Dancing around a Gig?

So many people come up to me and say, "I just love your carriage, I want one just like it!"

Hold on a minute, folks. Yes, my gig is great. It is not expensive, but it looks good. However, a gig is not for the faint of heart. It sits high, with a very low seat rail. Driving the gig is like riding saddle seat. You better be able to hold on. You better not take a hard turn on a hillside. You better hit a long bump with both wheels at the same time. Ask Harold Ault. His gorgeous Kimball Stanhope Gig ejected him in a water hazard. A gig is a fantastic vehicle and I love mine, but it is not a beginner's vehicle, nor a CDE ride.

Choosing a vehicle is a very important decision for a carriage driver. You can change horses much easier than you can change vehicles. It affects the type of harness you must purchase and the type of driving you do. I have hitched many horses to my gig and it has worked out nicely for me because I had a list of criteria before I decided on a vehicle. I like fancy horses, 14- 15 hands. I like slow, tight and precise. I am not faint of heart. I am a show off. So the gig fit.

I drove other vehicles before purchasing the gig. I hitched Major and Don Pecos to a top buggy and then a road cart. It was all wrong. It was like wearing Chanel to the State Fair: wrong. It was like driving a vintage John Deere tractor to Bike Night: wrong. I hitched Ace to the road cart and I know he resented it. I have seen other horses with the same look on their faces. They seem to be saying: It's Wrong!

So, determine what type of person you are, what type of horses you like and then talk to other people who have horses and vehicles you like. Remember also that the size and weight of the vehicle are of great importance and should be addressed in your wish list. My gig is much, much lighter than Harold's and only one of my driving horses knows how to really pull it.

If you've ever seen a horse that is too big for the vehicle, you'll know how silly it looks to out-horse the vehicle. I once saw a Friesian put to a drop front phaeton. The vehicle was too small and delicate and the horse, who was a great mover, looked clunky. Friesians are big horses with big personalities, they need a big vehicle to show them to their best advantage, not a girlie vehicle.

Mary Jo Stockman comes to mind as a wonderful example. She has two fabulous girlie vehicles: a wicker phaeton and a George IV, which she puts to her very feminine Morgan mare. She has a Friesian, too, that she puts to a dog cart. It wouldn't work the other way around. [I can hear Heart, her Morgan, now: "Don't you dare hitch me to that DOG cart."] Both turnouts are head turners and if Mary Jo could, she would show them in the same class and the judge would tie her with herself for first place.

I have been told that I have it easy with my Morgan horses, they are versatile and can go sporty and formal. Yep, it's true. I am spoiled. I like it that way! But, I am not going to say that you shouldn't hitch sport ponies to a gig, because I've seen it done very well [Ingrid Krause's Haflinger tandem to a lovely cherry wood country gig comes to mind]. I've seen Morgans who did not have the brilliance to horse a Spider phaeton, too. It depends on how you do it, but choose a vehicle that fits you and your horse's style, size and weight. Remember, a Fjord put to a nicely turned out natural wood vehicle is a lovely picture, and I've been beaten in turnout by them.

Plus, they have way more fun in cross country than I do.

Kind Regards,

Michelle Blackler

Serendipity

www.hossbiz.com

Serendipity is an Accidental Sagacity Corporation company.

Accidental Sagacity for Today: Harold Ault

My friend, Harold Ault of Ames, IA, is a rare find. By all accounts, he is the purest definition of eccentric. At first glance, it is easy to misunderstand him. His appearance is usually slightly disheveled, his gait both swinging and staggering at once, his mode of transportation helped down the road with the aid of log chains and cement blocks. But look for the accidental sagacity and you trip over a substantial treasure.

Harold is a walking, talking, dog eared, highlighted, frequently thumbed through, epic volume of encyclopedias. He is a collector of nearly everything there ever was on this earth, namely carriages, their accouterments and a bevy of anecdotes. For the uninitiated, Harold is the Saturday NY Times crossword puzzle. However, if you express an interest, he will start you out with a Monday puzzle and give you many clues.

I have known Harold for 11 years, a year after learning the importance of traces. And now I can tell you the difference between a road coach and a park drag. He has only had to explain the differences to me a hundred times, but he never tires of trying. Every time, he remembers yet another story to add to the richness of the lesson.

To say that I am familiar with Harold's carriage collection would be stretching it. However, I am aware of the historical significance of many of the items. He has so much stuff, both tangible and intangible, that it is sometimes overwhelming. It is a Show and Tell that has lasted 11 years and counting, of which I am eternally grateful to him.

In order to show my appreciation, I nag him constantly about writing a book and categorising his collection. Now that he is retired, I nag even harder. The purpose for writing this blog is to engage you, dear reader, to join my cause. Whenever you see/meet Harold Ault, let this blog be your first impression of him. Look beyond the cover and encourage, berate, cheer, cajole or threaten him into achieving the potential of his collection and in turn of his life's work. And ask, if you dare, the differences between a park drag and a road coach. Someday, you'll be glad you did.

Harold driving Don Pecos put to

his Kimball Stanhope Gig, at the

Villa Louis Carriage Classic, 2000

Accidental Sagacity for Today: Harold Ault

My friend, Harold Ault of Ames, IA, is a rare find. By all accounts, he is the purest definition of eccentric. At first glance, it is easy to misunderstand him. His appearance is usually slightly disheveled, his gait both swinging and staggering at once, his mode of transportation helped down the road with the aid of log chains and cement blocks. But look for the accidental sagacity and you trip over a substantial treasure.

Harold is a walking, talking, dog eared, highlighted, frequently thumbed through, epic volume of encyclopedias. He is a collector of nearly everything there ever was on this earth, namely carriages, their accouterments and a bevy of anecdotes. For the uninitiated, Harold is the Saturday NY Times crossword puzzle. However, if you express an interest, he will start you out with a Monday puzzle and give you many clues.

I have known Harold for 11 years, a year after learning the importance of traces. And now I can tell you the difference between a road coach and a park drag. He has only had to explain the differences to me a hundred times, but he never tires of trying. Every time, he remembers yet another story to add to the richness of the lesson.

To say that I am familiar with Harold's carriage collection would be stretching it. However, I am aware of the historical significance of many of the items. He has so much stuff, both tangible and intangible, that it is sometimes overwhelming. It is a Show and Tell that has lasted 11 years and counting, of which I am eternally grateful to him.

In order to show my appreciation, I nag him constantly about writing a book and categorising his collection. Now that he is retired, I nag even harder. The purpose for writing this blog is to engage you, dear reader, to join my cause. Whenever you see/meet Harold Ault, let this blog be your first impression of him. Look beyond the cover and encourage, berate, cheer, cajole or threaten him into achieving the potential of his collection and in turn of his life's work. And ask, if you dare, the differences between a park drag and a road coach. Someday, you'll be glad you did.

Harold driving Don Pecos put to

his Kimball Stanhope Gig.