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Going Buggy
by Lucia Roda

Breast Collar

Full Collar

Harness and its fit is also important to your horse
and your surviving the driving experience.
An ill- fitting harness is a lot like a saddle with a broken tree.
It makes the back ache, the horse irritated or lame and the fun is lost.
When adjusting the harness it is best that the buckles
are in the middle holes if you can.
If the straps of any part is in the last hole, odds
are the harness is too small.
If the straps are in the first hole, you may be pushing too big.
(Please see the attached diagrams of harness
and its pieces both full collar and breast collar.)
If you make yourself familiar with the harness
and its names of parts it makes it easier to fit the harness
and order replacement parts when you have one wear out
or become a victim of the bulletproof syndrome.

A popular trainer said, that horses are born
cowards and claustrophobics.
In a lot of ways that is true.
When adjusting the blinkers make sure
that the eye is in the center
of the blinker.
The horse should not be able to see
what is behind him
as a flash from the corner of his eye.
Let him look and see what you are doing
by turning his/her head, not by having a badly
adjusted blinker.
By the way, make sure that your driving bridle
has a nose band.
It is a necessary piece of equipment and keeps
the blinkers from gapping away from the face
and the bit in its proper place.
Never be without a caveson or nose band on
your harness. Period.

The carriage is also important
when starting a green horse.
Europeans and old
timers will tell you to hook a greenie
with experienced horse as part of a pair or in the wheel
of a 4-in-hand, and with a 4- wheel vehicle.
The green horse gets taken along until he figures it out
and finds comfort in other horses telling him it is okay
and that he is not going to die.
Most of us should be so lucky to do this.
I am unfortunately, usually horse rich and project poor
so I hook singles and go down the road.
I like to advocate having one or two
side helpers or walkers.
The steps are as follows.
I am also assuming that you have ground driven
your horse with a blinker bridle
and that you have at least shown him what you intend
to tie to his body in the name of art and sport.

Trailer Cart....Hitch it to the horse
cart for extra passengers.

Training Cart

Thunder's First Drive

Hooking Hints
( suggestions.......okay, rules.)

1. Have at least one, if not two people you trust, to be at least adequate horsemen.   No screamers need
apply.
Some of the biggest messes I have ever seen have been because someone turned off their brain and started
their mouth.

2. Be calm, this is supposed to be fun.

3. Bring the cart up to the back of the horse.
Tell the horse that the cart is coming. We shouldn't let the horse think that we are hunting or sneaking up on
them. Not very confidence inspiring.   After all, we are the ones that are supposed
to know what we are doing.

4. Pet and talk to the horse during the whole process.
I tell mine that the cart is coming. Here's your cart son.
Then place the shafts in shaft loops.

5. Talk to your horse. He/she is a good boy. Tell Them!

6. Adjust your traces so that the vehicle won't run up the rear end,
or so the back legs won't hit the basket when moving.
If you want to see a rodeo, have either one of these things happen.
Do not run the trace through the shaft loop . If you need trace carriers,
get them or improvise. Traces run through your shaft loops are looking for a wreck because it can bind the
movement of the single tree that the traces are attached to.

7. Are you still talking to you horse? Let them look at what you are doing. Going to the dentist makes us
nervous because of the sounds and not being able to see what is going on. Them too.

8. Tighten your girth and make sure that your shaft loop hold downs are attached to the over girth of what is
the over girth in your harness. There are many different types of harness, some with french tugs, some with
belly band tug wraps. This comes under knowing your harness and doing a little research before you get to the
wheels part.I have diagrams if anybody needs them and would be happy to share.

9. Fit and adjust your breaching straps.
These attach to the breaching of the harness.
These are the brakes. No attach. No got brakes.
Attach too loose and adjust the breaching too high and the breaching could ride up under the tail and cause
bucking and kicking. Anybody ever seen a pair of feet coming over the dash?
I have and its a sobering experience.
Adjust your breaching too low and you could sweep the hind legs out from under your horse. No brakes and no
fun there either.

10. You have now attached the cart, hooked traces, checked the girth, adjusted your breaching straps, adding
your brakes.
Are your shafts level or close to it? If not, lower your shaft loops,
tugs to name a few names. Did you remember to run your reins through the saddle turrets and breast collar
rings. No reins no hands. I like to drive but have never tried the no hands version.
Your reins must also be in good shape, if there is any part
you don't want broken, it would most likely be the reins.

11. NEVER leave your horse hooked, and tie him to something. Carriage horses are not meant to be tied to
hitching posts. Amish people do that. They get away with it. Their horses are grateful to stop. They are
driven hell for leather for miles. After 20-30 miles, I would be grateful for the rest too. Most of us Sunday
or pleasure drivers don't do 20-30 miles a day. I personally have done 22 miles at one time, but that was
working out some issues with Thunderhawk.

12. NEVER hook for the first time in a round pen. Learning to bend in the shafts and to push the shaft over
is difficult for most horses. If your horse isn't particularly supple in the saddle or if he is not broke to ride,
odds are you are asking for a wreck.
I like to use a big open arena, or in my case I usually use the driveway and go down the road. Horses like to
move. Let them. Give them a job and something to do beside getting worried.

13. Talk to them. This isn't the show ring , no points are lost for talking too much. You have your voice,
hands and whip. These are your aides just as your legs and seat are under saddle, without those your horse is
blind to what you are asking. I believe that all drivers should wear gloves and carry a whip. As you get more
advanced with your horse you will ask more of him/her.
You can't lean out of the carriage and poke them with you finger to get a step over and hauling on their face
doesn't create a bend. Whips are aides not torture devices.
Don't leave it in the socket. It won't do you any good there and it will be too late if you need it and have to
reach for it.

14. Keep your first drives like your first rides. Short and sweet. It is always better to go a little and have a
good experience than to go a lot and lose all you have gained.
15.   Be a cowboy. Undress your horse like a cowboy. Do it in reverse, undo the straps and take the cart off.
The last thing you undo and take off is the bridle and the reins. So be like a cowboy and his hat.
First thing on is the last thing    off.
Never remove the bridle first on a horse still hooked to a carriage.
It will get you thrown out of any ADS event, not to mention could get your horse or someone else hurt if there
was a problem.
It a little like undoing the cinch with the breast collar
and back cinch still attached.
I am always willing to help fellow drivers.   We tend to be a gregarious and companionable lot. So if I have
created more questions than I have answered with this, call , e-mail or write.    I highly recommend the ADS
web site: americandrivingsociety.org
for books and driving information.
Their mission is to help drivers both with education and competition.

Lucy Roda

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