Driving Miss Kelly

Carriage Driving for All Ages

Kelly O'Neill

Driving attracts people of all ages and sizes, for a variety of reasons. Some love horses but can’t or don’t want to ride. Others are looking for a use for that reliable pony the children have outgrown. Still others are looking for a job suitable for that veteran horse whose minor aches and pains make him unrideable.

Carriage driving, often known as just “driving,” is fun and exciting, but safe enough for both the young and the elderly, and it’s especially well suited for the physically challenged—both horse and rider! Driving horses come in all shapes and sizes, from tiny miniature horses (known as VSE’s or Very Small Equines) to huge draft horses. It’s no wonder driving is becoming one of the fastest-growing equine sports in the U.S.

The appeal of driving came to this rider at an unexpected moment. I had just been bucked off my horse during a dressage test. Sitting in the dirt, I laughingly told the judge, “I gave up hunters because I thought I’d be more likely to stay in the saddle with dressage. What’s next?” The judge was kindly replied, “Well, you could try driving.”

A few months later, out of curiosity some friends and I went to visit our trainer, who was judging a driven dressage show. I was struck by the similarity between the tests for ridden and driven dressage. But, there were two main differences: the arena was twice the size of a “normal” dressage arena and the ladies wore fabulous hats! I loved those hats.

I spoke to several of the drivers (called “Whips” in the driving world) and found them to be friendly, informative and encouraging. The idea of trying driving remained stuck in my head.

Five years later finds my horse, Wizard, at age 25 and me at age 50—both of us with bad knees. Time to see if driving is something Wizard and I would enjoy.

While I’ve since found that the Pacific Northwest has a big driving population, at the time I didn’t know they existed. So, armed with Doris Ganton’s fabulous book and video Breaking and Training the Driving Horse, I located a road cart and an inexpensive harness and set about learning to drive.

I was extremely lucky with Wizard and everything turned out fine. But you should always seek the advice of a qualified trainer when attempting to teach your horse to drive. Unlike riding, one bad experience can ruin a horse as a driving horse. It’s also important is to buy the best, safest equipment you can: a well-fitting cart and harness, the harness preferably made of leather or near-leather materials. And, as much as I love those hats, I always wear an approved safety helmet when I drive.

While riding and driving share some of the same principles, driving’s challenge is that you don’t have the use of your legs or weight to help direct your horse. You rely more on your voice and whip for influence. Once you master the basics, there’s a wide and wonderful world of fun things to do . . . from relaxing Sunday picnic drives, to the skill of pleasure driving shows, to challenge of combined driving, there’s something for everyone.

If you think you’d like to try driving, visit the American Driving Society’s website for information. When you join, you’ll hear from Ann Davis of our Northwest chapter with the news in our area and meet the rest of the “wonderful Whips.”

What’s next for Drivin’ Miss Kelly? Irish Double, my new experienced driving horse is teaching me more about driving. Our goal is to have fun at one of the many great driving competitions in our area. We hope to see you there!

Click here for Driving Calendar & Resources