Carriage Driving

Carriage driving is a challenging equine activity that is available to individuals who may not want to or are unable to ride. Carriage driving is an opportunity to create a working relationship and dialogue with a horse. Some disabilities affect an individual’s ability to sit astride a horse, so the security of the seat in the carriage allows for equine skills to be developed. Some individuals have gravitational insecurities that limit their desire to ride a horse. Other individuals enjoy the challenge of maneuvering the horse and carriage through a variety of different obstacles. Any and all of these challenges can be overcome in a carriage driving lesson. The benefits of carriage driving include: improvements in balance, posture, coordination and, emotional well-being.

Carriage driving provides a recreational and sporting experience with a horse as well as a mental challenge similar to that of riding. Driving yields the challenge of working in harmony with a horse and learning an equine skill step by step. In addition, there are physical benefits from carriage driving, such as:  increased core strength, improvements in balance, and fine and gross motor coordination. Carriage driving encourages the development of self-confidence and empowers individuals to make choices and demonstrate a relationship with the horse as various maneuvers are learned. It can improve the cognitive skills of sequencing, following directions and differentiating between left and right, etc.

Driving is another venue for socializing with other participants, the volunteers and instructors, and of course, the horse. It offers another opportunity for developing relationships, equine and human, of mutual respect and trust.

Carriage driving serves a variety of people with varying degrees of disabilities and challenges.