Carriage Driving Volunteer Manual
Carriage Driving Volunteer Manual
PATH Certified Level 1 Driving Instructor:
Brenda Gartz
Role of Volunteers in Carriage Driving Lessons:
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Bringing carriages and harness from barn to lesson area
Bringing special equipment assigned for a student to the lesson area
Grooming horse (e.g., curry body and legs, comb mane and tail, pick feet, fly spray) prior to lesson
Heading horse (holding horse with lead rope and providing assistance as needed)
Helping put horse to carriage
Assisting in loading and unloading students in carriage (e.g., operating carriage lift, mounting block)
Riding with student in lift wagon to provide assistance during lessons in rein holding, exercises, and
other activities directed by the instructor
Observing the horse and the surrounding area at all times to anticipate problems or safety concerns
Helping remove horse from carriage
Unharnessing
Cleaning harness and carriage
Returning carriage to storage area and covering
Returning harness to storage locker
Setting up lesson props (e.g., cones, poles, games) in the arena
Providing assistance during an emergency
Assisting in warming up horses prior to lessons
Volunteers should arrive at the farm between 4:30-4:45 to prepare for all lessons for the evening. Lesson
times are 5:30, 6:30, and 7:30 for 30 minutes each.
One or two lessons may be held at any given time. Only the Certified Instructor or other approved Driving
Assistants are permitted to drive horses during lesson times with a student. Lessons using horses put to
carriage may only be conducted when the Certified Instructor is physically on the property. Ground work
lessons may be taught by one of the Certified Riding Instructors.
Private lessons include a combination of grooming, harnessing, and driving or driving alone.
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General Role Description:
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Certified Instructor: Person certified by PATH to conduct driving lessons. This person is
responsible for oversight of the driving program, selection of driving horses, direction of their
exercise and training, creation of lesson plans, training volunteers, and instructing lessons.
Able Bodied Whip: This is a knowledgeable adult with experience in driving carriage horses. This
person is the leader and provides direction to the assistants and the students. This person is in
control of the horse and is in control of the live set of driving lines at all times. The ABW may be the
Certified Instructor or the Assistant Driving Instructor. Only Instructors or ABW may drive the horse
during student lessons.
Header: This is a knowledgeable volunteer who is responsible for handing the horse at specified
times during a lesson. Heading generally describes the position where the person stands to assure
the horse stands quietly during mounting and dismounting and during stationary exercises. The
header remains in the immediate vicinity throughout the lesson and never leaves a lesson
unattended. Headers must complete the horse handler class and have at least one year experience
handling horses and be confident in handling all sizes and breeds of horses.
Mounting and Dismounting Assistants: Depending on the ability of the student, additional help
may be required to assist the student into and out of the vehicle using steps or operate the lift gate
to load and secure wheelchairs. These volunteers may ride in the wagon to provide assistance
during the lesson with exercises, rein handling, and games.
Vehicle Maintenance: Persons knowledgeable in the care and maintenance of carriages.
Appropriate Dress and Footwear
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Wear Edelweiss volunteer shirt and comfortable clothing appropriate for the weather.
Wear closed toed shoes or boots. Sandals and flip-flops are not permitted.
Jackets must be fastened, since flapping may startle a horse, especially one wearing blinders.
Perfume is discouraged due to allergy concerns of some students and potential to attract insects.
Long jewelry and rings are discouraged as they may become entangled or cause hands to become
entrapped.
Appropriate Behavior when working with Horses
Horses can easily be upset or frightened by sudden movement or loud noises.
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Always remain calm and quite.
Never shout near a horse.
Do not run, always walk, even in an emergency.
Do not walk directly behind a horse. They have a blind spot immediately behind and may
not see you. Always talk to the horse as you approach so it is not startled if it is sleeping.
Do not make sudden movements with your hands, especially around the horses head.
Use caution when the carriage horse is bridled as it will be wearing blinders meaning they
will only be able to see in front of them.
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Working in the Stable Area
Driving lessons occur in the fenced driving arena and horses are groomed and tacked at a hitching post
near the barn. Equipment for driving is stored in a designated area in the main barn.
