# Babystepping towards driving--need advice



## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

I've been thinking about training my 5yo QH to drive after he's finished training as a riding horse. He is calm and sane, Red Dunn, 15'2hh, well built, and doggone it, I think he'd look great driving! I tried
driving with another QH, now passed on, many years ago. That horse was 17yo. He handled the breaking cart allright, and you could lead him anywhere pulling weight in it, but I gave up after he got scared of my buggy. (The 4-wheeled buggy has been sold.) I talked to several Amish harness shops there and a buggy shop in the Amish community about one hour away from us. They all agreed that I should get my horse fitted to a Collar, and use _that_ instead of a breastplate harness. Any thoughts? I'm interested in your opinion bc my QH is young, and that gives me plenty of time to break him to it. I intend to start long-lining him this winter, with no particular time deadline in mind--I just want to proceed from goal to goal with him, and keep him comfortable.
I don't own a harness right now, but I do own a wooden breaking cart, which has been stored well.
ANY driving advice would be appreciated! Thanks! =D


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## jimmy (Aug 26, 2009)

hi i don,t know if the driving collar or the breast plate makes that much differance,i,m just finishing breaking, a nine yrs old gypsy cob,and for the last couple of weeks i have used her in a four wheeled wagon collecting scrap metal[going to drive her to appleby next summer] .well with her shoulders been tender ,the working collar rubbed her shoulders,so i have now switched to a breast collar so i can adjust it over where she,s rubbed,the breast collar is,ent ideal for pulling weight but it is,ent making any differance in how she drives


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## Clayton Taffy (May 24, 2011)

My sugestion is do not use a collar if you are a beginner. You don't really need a collar for a light weight breaking cart. Collars can be hard to fit and any change in weight can cause you to need a different size collar, sometimes the difference between a horses summer and winter coat can make a collar not fit well. I have seen the result of an illfitting collar from just one pleasure show, while it didn't rub him raw the indentations in his neck muscles even 48 hours later were disterbing. 
A breast collar is much easier to find, fit and resell if needed. I would also stick with a two wheel vehicle untill you both are further along in training, a 4 wheeler, unless undercut, can be very dangerous and a severe tip hazard.
If you do end up getting a collar harness I have a brand new 29" collar for sale.


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## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

It depends on where the traces hook in. That determines if you use a breast plate or collar. If the traces hook in low near the axle then a collar is required as theangle goes downward for pulling . If they hook up higher the breast plate is used. It all has to do with the angle from the shoulder following the traces back.


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## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

Redirect Notice
see how the traces are low


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## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

http://www.horseweddingcarriages.co...-drawn-wedding-carriages-wedding-carriage.jpg
This is incorrect and see how the breat plate is sitting funny and the traces are puilling downward


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## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

Horse Drawn Carriages
The picture on the left is REALLY bad and incorrect


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## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

And this one needs a breast plate as the traces hook in high and it has a straight line back.


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

Thanks for the replies. I know that a harness with a breastplate is much easier to find, and the one I used to own was bought as used tack. I'll be happy to just purchase another one of them.
I have been studying the book, "Driving the Light Horse."
Amazon.com: Driving the Light Horse: Training for Pleasure and Competition (9780668056526): Charlene Davis Roth: Books
I got this about 15 years ago. It has illustrations re: correct fitting of harness to a cart. If I get confused, I'll just take my harness (when the horse is ready) with me to my Amish farrier's place and ask him to show me adjustments. _(Boy, that yellow cart reminds me of this gorgeous 2-wheeled cart I saw which was painted yellow with brown...um...highlights(?) around the rims and decorating the body. It might go well with Buster's coloring, especially if I were to oil up his forearm's zebra stripes. ha, ha)_
The linked pics you shared did indeed look like the shafts were too high. I go to Arthur, IL (local Amish community) for a lot for auctions, farrier work and the like, so I get to see _their_ horses harnessed up.
I have another question--_*do you have brakes on your carts/carriages?*_


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## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

Corporal said:


> Thanks for the replies. I know that a harness with a breastplate is much easier to find, and the one I used to own was bought as used tack. I'll be happy to just purchase another one of them.
> I have been studying the book, "Driving the Light Horse."
> Amazon.com: Driving the Light Horse: Training for Pleasure and Competition (9780668056526): Charlene Davis Roth: Books
> I got this about 15 years ago. It has illustrations re: correct fitting of harness to a cart. If I get confused, I'll just take my harness (when the horse is ready) with me to my Amish farrier's place and ask him to show me adjustments. _(Boy, that yellow cart reminds me of this gorgeous 2-wheeled cart I saw which was painted yellow with brown...um...highlights(?) around the rims and decorating the body. It might go well with Buster's coloring, especially if I were to oil up his forearm's zebra stripes. ha, ha)_
> ...


Brakes are for 4 wheel carriages not 2 wheel carts. So although I am not positive but I think every 4 wheeler should have brakes and 2 wheelers don't.


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## jimmy (Aug 26, 2009)

i,ve a bowtop waggon with a wind on brake,and a four wheel dray without one,but yes i,d agree all four wheelers should have them especially if your pulling weight


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

Thanks. Do you need the brakes bc it's too much of a strain for the horse? I'm asking bc the 4-wheeled buggy that my other (now passed on) QH became frightened of didn't have brakes. It was VERY lightweight--we used to pull it ourselves, like a rickshaw.
This is *really* encouraging me to start long-lining my QH asap. I have a turnout/grazing pasture that is 250' x 310'. (I had to measure it for my new fencing in 2008.) My 5 acre property is flat as a board, so I have a great fenced in area to practice with my breaking cart.
ALSO, _*how do you desensitize for noises behind your horse?*_


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## eliduc (Apr 5, 2010)

The more expensive two wheeled carts do have brakes. They are handy for holding the cart back going down steep hills. You can buy the deluxe deep vee biothane breast collar from Chicumen tack for a very reasonable price.


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## jimmy (Aug 26, 2009)

Corporal said:


> Thanks. Do you need the brakes bc it's too much of a strain for the horse? I'm asking bc the 4-wheeled buggy that my other (now passed on) QH became frightened of didn't have brakes. It was VERY lightweight--we used to pull it ourselves, like a rickshaw.
> This is *really* encouraging me to start long-lining my QH asap. I have a turnout/grazing pasture that is 250' x 310'. (I had to measure it for my new fencing in 2008.) My 5 acre property is flat as a board, so I have a great fenced in area to practice with my breaking cart.
> ALSO, _*how do you desensitize for noises behind your horse?*_


 brakes are handy,you use them to help your horse really ,especially a green broke one,going downhill you can apply it to stop the cart pushing the horse forward,going uphill you can apply it if the horse naps[stops]to stop it pulling him bacwards,they are also good for teaching him/her to stop and stand at road ends,traffic lights roundabouts etc


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Don't think about the problems you had with the first horse. My arab had a problem with the blind bridle because he couldn't relax with the noise behind him. Much better with an open bridle, once he realized the cart wasn't ready to pounce on him.


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

Thanks! This is GREAT advice, guys--I really appreciate it. In my study I've noticed that pretty much the BEST trained horses are the ones that are driven bc you really have to trust them. I like the open bridle, too. Can you link me some pics of your horses and rigs. I enjoyed the ones that churumbeque posted, but I think it would help me and the thread. I had a renewed interest in driving after looking through the pics from the Pan Am games last year in Lexington, KY.
Besides long-lining, do you all have any lunging exercises that are specific to driving?


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