What is Carriage Driving? ... Elegance and Tradition!
The sport of carriage driving is growing, and as the years pass, many experienced drivers are passing on there wealth of experience and knowledge about the traditions and elegance of carriage driving.

Many are new to the sport of Carriage Driving. Some are riders that for one reason or another no longer want to ride but still want to be involved with horses. Others want to keep the tradition of Carriage Driving alive and concentrate on the history of carriages.

Carriage Driving is one of the few sports that can be enjoyed by two people and only one horse. A carriage (unlike the horses back) easily accommodates tow or more passengers. This makes carriage driving a sport for young and old to enjoy.

Carriage Driving for Sport...
Pleasure Carriage Driving Competitions: Allow a Driver to showcase his fine driving skills, traditional carriage and show horse(s) or ponies in a ring. With several classes to choose from they may be judged on the driver's abilities, horse's way of going, or the properness of the entire turnout. These events can be very extravagant and well attended!

A Traditional Day of Carriage Driving: New to the USA, this event offers drivers a chance to use there traditional style carriage to compete on a well marked course. The course may feature gates that need to be opened, bridges to cross, etc. The turnouts are judged on the driver, suitability of the animals to the carriage and proper turnout. They are also judged on the ability to provide a pleasurable carriage driving experience.

...now ad some gritty competition and you have the sport of Combined Driving!

In a Combined Driving Event (CDE), horses and drivers compete in three phases: dressage, marathon and cones. It is very based on the Olympic sport called Eventing, but with a carriage behind the horse(s) or pony(s).

The First Day of a Combined Driving Event is Dressage.
This takes place in a manicured arena in which the driver must take his horse(s) through a prescribed test which consists of a variety of movements and transitions. Drivers are judged on their ability to accurately execute the test and the horse(s) are judged on impulsion, as well as freedom and regularity of the gaits. Suppleness and responsiveness are key elements.
The Second Day of a Combined Driving Event is the Marathon.
This phase tests the horse(s) endurance and stamina over a long distance course (varies in length between 10-15 Kilometers) and then both the animals and the drivers must use there skills to negotiate several hazards (obstacles) encountered in the last section of the course. Stamina, agility, and courage are the key elements of this phase.
The Third Day of a Combined Driving Event is the Cones Competition.
This Phase is designed to test the concentration and precision from Horse(s) and Driver after two days of tough competition.
An elaborate course, designed to test the accuracy must be driven without disturbing the cones or going off course all with in a time allotted. These all create pressure and excitement! Many times this phase can be the tie breaker between competitors.

Within the last decade, spectators and competitors alike have been drawn to the sport. New carriages designed to go faster and new harness designed to take the rigors of the sport have been designed with the interest of the horse's comfort and safety. The sport of carriage driving for pleasure and competition continues to steadily grow in North America. Both Heather and David Schneider travel with there horses and ponies to regularly attend competitions throughout the USA and Canada.