Thanks to our farrier Rob Barfield!

Libertad has new shoes and is going very nicely, thanks to our awesome farrier, Rob Barfield! Thank you, Rob!!

Starting a Horse to Harness

Generally speaking, it’s best to start a horse to harness at around 3 years old, but this can vary according to breed, temperament and level of physical maturity. Let’s assume that your young horse has been well handled, is halter broken, and accepts a bit and simple bridle. In the initial stages of starting a … Continue reading Starting a Horse to Harness

Selecting a Carriage Horse

So you want to buy a carriage horse! There’s just nothing like the experience of driving in the open air, accompanied by the sounds of the carriage wheels, the horse’s hoofbeats, and the jingling of the harness. But how do you choose the right horse for your needs?

Why Certifications?

Currently it’s too easy to hang up your sign as an “expert” without any real training or knowledge. In many cases, the public really doesn’t appreciate how much potential danger there is, or what could happen if things go wrong.

Drag Shoes: The Nitty Gritty

If you will be driving in hilly terrain, and you find that the gradient of the hill is too steep for your foot brake or hand brake to be effective, the drag shoe is your friend. Here, we will learn what it is and how it is used.

A Turning Point

I began to blush as Nemitz roared with laughter and asked, “Soooo, what are you going to do now?”

Pushmi-Pullyu: What is the Carriage Horse Really Doing?

It’s common to speak of horse-drawn carriages, or to say that a horse is pulling a carriage. This is intuitive; they are in front of it, aren’t they? But horses are not people. Are they really pulling it, or are they pushing?

Benno von Achenbach: Anspannen und Fahren Turns 100

When World War I broke out, Achenbach’s system proved ideal for teaching driving to large numbers of new recruits, many of whom had no previous horsemanship skills.