As a recreational driver I have attended Charlie Poppe's Carriage Round-up many times as well as the National Drive. In addition my family has put on many drives at our property in NY. I've done trace paces, poker drives, mimosa drives, themed drives (Halloween, football, spring, etc) as well as continuous driving events. We've tried long distance driving and sat on a wagon train once but found they move at a different pace than I prefer.
When recreationally driving I prefer a horse with a strong, ground eating trot that is steady in the face of hazards. Driving on Rails to Trails is a great way to put leg on a horse while driving the local forests hills will add air. Driving on the flat isn't usually a problem and it isn't uncommon for us to cover 10 miles in a drive with the horses. The hills add a challenge and you have to pay attention to your horse's breathing and body language to make sure that you're not overly stressing them. As I tend to drive Standardbreds who are used to going on the flat I do work them over smaller hills or rougher flat ground to give them an opportunity to develop their rear ends and learn to pull before tackling the forests.
I prefer to drive recreationally in my Zilco harness for easier care but you can certainly drive in a leather harness. With all harness, it is important to check it over before harnessing, looking for stress points and wear patterns. Pretty much any vehicle can be used for pleasure driving but I don't recommend antique vehicles or ones with wire wheels if you're going off-road. I've driven a marathon vehicle, a flyer, and various two-wheeled vehicles over the years. The Warco is still my favorite 'get muddy' vehicle - it's a battle wagon, gone everywhere, done everything, type vehicle but I've been driving it ever since we got started in driving and it is the funnest vehicle. The flyer was nice because it had brakes, which are essential on some of the hills around here, but could also go a show.
When driving a helmet should be worn and a spares kit should be with you. I do choose to carry an extra knife with me, just in case we somehow get separated from the carriage. Additionally, as I often drive in areas where people don't know me, I've added luggage tags (flexible and fairly water proof) that have my emergency contact info, insurance, etc. to the harness, the cart, and I loop one around my belt. If we do have an accident and the horse breaks free and I get flipped out I want people to know who each piece belongs to. Additionally my local police department knows who I am and where my horse belongs (I board so it's not my property). Hopefully I'll never need these safety precautions but when you're one of the few carriage drivers around you have to worry about these things, especially if you're driving on the road.
When recreationally driving I prefer a horse with a strong, ground eating trot that is steady in the face of hazards. Driving on Rails to Trails is a great way to put leg on a horse while driving the local forests hills will add air. Driving on the flat isn't usually a problem and it isn't uncommon for us to cover 10 miles in a drive with the horses. The hills add a challenge and you have to pay attention to your horse's breathing and body language to make sure that you're not overly stressing them. As I tend to drive Standardbreds who are used to going on the flat I do work them over smaller hills or rougher flat ground to give them an opportunity to develop their rear ends and learn to pull before tackling the forests.
I prefer to drive recreationally in my Zilco harness for easier care but you can certainly drive in a leather harness. With all harness, it is important to check it over before harnessing, looking for stress points and wear patterns. Pretty much any vehicle can be used for pleasure driving but I don't recommend antique vehicles or ones with wire wheels if you're going off-road. I've driven a marathon vehicle, a flyer, and various two-wheeled vehicles over the years. The Warco is still my favorite 'get muddy' vehicle - it's a battle wagon, gone everywhere, done everything, type vehicle but I've been driving it ever since we got started in driving and it is the funnest vehicle. The flyer was nice because it had brakes, which are essential on some of the hills around here, but could also go a show.
When driving a helmet should be worn and a spares kit should be with you. I do choose to carry an extra knife with me, just in case we somehow get separated from the carriage. Additionally, as I often drive in areas where people don't know me, I've added luggage tags (flexible and fairly water proof) that have my emergency contact info, insurance, etc. to the harness, the cart, and I loop one around my belt. If we do have an accident and the horse breaks free and I get flipped out I want people to know who each piece belongs to. Additionally my local police department knows who I am and where my horse belongs (I board so it's not my property). Hopefully I'll never need these safety precautions but when you're one of the few carriage drivers around you have to worry about these things, especially if you're driving on the road.
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