Driving Horses List

These driving horses have lighter conformation than that of the heavy draft horses and offer a faster, agile and more versatile horse that are capable of pulling light loads.

Conformation Of Driving Horses

Driving horses have a more refined conformation than the heavy draft horse allows them to offer greater speed and agility, and in the case of the hackney can also have extravagant foreleg action as well. Driving horses often have powerful shoulders and hindquarters combined with a strong, broad back and thick mane and tails combined with an amiable temperament.

Driving Horses
Some of the most popular breeds used for pleasure driving, competition driving and showing and harness racing:

Cleveland Bay
A good looking well muscled horse with a bold and willing temperament...
A lovely looking and well proportioned horse well suited to carriage driving...
A beautiful horse that has great speed and stamina and therefore excels at harness racing...

Friesian
These lovely looking black horses are well muscled with active paces and are well suited to carriage driving...

Gelderland
A powerfully built horse that has active paces, stamina and a willingness to work...

Hackney
An elegant and intelligent horse that is well known for its high stepping foreleg action and active paces...

Holstein
A good looking, versatile and powerful horse with active paces and stamina making it a great competition horse...

Nonius
A lovely looking horse with an amiable temperament and active paces that is well suited to carriage driving...

Orlov Trotter
A lovely looking horse that has great speed and agility making it well suited to harness racing...


Driving Ponies

There are several breeds that can be used very successfully for driving, here are some of the most popular ones that are often chosen due to their trainable nature and conformation:

American Shetland
Varying in size the American Shetland is well muscled with a finer conformation and action than its relative the Shetland...

Fell
An small yet active pony with a willing temperament and well muscled physique...

Fjord
A compact and well built pony with active paces and a willing temperament...

Haflinger
These beautiful chestnut ponies have active paces and well built physiques...

Highland
A sure footed pony that is well built and has a kind willing temperament... more about the Highland Pony