Seriously those wagons bounce enough…this was a few years ago. I think they both had bike shorts on if I remember right…
Silly if you ask me but whatever…
@roseymare Eeeewwwwww! :eek:
And with the height of the seat on the hitch wagon even the audience gets a “view” :no:
I hope your memory of the bike shorts is right!
Still, why? Just why. 
Funny my husband doesn’t even remember it!
:eek:OMg! Somehow I was expecting a shorter version of Ma Ingels dresses from LHotP. Not a cocktail dress. I guess it wouldn’t do a Marilyn Monroe on you in the breeze or get caught disembarking from the wagon. I have boobs and would still worry about losing a strapless dress
A lot of draft drivers don’t really use the whip, a bit like the breed show driving classes. As another noted the hitch wagons are light enough for just the wheelers to pull Many times the hitches will use the same wagon for the team, unicorn, four, six, and even eight. That said you don’t even want to know some of the “tricks” I’ve heard some of them use to be sure the horses move off smartly. I know a guy who had a six, I’ll have to ask him and get back with you all on the whip question (I don’t recall him ever using one).
The dresses are pure fashion, evening gowns and prom dresses. It makes no sense, but it is what they do.
Male Judges
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:lol:
So the blue goes to the “pink”? 
Didn’t seem to help the Ladies Cart class I saw.
1sts didn’t go to the micro-minis.
@CERT Thanks, hope you can get the whip info I’m seeking.
:yes: Same wagon used for teams through 6s & when they’re there: the 8s.
But the whip was always carried by the assistant
Driver literally has his/her hands full of lines.
The idea is that it might help, like having the “right” brand saddle, bridle, clothes in hunters. Some judges might be influenced by the skimpy clothes, though not as likely with a good judge.
On the modern show Drafts, i believe that as with any specialized horse activity, Draft folks have their own Rules, expectations in a show ring. Clothing has a wide range of accepted “looks” that will vary according to time of day, the venue location, local Fair, State Fair, inside or outside arena, etc. I expect the strapless mini dresses are supposed to be " evening attire" at a big show, rather than the sfternoon class at the local Fair. Whether the ladies had on shorts too, would be interesting to know! Though it often seems modesty is not anything to be concerned about now.
Husband got got hired to judge light horse driving at a local Fair years ago, Prom dresses were the most common Ladies attire for Drafts then. For some reason the Draft Judge did not show up, so they talked husband into judging the Draft classes to keep things moving along, for an extra fee. Classes were alternating, light horses, then Draft, then light horses again. The carriage driving ladies would come in modestly attired, long sleeves, aprons, conservative. Then the Draft ladies would enter, long skirts flying, lots of skin showing on shoulders, arms. Huge contrast in styles! One Draft lady arrived late, hustled to make her class, a single in a cart, zipping across the track infield. She hit the good sized berm, track edging and got a HUGE bounce, air-time in the cart!! She also bounced free of her elastic neckline dress! Didn’t slow her at all as she stuffed herself back in the dress just before coming in the gate. Husband managed to get his mouth shut, proceed to judge the class, she did not place because he did not care for how they went.
In another class husband made a joking comment to Ringmaster that he hoped all the ladies had their good underwear on as the skirts were flying about and all the ladies had one foot on the dashboard to brace against the rein pull! Ringmaster jogged over to the fence, told someone the comment, who then repeated it on down the fence to the Drivers. So then the Drivers would put both feet on cart floor when going by husband, put foot back up on dash as they turned out of his view. Husband did turn and caught the changes, said it was like a dance routine. Leg down, around the corner, then up again! Up, down, up again. Rather mesmerizing!!
Also interesting was the rein changes from Ladies to Gentlemen, on the same horse and cart. Ladies seemed to have to drive on the ring setting of their Buxton bit, to show horse was manageable for a woman, even though she did need to brace with foot to prevent being pulled off the seat!! Gentleman could use any of the slots (and did!) below the ring to control the horse with a lot less effort. Not seeing any guys with a foot on the dash!
Luckily the noon break arrived so husband went to get some lunch. Standing around the corner of food concession his judging was being dissected by the audience. None could understand why the lady who came out of her dress didn’t get first! Or at least a good ribbon for the free show!! Then the comment about ladies underwear got discussed, with the conclusion that Judge must be gay to not appreciate the view! Just was WEIRD how he wanted both feet on the floor of carts. Husband was extremely glad the true Draft Judge finally arrived and took up his duties for the afternoon session! He vowed to never agree to judge Drafts again for any kind of money.
Breed or driving discipline class criteria are specific to each of them. You recognize new folks because they have little things wrong for " that" class. Established farms or exhibitors push the limits to get noticed, influence the Judge. Those ladies would wear those shorter dresses to fancy gatherings at home, so they use the same for “dress up” in the ring if they are able to carry off the look. Fine Harness, ponies and horses, shown at night in the big shows is all about sparkly. Old photos of big winners have fur stoles, evening attire in the little viceroy carriages. Long white gloves. They could be going to a big show at the theatre. Western hats tell others where you train, what discipline you are in, to the trained eyes. You do NOT WEAR your Pleasure hat for Reining or Barrel Racing or Roping.