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Safety is first in all elements of carriage driving. Think about all actions to be sure it is safe.
Watch the horse’s body language at all times you are working with him. The horse will often give
many warning signs before it takes action. Look for ear position (ears pinned back), swishing tail,
restless behavior, pawing, or foot stamping. These are signs the horse may be unhappy about
something and may kick, bite, stand on your foot or strike out with a front leg.
Return all carriages, harness, grooming tools, halters, lead ropes, buckets, hoses, sweat scrapers,
pooper scoopers, to their assigned places. Untidiness can lead to accidents.
Always secure gates.
Turn your phones off or have them on vibrate. Sudden noises can startle a horse and cause an
accident. Use of phones is not permitted during lessons.
Equipment
Carriages, harness, and other special equipment are stored together in one corner of the main barn. Staff
and certain volunteers have the code to unlock the harness room. Harness specially fitted for each horse is
stored together on hooks. Care should be taken to keep all harness parts together for each horse.
Carriages are covered with a tarp when not in use. Must and hay may need to be brushed off carriages
prior to use.
Cones, footrests, grooming kits, and wheelchairs are stored in the vicinity of the harness room.
Before the Lesson
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Check the Lesson Sheet to determine horses, tack, carriages, and lesson props needed.
Set up lesson plan (e.g., cones or obstacle course).
Attach the lead rope to the halter ring below the chin to lead the horse to the harnessing area.
Do not wrap the lead rope around your hand or coil it. If too long, fold it or hold excess in left hand.
Use a quick release knot or attach the horse to the permanent quick release tie on the hitching rail.
Groom horse using tools assigned to that horse to remove mud and loose hair from body and legs,
paying special attention to the girth area.
Comb mane and tail, assuring the underside of horses with thick tails are combed on the underside
to assure knots and manure are not built up. Detangler may be used as needed.
Clean feet using hoof pick.
Put any hair, manure, etc. in muck bucket when grooming is finished.
Apply fly spray to horses.
Report any concerns to the Instructor.
Bring the assigned harnesses to the hitching area and the carriages to the arena.
Assist Instructor as directed in harnessing horses.
Assist Instructor as directed in ground driving or putting horse to vehicle.
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Harness Parts and Emergency Release
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Red cords are tied to the harness at locations where it may be necessary to remove the harness in
an emergency situation. These are where the backstrap attaches to the saddle and trace ends
where they meet the carriage. Alternate style of harness may have additional straps to release.
Lesson Warm Up and Safety Checks
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The header will lead the horse into the arena where the instructor will then ground drive the horse
to assure soundness of mind and body prior to putting to vehicle.
The header then attaches the lead rope and leads the horse in front of the carriage in line with the
shafts. The horse is never backed between the shafts. The Instructor and an additional volunteer
will pull the carriage to the horse and attach. The header remains in front of the horse to discourage
movement during this process.
A final safety check will occur of the harness fit and attachment to the vehicle prior to the warm-up
before student lessons. The horse is driven for approximately 15 to 20 minutes prior to lessons to
assure appropriate warm-up of muscles and appropriate mindset for work.
A second set of student reins are added as directed by the instructor.
For each carriage there will be an assigned header and one or two additional volunteers as
needed.
The header is responsible for handling the horse as instructed throughout the lesson. If the horse is
stopped for any length of time for lessons or other adjustments the instructor will call for the header.
The header always has lead rope in hand and is watching and alert to the horse’s behavior at all
times to anticipate any problems. Heading generally describes the position where the person
stands to assure the horse stands quietly during mounting and dismounting and during stationary
exercises. The Header should be positioned directly in front of the horse and about an arm’s length
away. Normally, standing in this position is considered dangerous when handling horses, but
because the driving horse is wearing blinders, the header must stand where the horse can see him.
The header should not touch the horse unless it is necessary for safety. The header attaches a
lead rope to the halter ring – but never the bit – during loading and unloading and putting horse to
vehicle. To apply more control to the horse the header may hold the cheek pieces of the bridle but
never the bit or reins as that would render the reins of no use to the driver. The header remains in
the immediate vicinity throughout the lesson and never leaves a lesson unattended.
