What is driving?
Driving is a sport in which the rider drives a horse (one or more) harnessed to a carriage. Therefore, a course is made up of different tests whose aim is to demonstrate
the athlete’s driving ability and skill with the horses or ponies pulling the carriage.
This official competition is regulated by the RFHE and there is a document where the rules of this event are explained in detail.
Depending on the number of horses or ponies pulling the carriage, as it is possible to participate with any of them,. Here you can find the classification.
- Limoneras: one pony or one horse.
- Troncos: two ponies or two horses.
- Cuartos: four ponies or horses.
Driving categories
This competition can be divided into different categories depending on the difficulty of each test and the experience of the participants. In addition, there are several levels of difficulty in each category, which are progressively measured with stars.
How many tests does the driving discipline have?
This equestrian competition is made up of three different tests, similar to those of the full equestrian competition. However, the main difference is the use of a carriage.
The different events of this competition can be held over one, two or three days, depending on the number of participants and the demands of each event.
The winner of the competition is the team consisting of rider and horse (or horses) with the fewest penalty points.
This discipline is performed in a arena measuring 80 m x 40 m in length and must be performed from heart.
Dressage, carriages and presentation are also taken into account in this discipline.
In this case it is an endurance test where the participants have to run a circuit with obstacles in the shortest possible time.
The circuit to be completed is divided into two sections A and B or Controlled Warm-up and a Cooling Zone. Participants must finish the course with the lowest possible penalty score. In addition, there are restrictions on speed and maximum distances between obstacles.
This part of the competition also measures the time taken to complete a course in which single and/or multiple obstacles have to be knocked down.
The main objective of this type of test is to check the physical fitness, flexibility and obedience of the horses, as well as the dexterity of the athletes. Within this modality, it can be measured by points and by time.
The simple obstacles are made up of two cones with red and white signs, numbers and letters. Multiple obstacles consist of several obstacles at the same time, which must also be marked. At most, there should be three multiple obstacles on a course.
Products for Driving
On our website
you can buy obstacles for equestrian competitions. We have available a wide range of products to prepare the different modalities of the competition.
We have red a white pyramids to delimit the different jumps as well as the obstacles within the course. We also have pyramids marked with letters and numbers, dressage arenas for driving, stickers with letters and numbers, and so on.
If you have any questions or need advice on purchasing items for equestrian competitions, please contact us. At Equspaddock we are experts in equestrian equipment and horse lovers.
