horse carriage ,riding knowlege and information

Blagdon Horse Drawn Carriages
Blagdon Horse Drawn Carriages specialise in providing a superior quality turnout that will not fail to impress. We have a selection of carriages including an all weather glass fronted carriage, pulled by a pair of magnificent Belgian Black horses, coachmen and grooms in tailor-made livery. Viewings are encouraged and welcomed by appointment.
Telephone: 01761 462250

England’s Finest Carriages
We provide an exceptional Horse Carriage hire service. Carriages are custom built, featuring the white Cinderella Pumpkin carriage, (Only one of it’s kind in the world)! We have the most beautiful, elegant white horses and custom built carriages. We travel all over the UK, making dreams come true. Limousines also available. Book in advance to avoid disappointment. Call Now!
Telephone: 0117 3301781
Mobile: 07951 233311

Cinderella Wedding carriages W100   

If you are interested in our wedding carriage,please send email sales at horse-carriages.net

The chariot is the earliest and simplest type of  horse carriage, used in both peace and war as the chief vehicle of many ancient peoples. Chariots were built in Mesopotamia by the Mesopotamians as early as 3000 BC and in China during the 2nd millennium BC. The original chariot was a fast, light, open, two or four-wheeled conveyance drawn by two or more horses hitched side by side. The car was little else than a floor with a waist-high semicircular guard in front. The chariot, driven by a charioteer, was used for ancient warfare during the Bronze and Iron Ages, armor being provided by shields. The vehicle continued to be used for travel, processions and in games and races after it had been superseded militarily.

The word “chariot” comes from Latin carrus, which itself was a loan from Gaulish. A chariot of war or of triumph was called a car. In ancient Rome and other ancient Mediterranean countries a biga was a two-horse chariot, a triga utilized three horses and a quadriga was drawn by four horses abreast. Obsolete terms for chariot include chair, charet and wain.

The critical invention that allowed the construction of light, horse-drawn chariots for use in battle was the spoked wheel. Cavalry had been in use in Central Asia since 3000 BC and eventually replaced chariotry (the part of a military force that fought from chariots).

The earliest spoke-wheeled chariots date to ca. 2000 BC and their usage peaked around 1300 BC (see Battle of Kadesh). Chariots ceased to have military importance in the 4th century BC, but chariot races continued to be popular in Constantinople until the 6th century CE (AD).

Pick your party: horse carriage  hire for any occasion
Whether it’s a special occasion or just a day in need of something special, a ride in a horse drawn carriage is the perfect activity. Fresh air, the clopping of hooves, romance and a dash of history: These are ingredients for an unforgettable experience.

Weddings
Perhaps you would like to be transported to your wedding in elegant fashion. There are countless companies across the U.K. offering horse drawn carriage hire for weddings, complete with a driver and coachman. One company, located in Wells-Next-The-Sea on the North Norfolk coast, offers a particularly handsome carriage for hire on that once-in-a-lifetime day. Their black-and-burgundy Landau features gold trim and an optional hood. The inside is richly upholstered in burgundy and boasts a pile carpet. Bride and groom alike will enjoy settling back in luxury, leaving things to the driver, footman and horse. Prices start from £200. Browse our directory to find the perfect company to suit your wedding needs.

Proms
Another wonderful time to hire a carriage is on prom night or the night of any special school dance. Young couples can be whisked to the ball in an intimate two-seater carriage or travel in style with a group of friends. A company in the West Midlands has seven selections for just such an occasion.
Among other options, you can hire an 18-seat omnibus pulled by two shire horses, perfect for large groups of revelers—the only public transport in the town until 1912. More exclusive groups can opt for a four-seat English or French brougham or Victoria carriage; a five-seat English landau; a six-seat German hunting phaeton; or a two-seat Victoria carriage. The increasing popularity of horse drawn carriages pulling up to the curb on prom night testifies to the fact that no matter how old she gets, every girl still dreams of being Cinderella.

Picnics
On days when the weather is fine, there’s nothing like a carriage drive and a country picnic. An appetite and a horse drawn carriage are an ideal combination for an anniversary, a birthday or a summer’s day.
Many horse drawn carriage companies throughout the U.K. will prepare a special picnic lunch for you to enjoy. A company in Perth, Scotland offers riverside or lakeside picnics, with their kitchen preparing rustic lunches of game pie and sandwiches or a sophisticated repast of champagne and caviar. Most companies will also happily stop at the locale of your choice so you can enjoy a picnic of your own devising. You’ll want to call ahead for details, as some carriage owners have provisions such as prohibiting glass dinnerware.
If you’re feeling enterprising, see our guide to preparing your own Victorian picnic. (link to picnic article)

Memorable dates
horse carriage  rides are perfect for any number of memorable dates. Perhaps it is your anniversary, Valentine’s Day, New Year’s Eve or your loved one’s birthday. Maybe you wish to propose, or impress a new flame with the memory of a lifetime. Whatever the occasion, your options for carriage hire in the U.K. are nearly limitless.
Consider having champagne and roses waiting in the carriage, or stopping for a delicious afternoon cream tea. The Kirton-based Pasture Farm and Victorian Carriages is just one carriage driving center that will drive guests to an award-winning tea room.

