Just for fun, or maybe in seriousness since I think on of my youngish Andalusian crosses may have the mind to drive. My google-fu is failing me a bit and I’m having a hard time finding pictures of what sort of cart these horses are traditionally put to. Shows are no help as they are mostly shown put to those Jerald cart/sulky things. Sorry, blech lol!
Any thoughts?
They are more than flashy enough to pull a gig.
i went to the National show this year. At the National show, there were both pleasure classes (with gig and four wheeled vehicles) called carriage driving. Such as Class 130
http://www.wrighthorsephotography.com/cgi-bin/cart_index.exe?view=2011
So, this type of showing is there at shows.
and the usual driving breed classes (I agree, yucky) Various types of “Pleasure Driving” -involving bicycle tires and sulkies where you look up the butts of the horses. Just like at ASB and Arab classes.
I really don’t understand the whole sulky/breed show forms of driving for Iberian horses in the USA -makes no sense to me and saw none of it when in Portugal last year.
I did google and found PRE horse driving in Spain using the search words “PRE spain driving” in google images. Funny thing that, no American breed types rigs to be found (grin) in Spain in the images. Mostly carriage driving, as you would find here.
We also went to the National Coach Museum in Lisbon that had many historic coaches from Spain -mostly royal coaches from Spain. They were very similar to those found in most of Europe.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Coach_Museum
http://www.lusoimages.com/JOSE-ELIAS-FOTOELIAS-COM/PALACES/Lisboa-Lisbon-museu-dos-coches/15640473_v39c2N#1171990049_dzanz
The current ones I have seen in Spain, look like EU carriages
http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/Spain/Andalucia/Sevilla-253763/Transportation-Sevilla-Horse_Buggy_Ride-BR-1.html
Scroll to the bottom of this page:
http://carriageassociation.wordpress.com/category/travel-destinations/spain-travel-destinations/
Again, the carriages in Spain look like those found in most of the EU.
I am sure there must be some “traditional” work types and probably there is a museum in Spain somewhere that has examples.
You might contact the Carriage Association, to see if they have more information on Spanish carriages. They are the keepers of historical and geographical knowledge, about specialized vehicles.
Lots of the CAA members travel, and I seem to remember there being a couple notable, Spanish carriage collections mentioned for “horsey” travellers to stop at and be amazed. Those kind of locations would probably have vehicles common in Spain, daily use things, along with magnificent coaches. I am saying Spain, because I tend to think of Portugal as having Lusitanos, though the horses are extremely similar.
I was googling and not finding any “carts” either, just carriages. I would be willing to bet something like this one:
http://www.pure-spanish-horse-spain.com/image-files/large-jerez08-carriage1.jpg
was probably more the norm for people without the money for the fancy carriages/coaches. Maybe there wasnt a real need for carts in Spain?
I think a gig would be nice. Or maybe a nice wicker phaeton would be pretty if you wanted to go 4 wheels… $$$ Something like this one:
http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/224095_10150175159727659_593242658_7125630_7079233_n.jpg
It might be plain colored, but that is a pretty fancy vehicle, along the lines of a Break. And of course needs at least a Pair to move it. Not what simple people would be able to purchase or “make at home”. But I don’t think Andalusian owners were mostly “simple folks” either. You had to have money and property to own fine horses, so you had the money to buy NICE vehicles like that red one for using with your excellent horses.
Andalusians are not the only horses in Spain, just the most notable! People had to have the common horse types for many other uses.
Definate class boundaries in Spain, with different styles of horses, donkeys, mules, used by the simpler folk, with their plainer and simple vehicles. Carts would be common for them because they were easier to build, cheaper, could go places 4 wheelers might have trouble, like up to high pastures, mountain trails.
[QUOTE=butlerfamilyzoo;6047241]
I was googling and not finding any “carts” either, just carriages. I would be willing to bet something like this one:
http://www.pure-spanish-horse-spain.com/image-files/large-jerez08-carriage1.jpg
was probably more the norm for people without the money for the fancy carriages/coaches. Maybe there wasnt a real need for carts in Spain?
QUOTE]
Well Goodhors, compared to the fancy schmancy gold scroll work on the carriages CA posted, the red one looks more “affordable”… So i was guessing that was more the average type of vehicle for the “common” folk, but as you say, Andy owners probably were above the common folk anyway!
I would take that red one, plain paint or not, in a heartbeat!! Like looking a a good horse, that vehicle has GREAT lines and bones.
Maybe it is the “country look” over there. Not so much in varnish and stains like what is seen in the USA. The Europeans seem to like painted vehicles, and bright colors are pretty common.
For some reason when viewing carriages, a lot of folks seem to expect more “fancy” with trim on vehicles, to be impressed by. Those are the carriages they notice and remember. Could be with the Stagecoaches of movies having lots of decoration, and the UK Royal carriages as their main comparison, EVERYTHING else is fairly plain!! Ha Ha
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