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Mounting and Dismounting Students
All students have different ambulatory status and may enter the carriage on their own, with
assistance/support of a volunteer, use of steps, or in a facility wheelchair using the lift wagon. No student is
permitted to enter a carriage before the Instructor. The Instructor is first in and last out and directs all
movement of people into and out of the carriage. Students should not enter a carriage that is not attached
to a horse for safety reasons and to prevent damage to carriage shafts.
Steps for LOADING the Thornlea Lift Wagon:
Step
1
Responsible
Instructor
2
Header
3
Lift Operator
4
Wheelchair
Attendant
5
Lift Operator
6
Wheelchair
Attendant
6
Lift Operator
Description of Task
 Ensures battery is fully charged prior to lesson.
 Drive several laps until assured that horse is ready for lesson.
 Calls for header when ready.
 Remains with horse at all times until instructed to release horse. Always has
a lead rope attached to halter during loading and unloading.
 Lowers lift to ground, taking care not lift back of wagon off the ground.
 Checks to see that the front stop on the lift is in the locked position (up).
 Assures that back stop on the lift is down.
 Assures Velcro safety belt is installed around student/chair.
 Assures student has helmet on.
 Loads student onto lift.
 Assures that the wheelchair is back far enough so student’s feet to not get
caught when lift is raised.
 Locks wheelchair brakes.
 Raises ramp back stop. This is CRITICAL as the chair will roll back when the
lift is in the up position and the wheelchair brakes are released.
 The Attendant DOES NOT ride on the lift with the student.
 Raises the lift holding the switch in the up position the entire time
(approximately 22 seconds).
 Lowers the front stop on the lift to allow the chair to roll forward.
 Remains behind the chair to assure that the chair does not move when the
brakes are released (next step).
 Climbs onto Lift.
 Releases wheelchair brakes.
 Rolls Student forward as far LEFT as possible.
 Inserts wheel bar behind wheelchair wheels – must insert the pin first then
slide left side under locking mechanism.
 The chair is rolled back to the wheel bar and the sliding hooks are placed so
they are tight against both wheels.
 The hook knobs are tightened. They do not have to be very tight.
 The wheelchair brakes are locked.
 Raises the tailgate.
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Steps for UN-LOADING the Thornlea Lift Wagon:
Step
1
2
Responsible
Instructor
Header
3
4
Lift Operator
Wheelchair
Attendant
3
Lift Operator
4
Wheelchair
Attendant
Lift Operator
5
Description of Task
 Calls for Header and signals when it is safe to operate lift.
 Remains with horse at all times until instructed to release horse. Always has a
lead rope attached to halter during loading and unloading.
 Lowers the tailgate.
 The hook knobs are loosened and slid inward to release the wheels.
 The wheelchair brakes are released.
 The wheelchair is moved forward slightly so that the wheel bar behind
wheelchair wheels can be released after the left locking mechanism is
released.
 The wheel bar is handed to the Lift Operator to place on the ground out of the
way of unloading process.
 The chair is rolled back onto the lift.
 Assures that the wheelchair is back far enough so student’s feet to not get
caught when lift is lowered.
 Locks wheelchair brakes.
 Raises ramp front stop and assures that the back stop is in up position.
 The Attendant DOES NOT ride on the lift with the student.
 Lowers the lift holding the switch in the down position the entire time
(approximately 22 seconds).
 Lowers the back stop on the lift to allow the chair to roll backward.
 Lowers lift to ground, taking care not lift back of wagon off the ground.
 Releases wheel chair brakes and rolls student off lift.
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Ensures front stop on the lift is in the locked position (up) for next class.
Raises lift.
Raises tailgate.
Understanding Horse Behavior to Prevent Accidents
Understanding the horse senses, instincts and implications is a step in predicting behaviors, managing risks
and increasing positive relationships.
