carriage Horse-drawn History
Early modes of horse-drawn transportation consisted of basic wagons made of wood with rough-hewn solid wooden wheels and a skin-covered body. These early horse wagons were constructed in Mesopotamia as early as 3500 BC, during the Bronze Age. The two-wheeled chariot was developed around 2500 BC.
      The first modern-style horse carriage was reportedly invented in Hungary in the 15th century to carry a princess to her wedding. This early horse carriage design had no steering and had to be dragged sideways by the horses to turn a corner. With further development, a front axle was eventually mounted on a turntable to provide steering and a bumpy ride; the suspension ride, generally made of leather straps, was developed around 2000 BC, making the ride a bit more comfortable. By the 19th century, improvements in road conditions and carriage design made horse-drawn vehicles a viable mode of transportation.
The horse is gradually switched from longeing in a circle to moving forward with the handler behind him. The horse should be comfortable with the lines on his back and sides before going forward. At times, a second handler at the horse’s head may be required until the horse relaxes.
The next step is to hitch the horse to a drag, which can simply be a tractor tire on a chain, a wooden skid or similar device. Most horses tolerate the drag quite well. Once the horse is pulling the drag comfortably, he is ready to move on to pulling a cart.
The shafts can present a problem — some horses are extremely sensitive to them in the beginning. They feel trapped and panic, so the best way to train a horse to shafts is to use two old shafts that are not attached to a carriage. Just let them drag the ground or have them held up by assistants. Most horses will become accustomed to the shafts quickly.
Introductions to the cart and harness follow this stage. Ongoing, slow, methodical training will result in a well-trained carriage horse.