Pub runs
For those craving a pint or two, there are numerous firms throughout the U.K. offering horse drawn pub runs or pub-crawls. One Dorchester-based company is happy to take customers to a string of local pubs. Dorchester is home to more than a dozen establishments popular for their drinks and pub fare, including: The Station, Sydney Arms, The Old Ship Inn, The Poet Laureate, The Thomas Hardye, Bakers Arms, Bar Rouge, The Blue Raddle, The Borough Arms, Bull Inn, the Cornwall Hotel, the Junction Hotel and the Kings Arms Hotel.
Look through our database and you’re sure to find a company offering a pub-crawl. Or, map out your own route and ask if your local carriage hire firm will take you on a parade of pubs. There’s no designated driver more delightful than one manning a horse drawn carriage.
Are you planning a special occasion? Think about making it horse drawn.

Some of our beginnings did have a few set-backs. For example, there was confusion regarding measurements for the harness, forgetting that I also needed a whip (really?), a
road sign (you mean we’re going out on the road?), and a few other “details�.However,none of these issues kept us from moving on and entering the world of driving. As it turned out, Hanno did require a lesson or two on the subject of moving forward while simply wearing the harness. Previously, he had been under saddle and driven briefly while in the Netherlands as part of his preparation for the annual stallion inspection.The feel of the straps that sometimes flap and bind was something that he needed to get reacquainted with before we hitched him to the cart.But on his first trip out he drove ahead like he had been doing it forever! It was incredible! It can’t be this easy I thought. It isn’t…learning to drive is hard! Hanno and I are fortunate in that he resides on a farm that has many acres to ride and drive. As a beginner, I have been grateful for the huge flat fields without too many obstacles to worry about.Well…it has been a few months now and Hanno and I still have our driving challenges such as dealing with obstacles, learning how to get through gates without getting caught, turning in time before running into something, etc. The recent change in weather and loss of daylight has re-duced our ability to drive outside.Learning how to drive a cart in an indoor arena is a
whole different ball game! The cart that seemed so well-suited for outdoor driving now seemed so huge and learning to make turns quickly took on a whole new level of skill and has become even more important.

Thanks to the support of many people (only some of whom are mentioned in this article),
Hanno and I can now drive solo and enjoy our time together even more. I would encourage anyone who has an interest in learning to drive to attend some driving events, watch some videos, check out publications like Carriage Driving World, and consider joining the American Driving Society. The world of driving is huge and I, for one, had no idea just how much is out there about the sport and the centuries of tradition inherent
in areas throughout the world. Friesians were featured on the most recent cover of“The Whip�, the journal of the American Driving Society.

Learning to Drive: Lessons from a Beginner, By Eivind-Erik Sorensen

When I first saw an ad for a Friesian listed with Legacy Friesians,I knew that this was the horse for me! I had been researching breeds for their temperament, ability to excel under saddle, and, most importantly, with an ability to drive. I have wanted to learn how to drive but knew that anything like a pony or smaller breed of horse would limit my ability to ride as well. I knew that a Friesian would be perfect! My imported gelding “Hanno� is now four-years-old and has been in training with Megan Sibiga since the summer of 2005.
     My original plans called for focusing on improving my skills as a rider, becoming familiar with dressage principles, and helping Hanno to develop a solid foundation under saddle before taking on the added challenge of driving.

So…my “plan� was to wait unti the summer of 2007 to begin the next phase of our journey and wait until then to obtain a cart. However, while volunteering at our booth at the Expo in Albany last March, I met Bill Schuil from Pacific Carriage Company. He had some of his carts and carriages on display and I had an opportunity to talk with him about my horse and interest in driving. After talking with Bill and seeing their beautiful line of carts and carriages, I knew I had to have one! Fast forward to this past summer and I ended up ordering a cart from Pacific Carriage. Bill was extremely helpful in determining the proper size of wheels for the cart, general dimensions, etc., that would be best suited to my horse. Our new cart arrived in August and we began taking driving lessons with Megan right away! Prior to the arrival of our new cart, Megan also put me in touch with Celline Rickards from Carriage Driving Essentials for ordering a harness. Celline helped me to obtain a Zilco harness made with synthetic material which is easy to clean and maintain…a beginner’s best friend indeed!

Learning to Carriage Drive

Carriage Driving Magazine’s popular training series‘Driving with Minta Winn’is now available as a book:”Learning to Carriage Drive-A step-by-step guide”.

With 116 packed pages with full colour photographs, this excellent book will provide an invaluable source of reference for both novice and expert whips, with especial emphasis on those considering taking any of the BDS Tests.

ONLY
ï¿¡14.99
+ P & P

How to find a horse carriage Hire Business?

horse carriage hire companies can be found in most cities quite easily: query the searchengines or read through local directories, Yellow Pages or business directories.

This is a popular service most horse carriage hire companies offer nowadays to wedding events. They even travel to event locations; some of them offer their services in a certain region or even anywhere within a state/province (US) or county (UK).

A hire company is best contacted via their website or telephone.Inquire about design, color and size of the horse carriage  used, about the horse/s, if they use a single horse or a pair or maybe a team of four and who will be driving with the vehicle: only the whip or also a groom or two? Safety regulation in the UK make it necessary for a horse carriage  driver to drive with a groom.

Gather relevant information, as it helps you to decide, e.g. if your and your partner’s dress and outfit will match well with the style and design of the vehicle.