Ride and Drive training

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DanskinoCappuccino

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Before I start, yes I do understand he won't be able to be ridden until he's old enough and his bones are stronger (I've asked questions like this before and had a lot of hate from people who didn't read the entire post)

I have a 14.1hh yearling Shire x Cob and I would love to train him to be a ride and drive. The yard I'm on is fantastic and has a lot of experienced horse owners but their ways of training are all different and I'm getting a bit over my head trying to figure out what training route to go down. I know I have a bit of time to think about it but I'd really like to be organised before the time comes.

I got him last August and he was basically untouched, nervous, skinny and not very trusting to humans, but so far, I've taught him the basic manners and ground work; he leads nicely, stands quietly to be tied and to be groomed, (baths: we're still working on) he picks all feet up perfectly and is happy taking his vaccinations and wormers. Currently, I'm looking to start introducing the bit, not on a bridle, just holding it and letting him get used to the feel of it (I was told it's better for him this way, if I'm wrong, any advice for this is greatly appreciated)

Now after that little bit of background, I was wondering if there are any places that I could contact to help with his training later on. I'm confident enough with the ground work and with all the help I had he's such a lovely, quiet horse but I don't think I'd be the best person to train him to ride and respond to the cues of a rider. So, are there any places in/near Nottinghamshire that would train him either at my yard or as a board? And, just for an answer to an argument on bit training, how did you train your horse to accept a bit or did you train in bitless?

Thanks,

Daniie
 
Look for a local carriage driving club. Most counties would have one. My local one has lots of events, they have long reining days, do training for road driving, driving competitions indoor and out and pleasure drives. Anyone there would be happy to give you advice and people who could train your horse.

It would be best for you to learn how to drive with an experienced horse before you tried to do anything with your youngster. Two novices together is never a good idea, and certainly not with driving as a lot can go wrong very quickly.
 
I agree with the above post - you don't want to start driving training till he is older, my livery bought a pony who was driving and were told he was 4 (alarm bells) too early to start driving. He had an accident with previous owner and that is why they sold him but they said it was due to the owner having a knee operation and will never drive again.

I would just do in hand handling now for another year and wait till he is two before trying a bit let him have his yearling hood. BTIMO
 
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Thanks for this, I really needed that. I'm glad you said that 4 is too young especially as one of the women at my yard has been driving her horse from 3 years old. I did think it was a bit young tbh but I'm glad you've given me that clarification. As to bitting, I wasn't going to start till after he had turned 2 (may this year) but I do feel now that I'm sure he'll do fine if I leave it longer. I'll look into the local carriage driving club, even if he can't train yet, I can so that put my mind at ease a bit, knowing what I want to teach him before he gets to learn it is definitely a good idea.

Thank you so much :)
 
Tin hat donned but we're long reining our horses as yearlings and have them in the cart and racing at 2, albeit lightweight sulkies (and relatively light jog carts) as opposed to bigger carriages.

This is Ace as a two-year-old training last spring before she went on to race during the summer:



She's not backed yet and won't be this year as a three-year-old because we're sending her away to be trained in May (she's been in training since just before Christmas); however we'll probably train her at home ourselves next year at 4 and I'll chuck a saddle on her and go from there. She's lined up as a future broodmare anyway due to her pedigree, conformation and performances already so a ridden career isn't really in the pipeline as it tends to be with my geldings.

That said, it's down to the breed and within that, the individual horse. I had another filly born the same year as Ace only 3 weeks later and although she was long reining at the same time she was turned away to mature and didn't have a cart on until November last year at the back end as a two-year-old. A bit of personal judgment can go a long way.
 
Leo Walker said:
4 isnt too young to be lightly backed and start some driving
Click to expand...

Fair enough your opinion

My trainer said you don't want to do any carriage drives till 6 which she is doing with hers. This pony above was out competing at 4 and we don't know what happened but we were told nothing, and he will never go in a carriage again due to an incident withheld from us.


Lots of people put horses in carriage early like the ethnic minority of the mobile kind. But how many of those horse wont have leg or tendon issues at early age?? She will do ground work but no serious driving till 6 years old when joints and leg bones are fully formed..

To me there is no rush to get them out riding/driving, and would rather take it at a slow pace and end up with a good driving pony than rush through it and from backing to competitions in 6 months and have a knackered ponio
 
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Lots of young horses are broken to drive, I even picked up a dressage book by a very well known German trainer who said to break the 2 year olds to drive so it would give them something to do without weight on their backs. My own horse was used to the driving harness at 18 months and had been "put to" before I bought him at the age of 2, but I have never driven him and he didn't do much at all. The one good thing about it was that he accepted all the tack, trailing things round his hindlegs, longreins, etc. etc.
 
Doing a carriage drive is a pretty long way no? And speed dictated by all i.e. Trotting? I think that is an entirely different proposition to general driving
 
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