How to Drive An Amish Horse And Buggy
With fuel prices rising, a lot of us are considering alternative transportation methods. How about a horse and buggy? You get to enjoy the scenery among other things! Seriously, this article might be useful to the curious and to those who may be considering working for the outfits that give buggy rides to tourists and lovebirds. And yes, I used to own and operate a horse and buggy.
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Instructions
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Harness:
Before you can begin to drive, you need to put the harness on the horse. Do this from the horse's left side. First, you put the bridle on the horse. You can take his halter off but leave on the neck-rope to maintain some control. Pull the bridle over his head so that his ears go through the back of the bridle. If he clenches his teeth, just apply some pressure on his teeth with the bit until he relents. Fasten the necessary straps underneath. Next, you put on the large neck-collar and
buckle it. The harness should be properly stored on a rack. All you need to do is lift it off of the rack, draped over your arm, with the front part towards your hand. Carefully, throw the harness over the horse's back. A large metal piece latches around the neck collar, several straps get buckled underneath his belly, and there's a piece that goes around his tail. Snap the reins onto the horses bridle bit. Without this you will have no control of the horse. If you wish, you can now remove the neck-rope. -
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Hitch the horse to the buggy:
It's possible to do this alone but works best with two people. Have someone hold up the buggy shafts. Back the horse between the shafts. There are two loops on either side of the harness that the shafts slide through. There should be two long, wide straps draped over the harness. Pull these out and attach them to the swiveling base on the front of the buggy. There is a strap (this may seem a little inhumane) that holds the horse's head upright. Make sure it's at a comfortable level. If the
harness was properly organized, the reins should be tied to the harness. Untie them and put them through the driver side window. (Right hand side) This is the last step. Holding the reins as you climb into the buggy maintains your control of the horse. -
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Driving:
To get the horse to move, tell him to 'giddy-up' or give him a light slap with the reins. Keep a firm grip on the reins, pull in the direction you want him to move. To speed him up give him a light slap with the reins. To slow him down pull back on both reins. If necessary use the foot brake. Most are hydraulic, so you need to pump the pedal a few times. Your top speed will be less than 10 miles per hour. Try to keep to the right to give faster vehicles room to pass you. If traffic backs up
a little, pull over and let them pass. Choose your route very carefully, avoiding hills, highways, and taking as many shortcuts as possible. Your horse has a limited range before he'll need to rest. When climbing hills, you may need to get out and walk, so as to reduce weight. For longer trips, you can hitch up another horse. This requires special equipment. -
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Backing up:
To back up, you simply pull both reins back. If you need to turn while backing, you steer the horse kind of like the buggy were a trailer.
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Equipment:
Your buggy should be equipped with headlights, tail-lights and turn signals. You will probably not have an alternator, so conserve you battery strength. If your battery dies, use the standard hand signals when turning and make sure to be home before sunset.
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Parking:
When parking for a few minutes, you can leave the horse harnessed up, just tie him securely to a hitching rail and release his head strap. In the summer look for a shady place. In the winter put a horse blanket on him. If possible, clean up after him before you leave. If you're staying for a while, unhitch him from the buggy, take his bridle off, and give him water.
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Unhitching:
To unhitch the horse from the buggy, simply use the same process when you hitched up, but in reverse.
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Unharness:
To take the horse's harness off, simply use the same process when you harnessed up, but in reverse. Try not to tangle the harness when returning it to it's rack.
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Care for the horse:
When you have the horse unharnessed and his halter back on, let him drink some water. In warm weather you may need to hose him down. You may also need to curry him.
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Buggy care:
As the buggies are not completely weatherized, you will want to garage it. Also, remove the battery and put it on a charger.
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Tips & Warnings
There's a horse and buggy manual available that they use in some Amish vocational schools.
Buggies are light-weight and usually get the bad end in an accident. Drive defensively with this in mind.
