Driving Horse Drawn Carriages For Pleasure

Writing at the turn of the century, Francis T. Underhill provided horse and carriage owners with a comprehensive guidebook that described how a well turned-out carriage should look and be handled. An expert in coaching and equipage, Underhill wrote with enthusiasm and a thorough knowledge of the subject, offering his readers a wealth of information about horses, harnesses, coaches, stables, and liveries, as well as useful "suggestions to the inexperienced." Republished now in its entirety, this delightfully entertaining volume depicts in more than 100 black-and-white captioned photographs of scores of vehicles: a "turned out" road coach, hooded gig, an elegant George IV phaëton, a Paris lady's chaise, hansome cab, landau, coupé d' Orsay, omnibus, depot wagon, buckboard, a smart "lady's country trap," and many more. In addition to elegant carriages, practical buggies, and cozy carts, this remarkable archive provides a fascinating visual commentary on nineteenth-century culture and life, recalled in vintage photographs of coachmen and grooms, stable and coachroom interiors as well as "night and dress clothing" for the properly accoutered horse. Reprinted from a rare original edition published at the height of the age of horse-drawn transportation, this authentic sourcebook will be welcomed by model builders, transportation buffs, artists in need of authentic period illustrations, and anyone interested in the bygone era of leisurely pre-automobile travel.

"A book that will take the most novice beginner and permit him or her to progress to any level of driving with a clear understanding of how and why things are done." --William E. Miller, M.D., President, American Driving Society "[The authors] obviously know their subject well and treat it with much sensitivity and wisdom. I only wish I had this book before I started my driving program." --Sasha Rockefeller The modern bible of carriage driving . . . now back by popular demand Widely renowned as the definitive book on training the driving horse, Carriage Driving offers an easy-to-follow, practical guide to this increasingly popular sport. The philosophy is simple but remarkably effective: If driving is as much fun for your horse as it is for you, he will be a willing partner in the endeavor. With that in mind, Carriage Driving focuses on building a strong physical, mental, and emotional relationship with your horse. Equine mechanics, selecting the right bit and tack, harnessing, and ground training are just a few of the topics addressed. Drivers at any level will benefit greatly from this groundbreaking book, which has stood for more than a decade as the preeminent resource on training a balanced, responsive, and safe driving horse.

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

A guide to carriage driving, discussing all aspects from pleasure driving to competition at international level. Advice ranges from choosing a suitable horse, selecting and maintaining equipment, to driving techniques and safety. Guidance on schooling, fitness, and other topics is also included.

Horse-drawn vehicles are the foundation of modern transportation. These vehicles produced many innovations used today, such as the spring. Other than observing a horse put to a carriage, there are proper ways to identify these vehicles and their unique characteristics. One style of driving, called "four-in-hand", required the training of four-horses and exercising them well in order to pull large, heavy coaches with many passengers or freight. These vehicles, designed for working horses, gave way to many styles of sporting vehicles and pleasure vehicles. And in turn, as it became fashionable for a lady to drive in public, the distinctions among carriages were drawn even further between which carriages were suitable for a lady and which carriages were suitable for a gentleman. Just as there were many types of carriages and types of coaches, there were also various ways to hold the reins, types of a harness, and variety of breeds to choose from for putting to a coach or carriage. Come explore the type, use, design, and industry of coaches and carriages.