Carriage Driving: A Logical Approach Through Dressage Training (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Sarah Blanchard (Author), Joan Muller (Illustrator) "Our domesticated horses are very close to their wild ancestors and even closer to their present-day feral cousins..." (more)
Key Phrases: sliding sidereins, broken liverpool, longitudinal bend, Training Level, American Driving Society, Preliminary Level (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

"A book that will take the most novice beginner and permit him or her to progress to any level of driving with a clear understanding of how and why things are done."
--William E. Miller, M.D., President, American Driving Society

"[The authors] obviously know their subject well and treat it with much sensitivity and wisdom. I only wish I had this book before I started my driving program."
--Sasha Rockefeller

The modern bible of carriage driving . . . now back by popular demand

Widely renowned as the definitive book on training the driving horse, Carriage Driving offers an easy-to-follow, practical guide to this increasingly popular sport.

The philosophy is simple but remarkably effective: If driving is as much fun for your horse as it is for you, he will be a willing partner in the endeavor. With that in mind, Carriage Driving focuses on building a strong physical, mental, and emotional relationship with your horse. Equine mechanics, selecting the right bit and tack, harnessing, and ground training are just a few of the topics addressed.

Drivers at any level will benefit greatly from this groundbreaking book, which has stood for more than a decade as the preeminent resource on training a balanced, responsive, and safe driving horse. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From the Back Cover

"A book that will take the most novice beginner and permit him or her to progress to any level of driving with a clear understanding of how and why things are done."
—William E. Miller, M.D., President, American Driving Society

"[The authors] obviously know their subject well and treat it with much sensitivity and wisdom. I only wish I had this book before I started my driving program."
—Sasha Rockefeller

The modern bible of carriage driving . . . now back by popular demand

Widely renowned as the definitive book on training the driving horse, Carriage Driving offers an easy-to-follow, practical guide to this increasingly popular sport.

The philosophy is simple but remarkably effective: If driving is as much fun for your horse as it is for you, he will be a willing partner in the endeavor. With that in mind, Carriage Driving focuses on building a strong physical, mental, and emotional relationship with your horse. Equine mechanics, selecting the right bit and tack, harnessing, and ground training are just a few of the topics addressed.

Drivers at any level will benefit greatly from this groundbreaking book, which has stood for more than a decade as the preeminent resource on training a balanced, responsive, and safe driving horse. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 247 pages
• Publisher: Howell Books; illustrated edition edition (July 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0876058985
• ISBN-13: 978-0876058985
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #450,834 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The modern bible for training the driving horse, January 12, 1997

By A Customer

Beginning with a discussion of the horse's needs and character, "Carriage Driving" follows all the logical steps of training a balanced, responsive, safe driving horse . . . from ground training through pleasure and combined driving events. The authors use classical training methods to help novices and experts alike, to achieve optimum athletic performance from any driving horse. Includes sections on developing rhythm, straightness and bending, impulsion, collected and extended work, and offer solutions for specific problems and training difficulties. Highly readable, well illustrated

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Comprehensive, easy to read and deatiled book on driving, October 2, 1998

By	[e-mail] (USA) - See all my reviews

This book covers training the driving horse from start to finish. It reveals training techniques, patterns, conditioning suggestions and carriage and cart explainations.

For anyone who presently drives or is aspiring to do so, this book would be an asset.

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Logically presented and well-written, May 20, 1999

By A Customer

This is an excellent source for people beginning to drive their horse, or for those who want to improve their driving techniques and their horse's performance.

The only thing I found lacking was consideration given to the training of miniature horses to harness. There are some differences and I think at least one chapter discussing those diferences would make this a perfect book.

I am buying a second copy as a gift for my friend who is learning to drive.