How do you progress from ground driving to hitching a horse to a cart for the first time?

The transition from ground driving to hitching a horse to a cart is one of the most significant steps in a driving horse's training, and the way it is managed will shape the horse's attitude toward pulling work for the rest of his career. A horse that has been thoroughly prepared through ground driving should find this transition relatively straightforward — but the process still requires patience, careful preparation, and a systematic approach that introduces each new element individually before combining them. Before a cart is ever involved, the horse should be introduced to the shafts as isolated objects. Letting the horse see, smell, and be touched by the shafts while standing still removes much of the visual novelty from the hitching experience. The next step is to have a handler hold the shafts and walk them alongside the horse as he moves, eventually allowing the shafts to brush against his sides so he learns that contact from a shaft alongside his barrel is not dangerous. Backchaining — walking alongside the horse with the shafts while gradually positioning them lower and closer to the tug rings — acclimates the horse to the feel of the harness carrying the weight of the shafts before any actual cart is attached. Many trainers pull a light drag or a log behind a ground-driven horse before introducing the cart, so the horse experiences the feeling of resistance from behind without the additional visual stimulus of a vehicle following him. The first hitching should happen in a small, enclosed area with an experienced ground person at the horse's head. A lightweight training cart is preferable to a heavy vehicle. The initial drive should stay in a straight line or on very large, gradual turns, avoiding tight spaces, loud surfaces, or any situation that could startle the horse before he is confirmed in his acceptance of the cart. Throughout this process, the horse's body language is the guide for pace. A horse that is soft in the eye, relaxed in the ear, and moving freely is ready to advance. A horse showing tension, short steps, or a raised, tight back is telling the trainer to slow down and spend more time at the current stage before moving forward.