What is the Best Book on Driving

Kilkenny Farms · Jul 3, 2009

What is the best book that you have read or what is the best tip that you have for getting started in driving?

I just put a downpayment on a filly that is a terrific driving prospect (and two more mares...shhhhh, it's still a secret)....thanks Sue (Riverdance) and I just bought a beautiful driving show cart. My Husband says...."It's official....We have now put the cart before the horse."

I want to learn as much as possible because I plan on being "in the ribbons" some day. *smile*

Barb

hobbyhorse23 · Jul 7, 2009

I've been away for a few days at a show so I missed this thread but thought I'd chime in.

There are lots of good books on driving but few that are specific to miniature horses. I've noticed that Doris Ganton's books seem to assume you'll be using a check so those might be good ones to start with, and Patty Cloke's DVD's are fantastic for AMHA/AMHR showing. Two of the better, more general, carriage driving books I can recommend are Heike Bean's "Carriage Driving, a Logical Approach Through Dressage Training" and "The Essential Guide To Carriage Driving" by Robyn Cuffey and Jaye Allison Winkel. That one has many clear diagrams on how to wrap the wrapstraps and breeching holdbacks, and pictoral guides to the different types of harnesses and what makes a good fit or a bad one for each part. Anything by Sallie Walrond is also good although her books, like the ones above, assume you'll be driving outside the show ring.

I've got to laugh at your husband's comment- it sounds like he's got a sense of humor at least.

My best tip for driving is to approach everything logically and put safety first. There is logic behind every harness part, every step of the harnessing process, and the way we train them. Skipping steps is not a good idea!

You want a happy horse who is comfortable in his work, enjoys it, and will be your winning partner for a long long time. My second tip is to be aware that almost everything for driving is ordered custom. The vendor may only offer an "A-sized mini harness" on their website, but if you send them measurements you'll get a much better fit. It's normal to have to exchange harness parts to get an exact fit! That's something most newbies tell me they wish they'd known, and I sure wish I had when I got started.

Leia

WeeOkie · Jul 7, 2009

My Husband says...."It's official....We have now put the cart before the horse." If he only knew!

Barb. I have a cart training notebook with the basics and illustrations, plus a book that you are welcome to borrow.

Rita

Fanch · Jul 7, 2009

I trained my first ever horse to driving a few years back and am now almost to the hitching pahse on my other boy. I used"Breaking and Training the Driving Horse" by Doris Granton. Its a step my step guide to breaking the horse, it is for big horses, but all the same princeaples apply. Its exlains about the harness, how to hitch, how to introduce the harness, when to add blinkes, the traces, everything!! It also helps for the beginnings training when you are first hitched. I haighly recommend this book, but I also have used one of Leias recommended books" A Logical Aproach through carriage driving" that is a very good one as well, and I used pieces from both to train my 2nd boy.

Kilkenny Farms · Jul 8, 2009

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for the great tips and the book recommendations. I will definitely look into purchasing a couple of them. I know you can't learn to drive from reading a book,

but I like a lot of input from a lot of different sources. I am so excited about driving. I have found it to be so much fun and I want my horses to feel the same way about it.

I ordered Patty Cloke's videos and Bobby Ferraro's. Both sets were very good and very informative.

Thanks Rita, I will take you up on that offer to borrow your book.

This forum is great!

Barbara

Kilkenny Farms · Jul 8, 2009

Okay, I just ordered Doris Ganton's book "Breaking and Training the Driving Horse" and Heike Bean's "Carriage Driving"

Thanks for your help,

Barbara