# Driving vs. Riding, is there the same connection?



## ButtInTheDirt

My father and I was thinking of training my POA gelding to pull a cart. He is an extremely intellegent horse and has already has some experience with ground driving and is greenbroke to ride. I was wondering if people who had driving horses had the same connection as riding horses.


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## SpiritedLittleCopperSpots

By "connection", are you talking about the bond you develop with them?

I certainly feel just as strong a relationship with my driving horses as I do my riding horses.
You are building the same trusting partnership with them.


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## Remudamom

Yes, you'll have the same connection. One of my driving ponies and I are very bonded.


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## ButtInTheDirt

That's really nice to hear. ^^ I already have a strong bond with my horse and I did not want to do something that would bring us apart. I figured it wouldn't be much diffferent, but to see some of the horses not looking happy when being driven just made me question it a little bit.

And if anyone can come back and answer another question, I have another to ask. How much can the average sized horse pull? Weight-wise, in pounds. My horse is about 15hh, and very fit for a horse that gets worked only about once a week. I'd say my Moe is about 1100 pounds, give or take some. (Most likely give. x3) If we broke him to drive, my dad would probably use him to pull some logs out of our woods. (We have pathetic little trees, he wouldn't be pulling that heavy of loads. And just have to pull them out of the woods, the tractors could handle them from there.) But this is always just a "if" sort of situation. I'm not sure if we are going to break him to drive or not, but it seems likely. The log (more like twig) hauling isn't really written in stone, either. I don't want my pony working too terribly hard and hurting himself.

Any advice is very helpful!~


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## SpiritedLittleCopperSpots

Hmmm, well I pulled this off the 'ole internet....
A horse can easily pull a wheeled vehicle that is six (6) times his own weight, however most carriage horses are used at only 25% of that capacity.
And this....
*The 1:3 Power to Weight Ratio.* A suitably bred horse can pull 3 times its own body weight on a flat smooth surface for a short distance. A young green horse would certainly spoil if expected to pull this ratio. 

Those are rough "guidelines"...
I think you are the best judge for your individual horse.

You mentioned seeing some very unhappy looking driving horses?
All horses are individuals, and some might really love driving while others do not. (proper training might have an affect on that too?)
So again, you are the best judge of how your horse is feeling about some thing. :wink:
I know my horses really LOVE it. You can't get my Kozmo harnessed up fast enough, he lives for it!


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## BackInTheSaddleAgain

That's the first question I always ask drivers.

I absolutely have a bond with my horse on the ground, but do you have that same overwhelming feeling of camaraderie *while* driving that you do *while* in the saddle?


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## smrobs

I have never really bonded with any of our driving animals, but then again, I don't enjoy driving. It makes me feel like there is a separation between the horse and me and I feel on the verge of being out of control, even with the most well trained driving horse/mule. I can bond with them on the ground, but I just don't get that same connection that I do with my riding horses.


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## maura

In my experience, yes, I had the same bond and connection with driving horses as I did with riding horses. Frankly, it surprised me that I did, I expected driving to be a pale imitation. 

Bill Steinkraus, the Olympic show jumper, was judging a combined driving event and commented that he enjoyed watching driving because you couldn't use seat and legs to cover up for bad hands. (rough paraphrase.) I loved that comment - in driving, you have your hands, your voice and your whip and that's it. It's really a great test of training.


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## Remudamom

Well, one of my driving ponies and I are not bonded, but we're not bonded anywhere. She's just an ornery little thing. She doesn't like any type of work at all, bless her fat little pony heart.

But her filly who I use only for driving loves, loves her job, meets me at the gate and shoves her little head right into her halter or bridle. She follows me around, enjoys being handled, she's a happy camper. She has not been started under saddle at all.


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## Reiterin

I don't think I really have a "bond" but, I don't Really have a bond with my horse At All! - That said, I think my horse really enjoys driving. At least she likes it better than riding. She will watch me climb into my tack locker and if I pull out my saddle she gets this "oh $#*+!" look about her. But if I pull out my harness, she's like "Oh, OK." And she's actually more responsive in harness, I think, too.


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## PerchiesKisses

I had a Percheron that would simply dance under harness. We felt like we were of same mind and body when he drove. That same horse was completely untrustable under saddle...

With that being said. I my TB is the opposite. Under saddle he and I share a strong line of communication. In harness we still have a good sense of communication, but he is far from impressed about driving. lol. although he does better in single harness than he does double.

I think each horse is different, but when you approach driving it has to be fun for you and the horse for you to keep the bond strong.


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## sharick

I've done both. If you have a connection on the ground, it's my experience you'll have one in saddle or in driving seat. Do believe that connection is more important in driving as you don't have your legs/seat to help cue your horse, only your voice & hands/reins. Also believe some horse's have a strong preference as stated by others above. Not all horse's make good driving horses, takes a certian mindset. Believe my horse likes our drives as much as I do. We do everything from trails/dirt roads to going to town/traffic. He's an excellent driving horse, but only a so-so riding horse - he has a strong preference. But it works for us, as I'm older, and would rather drive than ride now.
When it comes to pulling weight - pulling a log is different than pulling a wagon/cart. A horse pulling 500 lbs. balanced on wheels will have a different pull weight than a horse pulling the same 500 lbs. across hard/soft ground.


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## Pacquaio

I was looking for something else but came across this thread. I know it's an old one but... in answer to the question about how much weight a harness horse can pull, the guideline I work to is that the entire weight of what the horse pulls and wears - including the driver, and passengers, and the harness, and any baggage or cargo, should not be more than the horse's bodyweight. So a half-ton horse can pull a maximum of half a ton. This is a guide only, and an earlier respondent's comment about judging your horse's capability, age, condition, reactions and behaviour is so right. And don't forget how and what you feed your horse. Hope this helps.


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## Avna

I'd love to learn to drive, it is on my list. Then I'll teach my horse! I have only driven once, and that was a pair of Percherons and a stoneboat. I thought, oh those poor horses pulling that huge weight. Hah, it was nothing to them. They barely felt it. Horses can pull a huge amount.


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## Pacquaio

Hi Avna - then please do! See if there's a driving trainer near you that you like the sound of and give it a go! For me, I think that my hands are better from driving when I'm riding (does that make sense?) It's all about feel, I think; and our hands are how we feel the horse when driving because that's the only physical connection we have with the horse. Not like riding when our seat is just as important. My advice? Soft hands... always soft hands.


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## Ihave2horsesnow

Of course ding dong me, my first thought when U asked about "connection" was the riders reining hands vs the drivers reining hands to the horses/ponies mouth. I'll just say that it is pretty much the same. It just takes a little longer for the human to process that then the equine.


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