carriage driving

{{short description|Form of competitive horse driving in harness with two or four wheeled carriages}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}

{{About|carriage driving as a pleasure sport|other forms|Driving (horse)|and|Combined driving}}

{{multiple image |perrow = 1 |total_width=250 |align=right |image_style=border:none;

|image1 = Driving Competion (3716744692).jpg

|caption1 =

|image2 = Final Judging of the Coaching Marathon (3716748680) (cropped).jpg

|caption2 =

| footer = Competitors in carriage driving classes at the Royal Show at Stoneleigh Park 2009

}}

Carriage driving is a form of competitive horse driving in harness in which larger two- or four-wheeled carriages (sometimes restored antiques) are pulled by a single horse, a pair, tandem or a four-in-hand team. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh helped to expand the sport. He started to compete in carriage driving in 1971, and the early rule book was drafted under his supervision.{{Cite book|last=Heald|first=Tim|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/24130467|title=The Duke: a portrait of Prince Philip|date=1991|publisher=Hodder & Stoughton|isbn=0-340-54607-7|location=London|pages=212-214|oclc=24130467}}{{Cite book|last=Philip|first=Duke of Edinburgh|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/32926843|title=Competition carriage driving|date=1994|publisher=J.A. Allen|isbn=0-85131-594-1|edition=|location=London|oclc=32926843}}

In competitions, the driver and horse(s) have to complete three tests: Dressage, Marathon, and Obstacle Driving.{{cite web |title=Carriage Driving |url=https://www.horsesportireland.ie/disciplines/carriage-driving/ |website=Horse Sport Ireland |access-date=4 September 2018}} The International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) oversees International Shows. The FEI Driving rules are followed in these competitions, which aim to protect the welfare of the horse and also ensure fairness in competitions.{{cite web|url=https://inside.fei.org/sites/default/files/FEI%20Driving%20Rules%202016_Clean%20version.pdf|url-status=dead|title=Driving Rules and Para-Equestrian Driving Rules|year=2014|publisher= Fédération Equestre Internationale|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161201080004/https://inside.fei.org/sites/default/files/FEI%20Driving%20Rules%202016_Clean%20version.pdf|archive-date=2016-12-01}}

Pleasure competitions also have classes which are judged on the turnout, neatness or suitability of the horse(s) and carriage.