Horse Driving

My talk is about horse driving. Horse driving is riding with a cart with one, two or four horses or ponies in front of it. When you drive with one horse or pony then it's called "a single", with two it's "a pair" and with four it's called "four in hand". A competition consists of 3 parts: First is the dressage. The dressage is being performed on a ground of 100 by 40 meters, it lasts about 10 minutes and all the competitors ride the same test. Elegance and tradition are the most impotant factors. Harmony of movement, correct posture of the horses, driving style and general command of the horses are awarded. The second is the marathon. This is the most spectacular part of the competition, as well fot the driver and horses, but certainly fot the grooms. The marathon consists five time sections of different distance and speeds. In the last section are six till eight obstacles. The driver must take these as quick as possible, without making any mistake. The third and last part of the competition is the obstacle driving. This part tests the accuracy and speed of the driver and his horses. A course of up to twenty gates has to be drivin within the time allowed. The spacing between the cones is twenty centimeter larger than the wheel-width of the cart. A ball is placed on the top of each cone, which will fall easily if the cone is hit by the horse or by the cart wheel. Every team must carry a groom ("four in hand" teams must have two grooms). During the dressage and obstacle parts, the groom accompanies the driver in case of emergencies, like broken harness of the horses. But during the marathon they are vital part of the team, helping the driver stay on couse, guiding him trough the obstacles as well as belancing on tight turns and uneven ground by shifting their weight.