GypsyMoonMinis said:
What makes a good driving horse? What makes them win in the show ring?
Temperment, as discussed by the other two posters, is first and foremost in a good driving horse. As for what makes them win in the show ring, a horse who has learned to use his body to the best of his natural ability is really what the judge of any discipline is looking for. In combined driving they want a horse who is moving through his topline and accepting the bit with lots of hind-end engagement. They don't really care where his head is as long as it's appropriate for his body type and stage of training...they're more concerned with what the body is doing. In the breed ring they want a horse to be upheaded and powerful, moving attractively with a good steady headset and driving "up into the bridle." A really winning horse has that special something that draws the judge's eye; he may not be the best mover in the ring, but he thinks he is and it shows.
GypsyMoonMinis said:
I hear people talk about moving out well, and I understand moving out in big horse terms, but what does that mean for driving minis? leg action? ease of movement? desire to move forward?
When I think of a horse who "moves out well," I think of the exact same thing as I do in a big horse. I want a horse who doesn't just move faster but actually increases the reach of his stride and really makes you go "Wow!" when he hits that second gear. He should have reach in his shoulder and power to spare from the rear. You can teach any horse to move correctly and improve their way of going, but if they aren't built to reach and extend they'll only be able to do so much and will never be truly impressive. I don't care if he moves up and down, low and sweeping or nice and round; a good mover should have a second gear and be able to really turn it on. A
truly good mover in the all-around sense will also have a powerful, purposeful walk with overstride and a nice round bouncy canter that gets his hind end under him.
GypsyMoonMinis said:
What about the differant styles of driving? I love the differant classes with the differant outfits/costumes that people wear. Whats the differance between them?
You've got a couple of different categories here. There's the different styles of driving, then there's the different classes within each style.
For types of driving there's draft driving, agricultural work, harness racing, carriage driving, combined driving, fine harness, commercial driving, all sorts of things. Within the world of miniature horse breed shows (AMHA/AMHR) you have Obstacle, Roadster, Western Country/Classic Pleasure Driving, Country Pleasure Driving, and Single Pleasure Driving. Obstacle is a functional class so you wear whatever works for you and your horse, WC/ClP driving is more of a working horse class with carriage-style harness, different carts and nice hats on the ladies all being more well-accepted. Country Pleasure is more upheaded and will usually be shown in a show cart with fine harness and the drivers often wear something sparkly or elegant. Single Pleasure is for the highest action horses and is correspondingly fancy with lots of pizazz. Roadster, of course, is shown in silks and sulkies with the driver's feet in stirrups. Usually the horse will have an overcheck and they can wear bell boots for protection.
GypsyMoonMinis said:
What about a harness and cart, for show and for training/pleasure. where to find one decently priced?
You really can't go wrong with a Frontier or CTM cart for training and a Graber or Jerald for show. You can get a good cheap well-made harness from Ozark Mtn (www.minitack.com) that will stand up to training for many years and get you started in the show ring as well.
GypsyMoonMinis said:
As far as training goes, i have alot of experiance with big horses as well as long line, lunging and ground driving. How does that translate to driving training?
Those are the basics for driving, what is left is to teach the horse about the cart and about pulling. He must be desensitized to loud noises and squeaks that are not only behind him but chase him without ever going away. He must be comfortable leaning into a breastcollar and sitting down on the breeching. He must learn to move into a shaft on his shoulder and confidently turn the vehicle. He must learn not to panic if he gets a strap caught under his elbow or between his hind legs and to stand quietly and wait for his human to untangle him. (That one can save your life!) And he must learn to do all those things with blinkers on or off, trusting his person to keep him safe and to make decisions for him.
Leia