SMELL:
The horse’s sense of smell is thought to be very acute and it allows him to recognize other horses and
people. Smell also enables the horse to evaluate situations.
Implications:
 Allow horses to become familiar with new objects and their environment by smelling.
 It is recommended that treats are not carried in your pocket since horses may go after them.
 Volunteers should be discouraged from eating or having food in the arena.
HEARING:
The horse’s sense of hearing is also thought to be very acute. The horse may also combine their sense of
hearing and sight to become more familiar with new or alerting sounds. “Hearing and not seeing” is often
the cause of the fright/flight response.
Implications:
 Horses are wary when they hear something but do not see it. If your horse is acting nervous, talk to
him in a quiet and calm voice for reassurance.
 Avoid shouting or using a loud voice. This can be frightening to a horse.
 Watch your horse’s ears for increased communication. Stiffly pricked ears indicate interest.
Drooping ears indicate relaxation, inattentiveness (easily startled), exhaustion or illness. Flattened
ears indicate anger, threat for fear. Ears flicking back and forth indicate attentiveness or interest.
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SIGHT:
The horse’s eyes are set on either side of the head; there is good peripheral (lateral) vision, but poorer
frontal vision. A horse focuses on objects by raising and lowering its head. The horse’s visual memory is
very accurate. Horses are thought to see quite well in the dark, due to the large size of their eyes.
Implications:
 The horse may notice if something in the arena or out on a trail is different. Allow the horse an
opportunity to look at new objects. Introduce new props that the horse may be unfamiliar with.
 The horse has better peripheral vision; consider a slightly looser rein, enabling him to move his
head when taking a look at objects.
 Although the horse has good peripheral vision, consider two blind spots; directly in front and directly
behind. The best way to approach a horse is to hi shoulder. It may startle him if you approach from
behind or directly in front. The horse may be unable to see around the mouth area, which is a
safety consideration when hand feeding.
TOUCH:
Touch is used as a communication between horses and between horses and people. Horses are sensitive
to soft or rough touch with a person’s hands or legs or a biting insect or pinching saddle or harness.
Implications:
 Handlers should treat horses gently but firmly
 Each horse has sensitive areas, and it is important to be familiar with them (i.e. flank and belly).
 Carriage horses are accustomed to harness and carriages on all parts of their body but sudden
changes in position of any equipment may startle the horse.
 Horses will often touch or paw at unfamiliar objects. For example, a horse may paw at a bridge or
ground pole before crossing over it.
 A swishing tail may indicate annoyance or irritation at biting insects or tickling actions of a part of
the harness.
TASTE:
Taste is closely linked with the sense of smell and helps the horse to distinguish palatable foods and other
objects.
Implications:
 Taste is closely linked with smell and touch; therefore, a horse may lick or nibble while becoming
familiar with objects and people. Be careful, as this could lead to possible biting.
SIXTH SENSE:
Horses seem to have a “sixth sense” when evaluating the disposition of those around him. Horses can be
hypersensitive in detecting the moods of their handler and riders. A good therapy horse is chosen for their
sensitive response to the rider. At times there may exist a personality conflict between handlers and horses.
It is important to let the instructor know if you’re having a difficult time relating or getting along with a
particular horse.
THE HORSE’S LIFESTYLE:
In addition to understanding the horse’s sixth senses, we need to appreciate and increase our awareness of
the horse’s lifestyle. This will assist us in responding appropriately to his reactions to situations.
FLIGHT AS A NATURAL INSTINCT:
Horses would rather turn and run away from danger than face and fight it.
Implications:
 At a sudden movement or noise, the horse might try to flee. Speak to the horse calmly.
 A frightened horse that is tied up or being held tightly might try to escape by pulling back. Relax
your hold or untie him quickly and usually he will relax. Be sure not to stand directly behind the
horse.
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If flight is not possible, the horse could either turn to kick out or face the problem and rear,
especially in a tight area like the stall. A halter with a lead rope may assist with maintaining control
while working around the horse in a stall.
If a horse appears to be frightened or fearful (note the position of the horse’s ears in picture
following article), it may be helpful to allow a more experienced horse handler to lead the horse.
