Pleasure Driving is a carriage driving sport, where horses and ponies are hitched to a two or four-wheeled show cart. The horses are shown at a walk and two trotting speeds of trot, with an emphasis on manners. The horses are judged on manners, performance, quality and conformation.
Many different horse breeds are used in the sport of pleasure driving, as any breed of horse can be trained for pleasure driving. The carts used are usually light and two-wheeled, though four-wheeled fine harness carts are sometimes used at the highest levels of competition. The carts are ofte either actual antiques or replica carriages of the day.
Pleasure driving is a sport mainly seen in the United States.
Similar Sports
- Dressage - riders and horses perform from memory a series of predetermined events.
- Western Pleasure — a horse show competition in which horses are evaluated for their manners and composure.
- Reining — equestrian riders guide their horses through a precise pattern of spins, circles and stops.
- Combined Driving — a driver on a carriage pulled by horses takes part in three events: dressage, marathon and cones.
- Chuckwagon Racing — a chuckwagon is pulled by four thoroughbred horses around a track.
- Harness Racing — horses trot or pace while pulling a driver in a sulky.
Related Pages
- About Carriage Driving — sports in which horses or ponies are hitched to a wagon, carriage, cart or sleigh by means of a harness.
- List of all sports involving horses
- Complete list of sports
- The Encyclopedia of Sports