# Training an ex racer to drive?



## jimmy (Aug 26, 2009)

i,d try him,if he is as sensible as you say,but start from the beginning,don,t try and rush it. do it like you would break a green horse in and your in the right part of the country to get plenty of driving advice,it will all be differant advice,you know that lol.


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## goodhors (Jan 25, 2011)

I guess that you should think of his first reaction to serious fright, in your thinking he could drive. Most TBs, tend to shy violently, try to run away. Not all, but MANY. 

Shying under saddle is a lot different than when he is attached to a vehicle. He CAN jump sideways 6 to 8ft under saddle, and many times the rider stays on!! A carriage of any kind will restrict that kind of a jump. He might break a shaft, or tip the vehicle over. Maybe continue and take it thru the ditch on the side of the road, regardless of rein directions, if the passengers can stay in the carriage.

There are some books on training horses to drive, rather basic but cover the details well. Doris Ganton wrote one, with a name like "Training the Driving Horse". Often available used, check Ebay. 

Take your time with training if you decide this horse is a good candidate. Make sure he TOTALLY understands what you are requesting and gives you all YES answers before progressing to the next step. Carriage driving is a LOT more dangerous that it appears, horse MUST be obedient in ALL situations. A good carriage horse needs a bunch more training than a riding horse to be so dependable for you. 

Many horses are tried, but the success rates of horses started in driving drop off sharply as training progresses. Not all have a good enough mind to accept what is asked of them and drive successfully. And even after being hitched, some drive a few times and then fall apart.

So keep evaluating the horse if you do try him for driving. A GOOD driving horse is harder to come by than a nice riding horse. Do not feel you failed if you decide he is not going to drive. It happens. 

We have very high standards for our driving horses, we expect MUCH of them and often our lives depend on them following directions as asked. Our washout rate is about 50%. Still very nice RIDING horses, capable of many disciplines. The ones who make it driving, are here for life.


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## PerchiesKisses (Dec 6, 2010)

My guy's a 6 - gonna be 7 soon - year old OTTB and I hooked him up in harness last winter and drove him around plenty. You need to take it slow, and train from the ground up - just like for any discipline - but I seen no reason why an OTTB can't be a good driving horse. 

One thing I did learn from some trial and error was to pair my horse - who can be quite competitive - with a very lazy, non-competitive, and reliable horse until he settled down and understood what I was asking 100%.





























*This picture is a horrid one I admit - I was just learning the shafts for driving and hadn't yet figured out how to adjust breast collar harnesses - and have sinced ditched them completely in favour of collars - but the idea is that a OTTB can drive. 

Good luck training him, and post pictures of your progress


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## AmazinCaucasian (Dec 10, 2010)

Nobody hooks them to a sled first?


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## PerchiesKisses (Dec 6, 2010)

My horse's first time pulling was with the paint in the picture on a sleigh after having been driving good for about a week.it was an empty sleigh and the trails were nice but with enough deep snow to either side that should things have gone badly I would have been able to bush them without harm to them or my equipment. I like hooking up beside a reliable partner the first few times... It gives the horse I in training some confidence and also an example to follow.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Left Hand Percherons (Feb 1, 2011)

AmazinCaucasian said:


> Nobody hooks them to a sled first?


AC is calling a breaking sled or stone boat a sled. Not the same as a sleigh. A stone boat is going to weigh 300-400# with alot of drag. Even a big draft is going to have trouble taking off with it at first. Can't have a wreck if they can't move it.


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## PerchiesKisses (Dec 6, 2010)

Ah I see.. Sorry I misunderstood. We have one at my barn but I found it too heavy for initial training. Pulling for the first few times should be easy for the horse in my opinion, another perk to using an polls pro beside him who can split the weight on a load.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## HorseyyGal (Jun 20, 2011)

Thanks so much guys  Goodhors my horse is pretty much bomproof :lol: I can shake plastic bags around him, he has no problems with other animals & is 110% in traffic 

I'm going to bite the bullet & go for it! I plan to start training him in the spring for driving, turn him away for a little bit & then go full on in the summer. I contacted a man in the area who does a lot of driving & he's more than willing to give me a hand & loan us some equipment to use while training 
I really think he'll enjoy driving, but if he doesnt at least we tried  Always up for a challenge us!


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## jimmy (Aug 26, 2009)

good luck let us know how you do


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## AmazinCaucasian (Dec 10, 2010)

Left Hand Percherons said:


> AC is calling a breaking sled or stone boat a sled. Not the same as a sleigh. A stone boat is going to weigh 300-400# with alot of drag. Even a big draft is going to have trouble taking off with it at first. Can't have a wreck if they can't move it.


Yes that's what they use around here. Usually guys will use a sled made of 4x4 or 6x6 wood runners with a deck made of 2x4s or 2x6s. Sit on a bucket and see what happens. Like you say, if they have a runaway, the sled is heavy enough to exhaust them quickly.


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