On whips, Draft horse, working Teams of any configuration, always have carried and used whips. It is part of the mindset, often needed when horses were used daily, not trained well or handled from foals on. The whips used now are not what was used in the older days. A Team of 4 or more would usually have a driver skilled in the use of a long-lashed whip. He/she was ABLE to hit what they aimed at, not get the lash tangled on other animals! Driver was able yell a name, whip touch the animal not doing his job, get him working without upsetting any other animal as Driver refurled the lash. Driving daily, perfected their whip skills. They may or may not have driven drafts, many were Teams of light horses, mustangs used with stagecoaches. Faster than drafts, less expensive to feed. Drivers in those settings used ALL their horses, were not doing arena circles, just moving their load straight ahead on roads. You didn’t hitch more horses than needed. Some roads, mountains, bad weather, needed 6 or 8 horses to get the job done. 8 horses would be more often weight movers, freight wagons, harvest wagons of grain brought from the field over bad roads. Farmers combined their horses to make up those big Teams, helping each other get the crops in.
All we can guess with the upper level drivers having lashes wound tight on the stick, always looking perfect, is that they can’t use their whips with the skill needed. CDE is certainly not like driving your coach for a picnic outing down the road. Things are done fast, time counts, no margin for error if the lash got tangled. You do not expect to meet loose dogs, drive them off with your whip, have a horse quit you, on course at a CDE! Coachmen do expect those things on recreational drives, know how to “throw the lash” to actually touch up lazy Leader, run off a barking dog, then refurled that long lash on the stick neatly in an unobtrusive fashion. We ask ourselves “why carry a whip you can’t use?” But we are old-school, been in driving a long time, cliniced with Coachmen who demanded we learn those skills WELL, for our own good when going out driving. We got in trouble the ONLY time we did the wrapped lash thing. Could not touch up the Leader. You can be sure lash was usable for Marathon and every CDE after that!
I believe modern Draft drivers count a lot on checkreins, big bits with leverage and the routine of classes, as part of keeping things controlled. Horses LOVE routine, it can be your friend when handling, using any equine. They anticipate what is next, often try to “help”, which can work in various settings, is a major nuisance in other settings. Trying to “hold off” the horses in any Team ahead of the wheelers, means lots of rein adjustments WITHOUT looking at your hands, hard to do with wide, thick, weighty reins. You DO NOT want those front horses actually pulling in any turns or sweep from side to side in docking. Leaders will sweep the feet out from under the sidepassing middle pairs and Wheelers with the poles!! When we drive a Four, the Leaders are seldom actually pulling in any ringwork. We call them the “hood ornaments”. Same with a Tandem, Leader is more ornamental than working, when hooked to carriages. Draft Tandems in the old days actually did pull heavy loads in narrow streets, but not doing turns or speed, to knock over the Wheeler.
Have fun with driving the friend’s draft. Horse could be as light as your mini or need a firmer hold.
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@goodhors, thanks for the fascinating post. I’m glad your husband survived his experience judging drafts.
Rebecca
@goodhors As always, an informative & interesting post :encouragement:
So, the answer to both my questions is probably “Because”. :winkgrin:
”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹Much like some of the ADS Pleasure rules - both in the omnibus & unwritten
Still hoping a Show Draft Driver will chime in, at least on the whip question. Even if the answer is “That’s what we do.”
And I may get my chance to drive a full Draft this weekend.
”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹My Club is having a drive. If my friend with the Percheron mare comes I will ask if I can ride with her & take the lines.
Perhaps I will wear an appropriate mini-sundress and the Good Underwear.
We need pictures if you dress up to drive the draft!
Would your friend have any of those answers?
The driver has to have the whip for singles and teams. With the fours and sixes the “rider” or assistant holds the whip (driver has his hands full). The whip only needs to reach the wheel team. He jokingly commented that the shock collars are for the swings and leaders. He never did, but some trainers use e collars to ensure the leads and swings are “sharp and forward.”
Imma just gonna say NOPE on this one!
Now if you saw ME driving a team with a wrapped whip, that assessment would be 100% accurate (would 200% be acceptable? Whatever, step in and save the team, they undoubtedly would need saving). However, the specific drivers I was thinking about with those wrapped whips were Boyd, Bram, Chester & Isjbrand. Wrapped in dressage and cones. But I’m also guessing at that level, if you have problems where your leaders need assistance with the whip, you’re out of the medals, and clearly that is not how that group of drivers sees themselves!
But Boyd had an interesting setup on marathon. He had a shorter whip in hand, but the spare was one of the big telescoping whips I see them use in dressage warm up. It could be everyone else has that whip on the back step but doesn’t have it extended.
Here’s Isjbrand Chardon, no way is that whip reaching the leader shoulder unless the leader is rolling back on the turn!
https://www.flickr.com/gp/24594726@N04/a91o2t
He was amazing to watch, everyone else is hot and bridled and as much bouncy as forward… his team worked on an almost loose rein, carrying themselves in a much more relaxed frame, listening to and responding to his voice and minimal rein cues. I now fully understand why he is a legend and I sincerely hope I see him drive i person again in my life!
And here is the current WC, Boyd Exell.
first this pic, because I love it: https://www.flickr.com/gp/24594726@N04/9K7280
and this one with a better view of the whip: https://www.flickr.com/gp/24594726@N04/57b357
(this was right after his 'gator saved his bacon as he almost missed that B gate)
you can see his spare is considerably longer than his in use whip… so it is there, but he’s not going to get it in action much faster than unwinding.
:lol:
Sorry to disappoint, but this is just a traildrive.
Dress: uber-casual
Friend is a mostly-roads Driver.
At Hoosier Horse Fair another friend & I had to tell her the brass on her lovely wood cart should be polished.
So, I doubt she has Show Hitch info.
But, I will ask.
Never ass-u-me
@CERT :encouragement:
& I believe that answers my whip question :yes:
