With competitions on hold, Amy Mundell catches up with some of the world’s leading drivers to discover how they are keeping their horses fit and what tips and advice they have to make the best use of the extra time at home.

All International Four-in-hand drivers anticipated a busy lead up to September when their World Championships were scheduled to take place in Limburg, Netherlands. Notoriously, qualification and selection processes result in packed competition schedules for those looking to make their respective National Teams. For reasons out of anyone’s control, this year’s competitive driving calendar has been severely effected by the Coronavirus outbreak, just like all events worldwide. This unpredicted road block has fallen in the way of many drivers on what was their path to the Worlds. Speaking to four of those affected, whose names you may recognise from Royal Windsor and Olympia, we were given an insight into how they’re using their time during lockdown

Bram Chardon

Life at home in Delft, Netherlands hasn’t changed much for Bram: his horses reside at their family run Equestrian Centre and Riding School, so everything is within a stone’s throw.

As someone with their eyes set firmly on the World Championship podiums, the news of the cancellation of the event was surely disappointing. When speaking about his aspirations for the famed contest (prior to the news) Bram stated he would like to take the Individual Gold, as well as the Team Gold for the host country. Bram’s ambition did not stop there, he was keen to show good performances at the major competitions Aachen and Beekbergen for the Dutch Championships, as well as overall to qualify again for the Indoor World Cup.

When asked how the current pandemic has affected Bram’s training and progress he said: “If anything the current situation has created more time for training, we can drive all day, everyday!” Bram also explained how restrictions on movements have reduced ‘outside’ clients thus allowing both himself and his father, Ijsbrand, to focus on themselves. In Holland, the guidelines permit one on one lessons, so they are looking to safely get their students back to the stables and undertaking more practical work to help work the horses.

In total the Chardon’s have 110 horses at home; 35 retirees, 24 for the Riding School, 15 from driving clients, the remainder a mixture of their own driving, ridden and young horses. Those for the Riding School include all of their Indoor Driving horses, of whom in their normal routine get worked under saddle. For a challenge during lockdown, with the help of his father, Bram told how he took them out as a team of eight: “My Father is used to driving with more than eight, so for him it was not so difficult, for me it was the first time, it was good fun”. The family is juggling the load by rotating around the paddocks, the horse-walker, under saddle, so the horses are all still getting the work just not so frequently. Bram reassures that although the competitions have stopped, the work and preparation for the competitions hasn’t. Besides having their own teams to prepare, for the 15 horses and ponies from external clients that are permanently based with them, training continues. This additionally helps them maintain an income whilst work at the Riding School and with external clients is on hold.

Bram’s Top Tip for Lockdown:

“Appreciate being at home, appreciate what you have, not what you don’t have, even if it’s limited, get 100% out of it, don’t accept just 80%. Become critical with yourself, check all your equipment over, organise and clean your competition gear. Focus on the weaknesses and improve without the time pressure of the approaching competitions.”

You can find out how Glen Geerts, Mareike Harm and Wilf Bowman-Ripley are also using their time at home. They also share top training tips for lockdown in the current issue of Carriage Driving.