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katastrophykat

katastrophykat

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Your understanding of Driving trials??

If you saw a demo of driving trials, probably including a pony/horse flying around an obstacle and some cones, at a county show, would it encourage you to have a go??

Have you ever wanted to try driving??

What is putting you off (if anything) trying?

Thank you :D
 
I've seen it on telly once or twice.

I'd love to try it, although I've never actually bothered to find out where near London I could try it and now I'm unemployed doubt I could afford to!!

I've only driven a horse once on holiday, we went to Ireland and played at being gypsys with real horse drawn caravans!
 
It's basically cross country for carriages - a series of obstacles to be negotiated with marks for speed and accuracy.

I would love to give it a go, what puts me off is the cost of a vehicle and needing somewhere to store it.
 
Well, the cost of a vehicle is huge, for a start, and a trained driving horse/pony, plus actually knowing how to do it.......you'd want to be seriously motivated.
 
I've seen Ijsbrand Chardon and Koos de Ronde at Breda earlier on this year. It was very very impressive! A friend of mine does the whole driving thing, I help her out sometimes. I've driven once myself, but I'd rather do the fast stuff ON the horse.... behind the horse makes everything look faster!
 
Yes it would make me want to drive!

I have tried driving, loved it!

I can't afford lessons, and definatly can't afford to have either of my mares broken to drive at the mo but I'm doing my best to desensitise the younger one and get her longreining etc so it's still an aim for the future just not for a while :(

It's something I've always wanted to do, had some lessons and really did enjoy it but can't afford to get into it myself and have had no luck finding anyone local that drives and might appreciate some help :( its very expensive to get into I've found and i just don't have the money.
 
Check out the Indoor Horse Driving Trials website and go and watch an event! It's a cheaper sport than outdoor, the carriage doesn't need to be so robust and they are lovely people.
 
I drove my old mare, bought an old two seater carriage between a friend and me. It was great fun...but could not have given trials a go, because my understanding is that you need the modern carriages to stand up to the rigour of it and there is no way I could have afforded one!!
 
We did a taster day at a driving place when I was at college. In a big arena round cones, loved it! I understand its easy to get into at competitions as people are always wanting people to stand on the back and lean round corners (forgot their proper name!) :)
 
I used to do the ridden work for someone who did them, its pretty cool. It's basically eventing for driving horses. They do a dressage test. Then a marathon, which is like xc. Except its round obstacles instead of over. Then cones instead of sj. Which you go round instead of over. I don't know enough to say if there's long format vs short format like there is in eventing. I did do a bit of driving but I'm very much a novice. And been on the backstep at trials & in training. It's definitely something I'd like to do again. I plan driving daughters pony when outgrown, but other than the experience at 11.1 & 200kg I don't see us winning!
 
Did the FEI driving trials 30 odd years ago when it first started. My dad made the vehicles himself, I did Pony Club stuff with the ponies, the likes of Lord Howard de Waldron would turn up with a lovely tandem in an exceptionally valuable antique show cart and regularly turn it over and destroy it on the marathon (nowadays his like wouldn't out qualify themselves from driving singles), the Queen hosted a party at the Sandringham event, most people turned up in converted coaches and had to go rushing back to the day jobs at the end of the 3 days. Now I could never afford to go back to it, it's a totally different league now!

My mum did one of those courses that was promoted in H&H aimed at older retired people earlier this year. Out of around 30 I think only 3 were retired age, they were lucky to get 5mins driving a day and as she'd broken and produced our driving ponies (we did pairs and tandems) she found the hours of theory rather tedious.

Was really surprised as my mum keeps thinking it would be a nice idea to get a pony for the grandchildren and was offered one that was broken to drive. Thought she'd jump at chance of having a go at something like the indoor driving etc as several older people who no longer ride do but she said no way was she driving on today's roads. It's easier to get off road riding than it is driving so can see her point.
 
It looks like fun but i would be able to afford to have a go at it. It does look a bit hairy at times when they are going fast.
I have driven my old gypsy cob(i lost her 4 years ago) and i am going to break my current gypsy cob to drive eventually and probably my daughters pony when she has outgrown him as she doesn't want to ever sell him. I really enjoyed the bit of driving i did but i only do it for pleasure.
 
I work at Koos de Ronde's stables. I absolutely love it! Watching them practise in the indoor arena doing the marathon.... very very very fast! You've got to have balls for it, hahaha! They are going to teach me how to do the driving stuff and hopefully, next year I can groom at competitions for Koos. It would be amazing!
 
Hippona said:
My teenage son......who can but doesnt ride, saw something on BBC news one morning a few weeks ago and said he'd fancy having a go....but TBH I wouldn't know where or how to go about it....
Click to expand...

FC (and me ;) ) was the single pony not driven by a tiny child on that :D

There may be a young drivers rep for your area? British Young Drivers has it's own page on the BHDTA site :) If not a local club (again links on BHDTA site) would be able to point you in the right direction :)
 
Only just seen this thread.
I was lucky enough to get on the Driving Back to Sport course earlier this year and have become absolutely hooked. Like other posters I can't afford my own turnout but I'm lucky enough to have been teamed up with a "buddy" following the course, who turned out to be an aquaintance from years ago. I now drive her pony weekly and am doing my first low key (very low key) competition next month. Am so looking forwards to it
 
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