Breechen - how many use it?

[happy appy]

I was just looking on another thread and seeing pictures of minis driving but didn't notice a single one of them with breechen on. Is that the norm?

 

[Shortpig]

It depends on what type of driving you will be doing. Most people don't use it when they drive in the showring. Out in the real world or at CDE VSE events they use it. It's always best to train your horse with it so they are use to it when you put on the brakes "so to speak". All of my horses use it because I don't drive in shows. Its way better for your horse to stop the cart with it than with the back saddle. It is also better for backing your horse.

 

[RhineStone]

Good question. ALWAYS understand what you are doing before you do it!!! Just because breed show people do something one way does not necessarily make it the right way. Like Marie (Shortpig) said, you really should use breeching in the real world. It is a much safer, more comfortable way to slow and stop the vehicle than any other "accepted" way for minis. Mechanical brakes would be another one, but not for a two-wheel mini cart (four-wheel maybe), which adds downpressure on the horse's back in the braking process.

Breeching uses the horse's big meaty haunches to slow and stop the vehicle, whereas thimbles and wrap straps use the horse's girth and bony withers to accomplish that. Would you rather stop a wheelbarrow with your butt or your shoulders and armpits? The reason show drivers don't use breeching is because they "don't want all that leather on the horse" and that is the way the big horse show drivers do it. However, the weight ratio difference for cart and driver with a big horse vs. a mini is tremendous! The big horse isn't nearly pulling or holding back that much weight!

IMO, it is a disservice to the horse not to use breeching, no matter what the trend is in the show ring. But, obviously my opinion is not the popular one from your observation.

We used to use thimbles and wraps straps. Now we know better, so we do better.

Myrna

 

[Marsha Cassada]

All you have to do is sit in a cart behind a horse and watch him back up with a load with only wrapped tugs/thimbles. Then watch the same thing with breeching. It will be obvious why breeching is used!

Or going downhill with a loaded cart is another scenario to visualize.

When he brakes the cart with his behind, he is also learning to USE his hind end.

 

[LittleRibbie]

I do not show, only drive pleasure, dirt roads and woods and parades. NO hills or any sort of inclines here in Fla. but I still always use it. Just watching my horses go from a trot to walk or stop just looks so much more comfortable for the horses with breeching than without.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

I use it because I do a lot of trail driving over hilly territory and my horse has prominent withers. He made it very clear early on that backing without breeching was not an option with him except with the lightest of carts! He'll do it in the show ring without much complaint but if I start practicing that way he gets balky. I can't blame him one bit and much prefer the smoothness of transitions with breeching.

I also consider it a safety precaution- even on flat ground you never know when your horse could dive into a ditch or otherwise get in an accident where only breeching is going to keep the cart off his heels.

Leia

 

[ThreeCFarm]

I use breeching outside of the show ring, and with the exception of one horse, I don't use it in the show ring. I did have one mare that required it in the show ring, as she wouldn't back without it.