A tail tucked in tightly may indicate that the horse may bolt, buck or kick. Be extra concerned if the
horses ears are flattened too.
HERD ANIMAL:
Horses like to stay together in a herd or group with one or two horses dominant, with a pecking order
amongst the rest.
Implications:
 Be aware that a horse may not like being alone. This is a consideration when horses are leaving
the arena or a horse loses sight of the others while on a trail ride.
 Be aware that if the horse in front of a line is trotting or cantering, the horse that is following may
also attempt to trot or canter.
 If one horse spooks at something, the surrounding horses may also be affected.
 For safety, it is recommended to keep at least one horse’s length between horses when riding or
two turnout lengths behind within a group to respect the horse’s space and pecking order.
Understanding Carriage Driving Accidents and What to Do in an Emergency
Basically there are three kinds of accidents: bolts, spooks and crashes. The kinds can be combined. Horses
have two instinctive reactions to a fright: flight or fight. The preferred mode is flight. Spooks are the most
common kind of driving mishap. A spook is a sudden action (usually sideways) in reaction to a fright.
Another kind of accident that is generally the drivers fault is the hang-up where the carriage becomes
caught on something.
With horses, distraction can lead to disaster. This can be distraction in the case of the driver, the header,
the volunteers in the ring and observers watching a lesson. Anyone or anything can become a potential
distraction.
Horses often tell you what they are going to do well before they do it and give you time to react. The
handler must be observant and watch the horse’s body language. Watching the head and ears will give a
lot of information. The horse will generally look right at what scares it before it reacts. At this point the driver
has the opportunity to do something to get the horse’s attention. This may be as simple as pulling on the off
side rein to get the horse to turn their head and thinking about something else.
Therapeutic Driving Horses are chosen for their experience and temperament to be calm in all situations
but even the most experienced, well-mannered horse can become frightened and react, leading to an
emergency situation. A key to ensuring safety during lessons is proper warm-up of the horses before the
lesson in the arena to assure they are sound and in the right frame of mind and not nervous or in a
thoughtful mindset. Horses not in the right mindset will not be used for a lesson. Additionally, ensuring
correctly fitting harness and safe carriage helps prevent accidents.
Most horses will give some sort of warning that they are worried about something. They turn their head,
arch their neck and point their ears forward at something that they don’t recognize or startles them. They
swish their tail, they won’t move forward. All of these are signs that something could go wrong. Any of these
warning signs can be observed by the ABW, the Instructor, and volunteers. Unfortunately, even when
warning signs are heeded and the driver attempts to take control of the situation by redirecting the horses
thoughts, they can still go out of control. The goal is always to take control prior to that happening.
The Instructor or ABW is in charge of the situation and will direct help when needed. If there is a truly
dangerous situation, a safety whistle is blown by the instructor or ABW. This alerts all on site that there is
an emergency situation.
The first call is for a Header will WALK calmly to the horse and attempt to put the lead rope on the halter
ring…not on the bit. Additional trained volunteers should be on scene to help as directed. At this point the
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Instructor likely will dismount the student who may be in a wheelchair. A wheelchair attendant is always on
board the carriage to operate the lift in such an emergency. Alternatively, depending on the situation, it
may be safer to unhitch the horse from the carriage rather than risk a dismount of a wheelchair.
If there is more than one horse in the arena, the other horse should be stopped and lead rope attached by
the header and that student dismounted and taken out of the arena…if necessary through the arena rails if
not near a gate. That horse should then be unhitched and removed from the arena.
If the horse bolts and the driver cannot stop the horse, they will attempt to drive the horse in as tightly a
circle as allowed by the vehicle without risking it tipping over. The four wheel wagons can turn tighter than
the two wheel carts which will have a tendency to flip. If circling the horse does not slow them, the driver will
attempt to drive the horse into the corner of the fence. The horse will not willingly hurt themselves and likely
will slow or stop.
