Ranch Ride Carriage Drive recently hosted a young equestrian for her first driving lesson! At age 12, Taylor is already an accomplished rider in both Western and English, and is experienced in rodeo, barrel racing, pole bending, and polo. Now, she’s adding driving to her skill set!
How young is too young to learn to drive a carriage? This is a matter of opinion and depends on the individual, but there is one thing on which we can agree – equestrian activities offer many benefits for our youth, and carriage driving is no exception. Discipline, responsibility, good sportsmanship, and physical activity are just a few examples. Carriage driving is also very sociable, as it requires at least two people on the carriage.
Our morning started with introducing Taylor to our carriage horse Libertad, grooming him, and getting him harnessed and ready. Then we were off for a taste of driving! Taylor is a quick study and loved the excitement of the cones obstacle course – but what else would we expect from a barrel racer and pole bender?
We also explored the Carriage House and learned a bit about some different types and purposes of horse-drawn vehicles, and how carriages are balanced.
Taylor tells us that this was her favorite activity so far this summer, and she’s already planning to return in the future and learn more. Libertad, ever the gentleman, did a wonderful job of promoting carriage driving as an equestrian sport. This lesson was a good reminder that we can start training to drive at a young age, encouraging youth participation, and developing future drivers to carry on this tradition!
Ranch Ride Carriage Drive LLC 
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