Teaching a Horse How to Drive
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330 – March/April, 2022
By Delores Kuhlwein
The sweeping strides of graceful horses and the splendor of vintage-inspired attire lends to an air of elegance that makes Pleasure Driving such a beautiful discipline to watch. But teaching a horse how to drive has far-reaching benefits that extend beyond competing in the class itself.
Read on for insight into this process from renowned driving trainers: Tyler Haney, head trainer at Prince Farm, LLC,; Adam Winter of Winter Performance Horses; and veteran driving trainer and exhibitor, Brian Holmes.
Commitment
Teaching a horse how to drive is like any other form of training. “Don’t rush the process and take it slowly,” Haney advises. “When we start a horse in the cart, there’s a lot of ground work that goes into it.”
Holmes agrees, explaining that this discipline deserves serious foundation training. “My two favorite words to use for driving training are ‘obedient’ and ‘submissive.’ You’re strapping a potential weapon to every horse, and they have to be able to drive safely,” he says.
“Set yourself up for the long road,” Winter recommends. “It’s worth a month or two of your life to make it safe. If you have a bad wreck, you’re harming the horse.”
Desensitizing
Click here to read the complete article
330 – March/April, 2022