Do not try to outrun the horse to grab it…which will only make the horse go faster. You cannot pull on the
horse to stop it and may only break the harness and do more damage. Standing in front and flailing our
arms will cause you to get trampled and scare the horse further. If there is another horse in the arena when
the horse is bolting, move it to the center and call for header and dismount quickly and unharness and
remove the horse and carriage from the arena if possible. The horse will eventually tire and must stop.
What to do if a horse goes down in the carriage: Volunteers should quietly but quickly go to the horse to
keep it still by kneeling or sitting on the horses head or neck. This may take two people. Stay clear of the
hooves and legs. It is best to keep the horse down until the humans condition can be assessed whether it is
safe to remove them or risk causing more harm. Work from the back of the horse and not across their legs
if possible. Release the harness by releasing the backstrap and undoing the traces. The mini harness also
requires unbuckling the wrap girth which means that one side cannot be undone until the horse is standing.
All parts to be released have red cord attached. Watch out for broken shafts or other broken material under
the horse. Cutting harness off a horse is extremely dangerous and often will cause more harm due to the
quick change in tension when cut. Try to release straps SLOWLY so you don't startle the fallen horse. One
of the most dangerous moments is when the horse tries to regain it's feet. It may be frightened by all the
activity and could strike or run. Try to make a reasonable effort to restrain him, but don't get hurt. Ask
helpers to stand back and give the horse some room when it tries to rise.
Other safety concerns may arise if a student experiences a seizure during a lesson. While seizures are
rare, they do happen. If a driver is prone to seizures, there will be a seizure alert on the lesson plan.
1. If the student begins to moving erratically or becomes unusually quiet and slumps in the seat, they
could be having a seizure. As soon as a seizure is noticed by anyone helping with a lesson be sure
to alert the instructor to ensure awareness.
2. Do not remove the student from the carriage during a seizure unless the horse is responding
negatively to the seizure activity, the driver should remain in the carriage until the seizure stops. It
may be necessary to unhitch the horse from the carriage.
3. The instructor will direct next steps for the volunteers.
4. The horse handler’s job if the student is having a seizure is to keep the horse still and quiet. The
other horse handlers will stop their horses and remain calm.
5. Once the seizure is over, the instructor will assist with dismounting the student.
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After the Lesson
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Horses are removed from the carriage after all lessons to give them a break prior to the next
session. If a horse is used for a second lesson, the harness may not be removed.
If a horse is done for the day, he is led with a lead rope to the hitching area to remove harness.
Harness is wiped down with a damp rag and saddle soap to remove all sweat from the harness.
The harness is wiped with a dry rag prior to returning to the harness storage area.
Depending on the weather, the horse may need to be rinsed after the lesson.
Clean feet using hoof pick.
Report any concerns to the Instructor.
Return carriages to designated location in the barn.
Cones and other props are returned to the storage area after lessons are complete.
Key Safety Rules
1. Safety always comes first. Always tell the instructor if you feel something is not safe.
2. A header must be assigned to each horse in a lesson and must remain focused on that horse at all
times for safety.
3. Follow the 4 Golden Rules of carriage driving:
** NEVER remove the bridle from the horse while still hitched to the carriage;
** NEVER remove reins from the bridle of a horse still hitched to a carriage;
** NEVER leave a hitched horse unattended;
** ALWAYS have the instructor enter the carriage first and be the last to leave
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Never attach a lead rope or tie to the bridle.
Never tie a horse by the bit.
Never leave a hitched horse unattended.
Remember that a horse with blinders cannot see to the side or behind them. Remind them you are
there!
Watch out for the wagon wheels and shaft ends!
Avoid putting your hands on the wheels of a cart or wagon.
Never put a horse to carriage if he is not wearing a bridle and reins.
Unhook the carriage before tying the horse at the hitching post.
Do not let anyone pet a horse once it is hooked to the carriage. The horse cannot see well and may
startle more easily if there are unexpected hands touching him. Always keep people away from the
wheels and back of the carriage.
The header’s primary responsibility is the horse but must be alert to all that is going on in the arena
and immediate area to anticipate problems.
Short tugs rather than a steady pull keep a lazy horse moving.
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