Training & Instruction for the Sport of Carriage Driving
This style breast collar has been showing up more and more as I travel the country. They seem especially prevalent in small pony and mini harness. They feature a ring where the trace tug is anchored to the breast collar. One assumes this is intended to accommodate varying lines of draft (line of weight bearing) […]
Do you ever feel like the second half of your dressage test or pleasure class is just a little better than the first half? Maybe you’ve even thought, “If I only had a little more time to put my pony together, I could have had a much better drive.” That’s a common experience. Sometimes it […]
Most people think of transitions as that moment when your horse goes from one gait to another, such as a walk to a trot. However, that interpretation sells the importance of transitions short and also explains why so many people and horses have difficulty with their transitions. A transition should be viewed as a multi-phase […]
It only takes a quick search on the internet to find all kinds of misguided theories on why driving horses wear blinders. The most common reason given is that they are used to keep the horse from being distracted. Speaking of distractions, the search will no doubt soon lead to a path that will have […]
Carriage drivers may be a little more isolated from the horse than riders, but that doesn’t mean that you loose the “feel” for the horse. Here’s a great exercise to get reconnected to your horse from the carriage. Your Momentum Map Think about momentum for a moment. For example, picture yourself in your truck and […]
In my practice, I rarely use bucking straps (aka. kicking strap.) That doesn’t mean that I’m against them. I have several students who keep bucking straps on their harness because their pony has been known to have a buck or two here and there. The purpose of the bucking strap is to prevent the horse […]
There’s a pervasive syndrome that has been affecting the equine world for years, decades really. Yet it goes on, without discussion, mostly unchecked, and untreated. It’s known only as GPS (Good Pony Syndrome) to professionals who can only roll their eyes as they observe it. GPS has its roots in well-intentioned horse owners who want […]
Winter is often the “off-season” for most horses and horse people. For me, it’s the “off-the-field season,” but in many ways, it’s my “on season” for a lot of the work I do. I’m always quite busy hosting online classes every other week, but that’s only part of it. Much of my work goes on […]
15 years ago today, I was skiing in Vermont on Killington Mountain. Known as “The Beast of the East”, Killington is one of New England’s largest ski areas (insert heckling comments of Western U.S. and European skiers here.) I had a little fall. It was no big deal really, I just face-planted after a bump. […]
The Day I Learned About the Outside Rein. As a young horse trainer, I was aware of this concept called “the outside rein.” But my understanding was entirely conceptual. Sure, I had an outside rein, we all have an outside rein. The rein that is opposite of the way you’re turning, simple. But my tools […]
Three fun things you can do with your horse this winter without freezing your buns off! Winter brings short days, cold temperatures and hard footing. That might put a damper on your carriage driving, but it doesn’t have to bring all horse activities to a full stop. This time of year is a great time to […]
I’m not a great person to preach about the perils of waiting until the last minute. I have that habit too. However, waiting until the last minute to sign up for an online class is putting you and your horse at risk of experiencing profound sadness. Let me explain how. Know Before You Go If […]
… and where it’s going! The idea started out simply enough. It went kind of like this: I had a handful of students that were entering their first or second season of combined driving. They were all pretty new to the sport, so didn’t know much about how the rules worked, and some of the […]
This little note on bending is long overdue. I’ve put it off for a long time for good reasons. The main reason is that most people get their priorities out of order when the subject of bending comes up. Too many people think of manipulating their horse’s bend long before any of the prerequisites to […]
This picture showed up on my timeline today. It’s from 7 years ago when I had a retail store for all things carriage driving. Honestly, there are more things that I don’t miss about the retail store than I miss. In concept, it was a great idea. Actually, the seeds of the store had started […]
