Tips on breaking to harness ...

[Vanner]

tomorrow is a big day, we are going to put harness on my Gypsy Vanner Cob and see if the gypsy's broke him to harness before selling him on (there is a strong feeling that they did).

Any tips out there for breaking/re-breaking a horse to harness. It's all new to me, so anything appreciated.

 

[AengusOg]

I have broken several horses to harness, and the advice I would give you is to take time to prepare the horse for the job of driving and don't assume anything about the horse's past.

There are no shortcuts to making a driving horse, and not every horse is suitable.

There is a good chance that the gypsies did something with your horse, but you don't know for sure, or how it went if they tried, so you would be wise to do the job properly from the start.

A driving horse has to be totally unflappable in all different circumstances, reliable and attentive to voice aids, must stand still when asked, and has to be bold and forward going.

Lots of groundwork, a bit of longeing, and plenty of longreining, then introduce harness and start them pulling a tyre or log, then lots of that and a bit more for good measure and then, when they are rock solid, put them to a vehicle.

Everything must be tied with quick-release knots in the training stages so that the potential for accidents is minimal, and all the tack and equipment must be sound.

 

[Gloi]

Teach your horse, before you put it to a vehicle, that if it gets into a mess at anytime it needs to stand still for you to sort it out. Once it is pulling a tyre or the like quietly I like to attach more scary things like a metal drum or a few till bags so they get blasé about anything behind them or wrapping round their legs.
If I didn't always do this I'd probably be dead now as years ago I caught a wheel on a tree and turned the vehicle over and somehow managed to get trapped in it and the pony just stood there until someone came and sorted him and me out. I was very proud of him because he was a young stallion who at the time had only been driven for a few months,

 

[EPRider]

A lot of traveler broken driving ponies only know two speeds - stop and flat out trot. They are usually very good at both, it is the in between bits that they are lacking and need a lot of work doing.

 

[Goldenstar]

The driving horse must stand ,so we work with mine until he will stand on the yard unharnessed up for ages if he moves he's taken back to the spot we left him and made to stand again we spend a lot of time on this .
Putting too is never done in a hurry even with the experianced horse they are expected to stand in the carriage until we are ready every thing is done in calm and disiplined atmosphere.
Once we move into carriage mode everything is done with the minimum of talking the horse must obey voice commands thus you must keep noise to a minimum .
The horse must walk calmly in the carriage until told to trot I seriously dislike horses who have be taught that is ok to trot off in a flurry .
You must have excellent obedience on the Long reins before you put the horse too.
The nicest driving horses ( all mine have ridden and driven ) go into driving mode when they see the harness they become focused and attentive .