course she has a 6 week old foal so i can't over do it.

Do you know of anyone that hires carts and harnesses? Or do i just bite the bullet and save up for them. I guess if I'm going to drive her I will need them eventually anyway.

Do you think I'm asking the impossible and better off just hiring a professional?

 

[HumBugsey]

If she has been driving in traces rather than chains it is very possible. Unfortunately a lot of horses come with a history of being driven and it turns out they haven't or were only long lined. If you contact your local Light Harness Horse Instructor (there's a list on the BDS website) they will be able to give you advice and maybe have a play with her to try and suss how much she knows and advise where to go from there. If your lucky you might have a local heavy horse driver, unfortunately they're a little harder to track down on-line! As for hireing a carriage for the big day I don't know anyone who does that but if you become friendly with someone you might be able to borrow!

 

[Kat_Bath]

I don't know whereabouts you are in Hampshire but are you anywhere near Somerly/Ringwood way?

Robert Sampson is based at Harbridge farm with his percherons and he does a LOT of driving with his sons (they are a family of farriers also). It may be worth getting in contact with him as he should be able to help with that sort of thing.

There's also the British Heavy Horse Driving Trials Club which Robert is a big part of and it's run by a family who live in Fordingbridge:

http://www.heavyhorsedrivingtrials.co.uk/index.html

(You see the two Suffolks at the top of the home page? Those were the boys I worked with (just a wee fact for you there!).

There's also a team of Clydes in Hampshire somehwere, I've heard the name but don't know anything about them. They're featured on this page:

http://www.heavyhorseworld.co.uk/index.p...&Itemid=105

Hope that's of some help?

Congrats on Summer by the way, she's purdy!!

 

[Donkeymad]

Completely agree with bringing an LHHI to assess your mare first, she may simply not be suitable, or she may be a pro. I have never heard of anybody hiring out carriages or harness, as they are extremely expensive, but you may well find someone who will loan them as a favour for a special, one-off occasion. Make sure you have good insurance though, if you do start driving your own mare.
Good luck