For aspiring carriage drivers, the journey of training a horse can seem daunting. Many newcomers find themselves struggling with foundational training, often due to skipping crucial preliminary steps. This article outlines a comprehensive, step-by-step approach to preparing horses for driving, emphasizing a logical progression to ensure clarity and confidence for both horse and handler. While experienced trainers may have varied methods, this guide provides a solid framework for beginners.
Step 1: “Backyard” Showmanship
The initial phase focuses on basic in-hand manners, drawing from the principles of horse Showmanship. This involves teaching the horse essential cues and responses. A horse well-versed in Showmanship will find subsequent driving training significantly easier. Key elements include:
- Leading: Guiding the horse at your shoulder without it pushing or pulling.
- Halting: Teaching the horse to stop promptly on command.
- Setting Feet: Encouraging the horse to stand squarely.
- Standing: Remaining still until cued to move.
- Backing: Moving backward smoothly.
- Turning: Responding to cues for left and right turns.
- Trotting in Hand: Maintaining a controlled trot alongside the handler.
These maneuvers are practiced using verbal cues such as “Walk,” “Trot,” “Whoa,” “Stand,” “Set,” “Back,” “Come” (for right), and “Get” (for left). These are the same cues that will be used during driving. While advanced Showmanship has competitive nuances, the fundamental exercises are vital for preparing a horse for driving or riding. Showmanship exercises, with the exception of pivoting on the hocks, can be introduced to young horses in short, manageable lessons. It is crucial not to over-drill young horses, allowing their bodies and minds to mature before intensive training.
Step 1a: Desensitization
Concurrent with Showmanship training, it’s vital to desensitize the horse to various stimuli. This includes introducing the horse to objects moving around, on top of, or through its legs. While a detailed exploration of desensitization is beyond the scope of this article, a well-desensitized horse is significantly easier to train for driving and fosters greater trust between horse and handler.
Step 2: Leading in a Circle
Once a horse reliably leads straight, the next step is to guide it in a large circle. This exercise prepares the horse for lunging. The horse should comfortably lead in both left and right directions.
Step 3: Staying on the Circle
As the horse becomes accustomed to moving in a large circle, the handler gradually increases the distance, encouraging the horse to maintain the circle independently. By using a longer lead line and encouraging the horse to move away from the handler’s shoulder, the horse learns to “lead” as it would when being driven. Although the handler remains in control, the horse begins to learn to navigate the circle on its own, a precursor to lunging.
Step 4: Lunging
With the horse starting to stay on the circle, the handler can now stand in the center and encourage forward movement by “aiming” their body towards the horse’s hip. A common mistake is positioning oneself too far in front of the horse, which signals it to stop. By facing the hip, forward motion is encouraged. Horses learn to walk, trot at various speeds, and halt while on the lunge line, utilizing the same verbal cues established during Showmanship. Consistency is paramount.
Step 5: Wearing the Harness
The sensation of wearing a harness is entirely new to a horse. It must become comfortable with the material distributed across its body. Initial introductions to the harness should occur in a controlled environment, such as a stall. It is important that the first harness is comfortable, with no pinching or sharp edges. Allowing the horse to wear the harness (without the bridle) while eating can aid acceptance. Crucially, the horse should never be left unattended while wearing the harness. Sufficient time and several lessons should be dedicated to harness acceptance before proceeding.
Step 5a: Leading and Lunging with the Harness
The horse needs to acclimate to the feel of the snug girth, backstrap, hip strap, and crupper as they move during leading and lunging. The breeching straps should be removed or adjusted to prevent dragging. Initially, the breast collar and traces are often omitted during lunging to simplify the experience. These are introduced later when the horse is ready for shaft trainers or weight. It is advisable to walk the horse until it shows acceptance of the harness before asking for faster gaits.
Step 6: Bitting
Assuming the horse has no prior experience with a bit, a simple, mild bit is recommended for initial training. The goal is for the horse to learn to hold the bit correctly rather than playing with it. A correctly sized mullen snaffle or a Bowman Victory Boucher bit, which offers tongue relief, are good options. An open bridle, essentially a driving bridle without blinkers or a hunt seat bridle with a caveson, is used for early bitting training. The horse must accept the bit before moving to the next stage.
Step 7: Lunging with the Bit
Once the horse is proficient at lunging with verbal cues and basic gaits, the bridle and bit are introduced. The open bridle allows the horse to see its handler, building confidence. It should be well-adjusted, with the bit positioned correctly in the mouth. Reins are not attached at this stage. A halter is placed over the bridle, and the lunge line is attached to the halter. Lunging with the added complexity of the bit may initially result in a less perfect performance. Patience is key as the horse adjusts. It is generally recommended not to introduce the harness during the first bitting session to avoid overwhelming the horse.
Step 8: Lunging with Both Harness and Bridle
This step integrates the previously learned elements. The horse now wears both the harness and the open bridle with bit. Again, a halter is placed over the bridle, with the lunge line attached to the halter.
Step 9: Starting Long Lining (Double Lunge)
Long lining within the familiar comfort of a circle introduces the horse to responding to the bit while under reins. The horse already understands the circle, verbal cues, gaits, and halts. The inside long line is attached to the bit ring and led back to the handler’s hand. The outside long line runs through the saddle tug, around the horse’s haunches, and back to the handler. In some cases, the inside long line may also pass through the inside saddle tug, depending on the horse’s needs. The handler remains in the center of the circle.
This may be the horse’s first experience with direct contact on its mouth. Gentle steering is required, and the handler should be prepared for misunderstandings. Established verbal cues provide familiar guidance. Lessons should be kept short and positive, focusing initially on the horse walking on the circle and halting a few times. Afterwards, the handler reverts to using the halter for lunging.
Long lining is an art that demands practice and patience, along with consistent contact. Too light contact leads to a lack of control, while excessive pressure can frustrate the horse. Through long lining, horses learn to move forward with contact, steer with the bit, vary their trot speed, and eventually halt on the bit. These skills are challenging to teach while walking or running behind the horse.
Step 10: Long Lining to Line Driving
Only when the horse has mastered long lining on the circle does the handler transition to driving from behind. Steering is practiced by guiding the horse through “targets” of cones, transitioning between larger and smaller circles. Cones are later arranged to guide the horse left and right, requiring the handler to move behind the horse to maintain the inside position for turns. Driving in straight lines while walking behind is rarely practiced due to the difficulty in maintaining proper contact.
The progression continues to shaft trainers or weights, and eventually, hitching the horse to a carriage. The process from Step 1 to Step 10 can vary significantly based on the experience of both the horse and the trainer. While an experienced trainer might complete these steps in days, a beginner should allocate weeks to build these foundational skills. Skipping steps can lead to confusion and setbacks, necessitating remedial training. Many other training methods exist, often requiring advanced knowledge and equipment. However, the outlined process offers beginners a structured approach to developing a congenial, controlled, competent, and confident driving horse.
