Jesse pulls John and Stanford through the rain of a Spring day.
I’ve always enjoyed riding motorcycles for the experience of feeling the forces of nature as I round a corner or accelerate. Well, I guess if I wanted to feel nature and be a real man, I should take up carriage driving. For within a short horse carriage ride provided by John Walker in Carmichael, his one horse power plant out performed my 40 hp motorcycle for pure physical experience.
Feel the carriage motion
As carriage driver John Walker directed Jesse to pick up his gait across the wet green grass of Ancil Hoffman Park, a passenger riding on the carriage becomes little more than dead weight as the carriage bumps and jostles you over the uneven path. So this is what life was like before seat belts and crumple zones of our modern cars.
Stanford enjoys the one horse propulsion system of the carriage ride.
Modern horse carriages, smoother ride
Actually, the carriage we were riding in is very modern day compared to nineteenth century carriages. With a coil and shock absorber on the front and disc brakes on the rear wheels, John assured me the ride was far superior to some of his other carriages that do not sport the modern suspension.
Riding high on the carriage
One design element that hasn’t changed is the high center of gravity of the carriage. The height of the riding position, four feet from the ground, ensures that vertical motion of hitting a bump is amplified not only for the carriage but in the sense of balance and equilibrium of the passengers. There in lies the danger, challenge and sport of carriage driving; flipping over and being thrown off of the carriage.
Driver and narrator
Stanford, John’s trusty sidekick pooch, braves the rain in Ancil Hoffman Park.
John is as passionate about his sport of carriage driving as any amateur race car driver or ultra-marathoner I have spoken with. Not only is his mind constantly assessing the challenges of maneuvering the carriage up hills and around obstacles (Yes, John, you could have warned me about the low hanging oak tree branches before they kissed me), he was an excellent narrator as he was working in tandem with Jesse and the carriage.
Open air, open wheel
John, Jesse and John’s miniature horses belong to the Northern California Driving Club that organizes carriage driving competitions. Because carriage driving is a historic thread in the evolution of transportation, competitive carriage drivers must don specific garb of the period such as coat, apron, hat, and whip. While some of the essential carriage driver dress has been upgraded for safety, like helmets for certain competitions, drivers are still at the mercy of physics when the carriage takes a tumble.
19th century experience
Disc brakes on the modern carriage.
My short ride as a passenger was accompanied with a light spring rain and wind. It was like riding in a convertible without a windshield and I loved it. There is a joy and exhilaration to traveling through the space of nature and realizing it controls you and not the other way around. It is a humbling experience.
Roller coaster or carriage ride
A greater adrenaline rush can be had by riding the Death Spiral roller coaster at your favorite theme park. But for an experience that transports you, however briefly, through space and back in time, a spirited carriage ride is no better adventure.
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