NFED Special Interest Carriage Driving
Welcome to the first attempt at our Carriage Driving Information Page, we hope you enjoy it and look forward to hearing feedback from you. Articles will be added regularly, so please let us have your suggestions for future topics. Firstly, I think we should introduce ourselves and give you a little background information. This new Carriage Driving section is compiled by Pippa Jarman and Debbie Butler who are based at Forest Farm, Milford on Sea and we are both Carriage Driving enthusiasts, and through these articles we would like to share some of that enthusiasm. Pippa Jarman has been involved with horses on and off most of her life, she has trained with Jennie Loriston Clarke and competed in ridden dressage classes, run a stud which produced top competition horses, developed a large commercial livery yard, and with her Carriage Driving horses, has been very successful in both the show ring and driving trials. She was fortunate that during her Army Career, she spent 2 years stationed at the Army Equitation Centre in Melton Mowbray, where she gained formal BHS Qualifications. Debbie Butler has also had horses for over 25 years and been competing in Horse Driving Trials locally and nationally for 15 years with both singles and pairs. Debbie was National Champion in 1997 with her home bred pony Rupert and qualified for both the 1998 and 2000 Nationals with a pair and a single. For over 14 years she worked for Mark Broadbent ('Fenix Carriages') in Tiverton, Devon as his PA, Event Organiser and Customer Liaison. As a result of this her knowledge of the Driving World is excellent, and if she doesn't know an answer herself, - she certainly knows who does and where to find them!
WHY DRIVE? In all sections of Driving, - Showing, Eventing, Endurance, Pleasure, Scurrying, age is no deterrent, Junior Whips are enthusiastically supported with Training Days, Camps etc., and compete in all disciplines in their own Classes. At the upper age range, more than a handful National Horse Driving Trials Competitors are over 70yrs old, including HRH Prince Philip who is still a serious rival to contend with! The World Driving Trials Champion in the Pony Teams Class is Georgina Frith, a British Lady who first won this title in her 20s, and Barry Capstick who is currently giving George Bowman a serious run for his money in Horse Teams is in his 30s. Boyd Excell (a young Australian Driving pin-up) has encouraged everyone with his superb driving skills, and he can be seen Coaching with a Four-in-Hand, or driving Singles and Multiples with consummate ease. There are still a large number of us 'middle aged ladies' on the scene, particularly in the Singles, Pairs and Tandem Classes, and for us it is particularly nice to know that our age is no barrier to success.
Unlike riding, driving is not a solo activity, it is the most sociable equestrian pastime you could find! Driving is at least a three way partnership, the three members being of equal importance, the horse, the driver and the passenger/navigator. Depending on the size or the number of horses the whole family can go out together. One of the most often heard misconceptions is that you can never have a 'bond' with a driven horse that you get if you ride. The strange thing is, that the bond is far greater and deeper between driver and horse than rider and horse. The level of trust and confidence required between you is so much greater. As a driver, you have your reins, your voice and your whip - nothing else. You must learn to communicate with your horse so that there is never any doubt in his mind exactly what is required of him, the driven horse's vocabulary is extensive and his response to voice tone astonishing.
There are many clubs and driving groups catering for all levels and all types of driving activities, but first of all, if you think driving might be for you, get professional help, you and your horse will get so much more pleasure from your driving if you get it right in the first instance.
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