IMEHA Judge's Guide
All About Combined Driving
Is made of up three driving disciplines. Dressage Driving, Marathon Driving and Obstacle Driving. Entrants can drive either ponies, horse or light draft, rarely heavy draft horses are used. Horses are shown as singles, pairs, tandems, or as a four in hand.
Dressage Driving
The emphasis is based on the eveness of pace, collection, good implusion and correct postioning while performing a dressage test driving pattern. The competition is held in a dressage arena similar to riding arena and with low fence rails, flower/decorations and letters. The event is not timed but judged on accuracy. Gaits used during the dressage test are: halt, walk, collected trot, working trot, extended trot, and rein back. Canter is not acceptable.
Harness:
The harness can be either breastcollar or full collar, matching to the vehicle. Black harness for dark or black trimmed vehiucle and dark brown or russet for natural wood vehicles. Check reins are not allowed, sidecheeks are. Breeching is optional. Harness must have blinkered bridle with noseband, collar or breastplate, shaftwraps or tugs and crupper. Brass hardware is preferred over stainless steel or silver. Standard bits used are liverpool with curb chain; elbow bit; half-cheek snaffle; and sometimes others. Traces may be buckled or sewn down. The traces should run between the shaftwrap/tugs and the horse's body, then through the breeching strap. The breastplate should be at or just above the horse's point of the shoulder but not too high as to the press against the horse's windpipe. If breeching is used, it should hang level just below the rounded part of the horse's rump. It must not hang loose.
Vehicle:
Single horses are hitched to either a two wheeled meadowbrook or a road cart. Formal four wheel vehicles are acceptable if not too large for the single horse to pull if it and it appears he can really pull it. Formal four wheeled vehciles are normally pulled by by pairs, four in hand and tandems. Styles may vary and can include phaetons and wagonettes. If the harness does not have a breeching the vehicle must have a brake. The four wheeled vehicle must have carriage lamps and rear lights or reflectors. Pneumatic tires are not permissable except at training level.
Driver Attire:
Drivers are dressed in formal attire (dark suit or dress), gloves, hat, driving apron and must carry a whip at all times. Whip must be long enough to reach all four horses at their shoulders. A driver sits on the right side of either the two or four wheeled vehicle. A groom can accompany the driver if a four wheeled vehicle and sits behind the driver.
Things to Look for:
Head carriage set to high or too low. Protective leg equipment of any type is forbidden. Horses working in unison. Harness hitched with no bridle, martingales of any type attached to bridle or reins and cantering horses are all faults. "Presentation" may be put in the division and is not really a "working" part of the test but a preliminary section of the test where the entry is judged on correctness of the attire of the driver, cleaniness/neatness of entry, and uniformity and fit of hanress and vehicle.
Extra Credit for:
Carrying a spares kit, complete with hoof pick, hole punch, trace and rein splices, and a knife. Braided manes with loose tails, harness number and wagon number, crocheted ear net.
Marathon Driving
A kin to cross country riding this performance is a test of stamina and fitness of the horse. The test is made up of five different sections and designated gates: A free; B walk; C trot; D walk; E trot. Hazards (E) seems to be the favorite among model horse exhibitors. It has eight hazards made from natural terrain, hills, sharp turns, water, trees, and man made obstacles. The hazards are sturdy, non movable, and made of natural materials like wood planks and telephone poles. Each hazard has a number (#1 through #8) and each gate within the hazard has a letter (A, B, C...) Gates are pairs of red and white leathered markers (red on right)
Each gate must be "cleared" in alphabetical order. No gate may be driven through in either direction unless already cleared. The horses are timed upon entry into the penalty zones around each hazard and until exiting the penalty zone after completion of the gates. Gaits are restricted to walk and trot in section A-D; section E is a trot except within a hazard, where any gait is acceptable (including a canter) in order to complete the hazard within the 5 minute time limit.
Harness:
Usually black harness of sturdy construction with a breastcollar and breeching is usually seen. The hardware may be brass or stainless steel. The bridle should have blinkers and brown or half brown reins.
A noseband of any type is required. Pads under the breeching, breastcollar and or backpad are acceptable. Any form of leg protection (boots, bandages) and tail wraps are accpetable. Liverpool bits with a curb chain are customary, but other bits (butterfly, half cheek snaffle, elbow, wilson) are acceptable. Buckled on traces are preferred but not required.
Driver Attire:
Optional clothing suitable for the outdoors. Helmet is not required but advisable. Must be carrying a whip and the reins. May be seated on the right with optional referee on the left and must have a groom/assistant standing ont he back of the vehicle.
Look for:
Faults are not having at least one lettered gate in a hazard. Horse(s) not hitched properly. Gates not wide enough for a vehicle to pass thorugh. Flimsy vehicle or harness, no whip in driver's hand especially when negotiating the penalty zone of a hazard. Horses wearing check reins.
Extra Credit:
Placing a referee next to driver, a groom on the back (leaning with weight of vehicle in a turn a real plus!)
Safely vest or helmets. Number on the harness and the vehicle. "Greased" legs and chest of horse to prevent "hang ups." Leg protection. Written course illustrations shown hazards and gates. Using a "knock down" within a hazard. Carrying a spares kit.
Obstacle Driving:
Obstacle driving is equated to show jumping in that it tests the horse's fitness, obedience, and suppleness after finsihing the marathon phrase. It is done in an arena silghtly larger than the dressage ring with only sandy or grass footing. It is judged on faults, in this case balls are placed on the top of standard orange traffic cones and if the entry knocks off the ball while passing the come it is a fault. The balls are standard tennis balls or sometimes blocks of wood are used. Each obstacle is numbered with a pair of red and white markers (red on right). If the obstacle is a multiple one, having up to three sections, each section should be lettered (A, B, C..) with a red A on the right and a white marker placed to the left of the marker's cone. A multiple obstacle may be L or U shaped made of jump crossrails, a serpentine or zig-zag of cones, or a low wooden bridge with cones marking the entry and the exit. Gaits are trotting at a reasonaly fast pace is usual for the cones phase. A few canter srides may be permitted. This in not a timed event but judged on accuracy.
Harness:
Similar to that in dressage or either breastcollar or full collar style. Must be uniformed in appearance if two or more horses are used. Conservative leg proection is allowed.
Vehicle:
Either a two wheeled or four wheeled is allowed, similar to dressage vehciles; slightly less formal styles are premitted as well. Carriage lamps and reflectors are not required. Wire wheels prohibited except at raining level.
Driver Attire:
May be formally dressed as in the dressage phase. Should be carrying a whip and holding the reins. A groom may be seated behind the driver in a two wheeled vehicle and next to driver in a single seat. Driver is always on the right and a groom may not assist the driver.
Look for:
Knocking down balls or rails. Horses showing too much resistance or disobedience. Vehicle or horse placed to close to obstacle so that a knock down will occur.
Extra Credit:
When using a bridge having fan-shaped wings at the entrance. Numbers on harness and vehicle. Showing multiple cone obstacles marked correctly. Cone courses sketched out or attached. Crocheted ear net.
Photo Credit:
Sources:
AHSA Rulebook
NAMSHA Judges Handbook