The objective
To handle a horse or pony in harness pulling a carriage, with precision and style.
Formats
Pleasure driving judges turnout and performance. Combined driving, like eventing, has three phases: dressage, a marathon over obstacles and cones (a precision course between pairs of cones).
Words to know
Turnout: horse, harness, carriage and attire together. Single, pair and four-in-hand: one, two or four horses.
Following the action
In cones, watch for balls knocked from the tops of cones; in the marathon, the fastest clean route through each obstacle counts.
Sources
- FEI Driving rules — Fédération Équestre Internationale
- American Driving Society — ADS
By National Horse Co. Editorial Team · Checked against cited sources 2026-10-03. National Horse Co. is not affiliated with the organizations cited.