What is hitching?
Riding like a professional requires having enough time to really take care of your horse(s) and to practice several activities with them. Among these activities, carriage driving is one of the important disciplines to which the horse can be subjected in order to develop many skills. What is carriage driving?
What does the hitch consist of?
Driving is a discipline where a carriage is harnessed behind one or more ponies or horses. This discipline is practiced in different tests, including dressage, marathon, handling ... These are tests whose application will validate the competence as well as the skill of the driver so as to allow to test the good physical condition, the submission, the frankness as well as the flexibility of the ponies or horses.
One of the special features of harness racing is that it can be practiced with several people, friends or family. Thus, one or more teammates can be on the car alongside the driver.
How is hitching practiced?
You should know that harnessing is practiced in competition with 1, 2, 4 horses or ponies. What is generally done is harnessing with 4 horses, which is also found at the World Equestrian Games every four years. Harnessing takes place in several major tests.
The training
Dressage is a series of compulsory figures that must be performed from memory. Here, several aspects will be evaluated by the judges including the beauty of the harness, the precision of the figures as well as the gaits of the horses. For good dressage, it is good to have the best accessories. Sellerie Française is the best address.
The marathon
The second test that is carried out during the harnessing is the marathon . It is a course on varied terrain during which the teams chain together technical difficulties which are called "obstacles". These obstacles are made of narrow and winding passages and are materialized by posts as well as natural passages like fords, slopes and mounds. The marathon is a test that remains quite spectacular.
Handling
Handling is a point test that has a free pace. This test presents a succession of gates that are materialized by cones that are called obstacles, which must be passed successively in the order of the numbers. When the team lacks precision, balls placed on the cones generate penalties when these balls fall.
Address tests
The skill tests allow you to start the harnessing with fun situations. Here, the leader will have to demonstrate precision in order to cross and succeed in the different contracts. The teammate will have to pick up the rings with a sword and place balloons in barrels.
Combined dressage
Combined dressage is a test that combines a maneuverability course. This, with compulsory dressage figures. Figures that are evaluated by judges.
Combined handling
Combined handling is a test that combines a handling course with marathon obstacles. It is a test made up of drivers, horses and teammates who thus best prepare for their future participation in a full-scale marathon.