Horse of Buckingham Palace, Londres cropped straightened

Concours national d'attelage élite Rennes 2014-1

A carriage is a private four-wheeled vehicle for people and is most commonly horse-drawn. Second-hand private carriages were common public transport, the equivalent of modern cars used as taxis. Carriage suspensions are by leather strapping and, on those made in recent centuries, steel springs. Two-wheeled carriages are informal and usually owner-driven. Coaches are a special category within carriages. They are carriages with four corner posts and a fixed roof. Two-wheeled war chariots and transport vehicles such as four-wheeled wagons and two-wheeled

cart A cart or dray (Australia and New Zealand) is a vehicle designed for transport, using two wheels and normally pulled by one or a pair of draught animals. A handcart is pulled or pushed by one or more people. It is different from the flatbed tr ...

s were forerunners of carriages. In the twenty-first century, horse-drawn carriages are occasionally used for public parades by royalty and for traditional formal ceremonies. Simplified modern versions are made for tourist transport in warm countries and for those cities where tourists expect open horse-drawn carriages to be provided. Simple metal sporting versions are still made for the sport known as competitive driving.

Overview

The word ''carriage'' (abbreviated ''carr'' or ''cge'') is from

Old Northern French Old Norman, also called Old Northern French or Old Norman French ( fro, Ancien Normant, nrf, Ancien Normaund), was one of many varieties of the ''langues d'oïl'' native to northern France. It was spoken throughout the region of what is now calle ...

, to carry in a vehicle.''Oxford English Dictionary'' 1933: Car, Carriage The word ''car'', then meaning a kind of two-wheeled cart for goods, also came from Old Northern French about the beginning of the 14th century (probably derived from the

Late Latin Late Latin ( la, Latinitas serior) is the scholarly name for the form of Literary Latin of late antiquity.Roberts (1996), p. 537. English dictionary definitions of Late Latin date this period from the , and continuing into the 7th century in t ...

, a car); it is also used for railway carriages and in the US around the end of the 19th century, early cars (automobiles) were briefly called '' horseless carriages''.

History

Prehistory

Some horsecarts found in

Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language * Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Fo ...

graves show hints that their platforms were suspended elastically. Four-wheeled wagons were used in Bronze Age Europe, and their form known from excavations suggests that the basic construction techniques of wheel and undercarriage (that survived until the age of the motor car) were established then.

Bullock carriage

A bullock carriage, also known as a bullock cart, is a large, four wheeled carriage typically pulled by oxen. It conventionally includes a sturdy wooden tongue between the wheels, a yoke connecting the pair of oxen, a wooden platform for passengers or cargo, and large steel rimmed wooden wheels.Raghavan, M. R., & Nagendra, H. R. (1979, December). A study on bullock carts. Part 1. Engineering analysis of the two-wheel bullock cart design. Bangalore, India; Indian Institute of Science. These carriages were first protyped in the 3rd millennium BC and predated chariots. Evidence of both light and heavy wheeled bullock carriages have been found in sites like Mohenjo--Daro, Harappa and Chanhu-daro.

Chariot

Two-wheeled carriage models have been discovered from the

Indus valley civilization The Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC), also known as the Indus Civilisation was a Bronze Age civilisation in the northwestern regions of South Asia, lasting from 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE, and in its mature form 2600 BCE to 1900&n ...

including twin horse drawn covered carriages resembling

ekka The Ekka is the annual agricultural show of Queensland, Australia. Its formal title is the Royal Queensland Show, and it is held at the Brisbane Showgrounds. It was originally called the Brisbane Exhibition, but it is more commonly known as the ...

from various sites such as

Harappa Harappa (; Urdu/ pnb, ) is an archaeological site in Punjab, Pakistan, about west of Sahiwal. The Bronze Age Harappan civilisation, now more often called the Indus Valley Civilisation, is named after the site, which takes its name from a mode ...

Mohenjo Daro Mohenjo-daro (; sd, موئن جو دڙو'', ''meaning 'Mound of the Dead Men';Chanhu Daro. The earliest recorded sort of carriage was the

chariot A chariot is a type of cart driven by a charioteer, usually using horses to provide rapid motive power. The oldest known chariots have been found in burials of the Sintashta culture in modern-day Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia, dated to c. 2000&nbs ...

, reaching Mesopotamia as early as 1900 BC. Used typically for warfare by Egyptians, the Near Easterners and Europeans, it was essentially a two-wheeled light basin carrying one or two passengers, drawn by one to two horses. The chariot was revolutionary and effective because it delivered fresh warriors to crucial areas of battle with swiftness.

Roman carriage

First century BC Romans used sprung wagons for overland journeys. It is likely that Roman carriages employed some form of suspension on chains or leather straps, as indicated by carriage parts found in excavations. In 2021 archaeologists discovered the remains of a ceremonial four wheel carriage, a pilentum, near the ancient Roman city of

Pompeii Pompeii (, ) was an ancient city located in what is now the ''comune'' of Pompei near Naples in the Campania region of Italy. Pompeii, along with Herculaneum and many villas in the surrounding area (e.g. at Boscoreale, Stabiae), was buried ...

. It is thought the pilentum may have been used in ceremonies such as weddings. The find has been described as being "in an excellent state of preservation".

Ancient Chinese carriage

During the Zhou dynasty of China, the

Warring States The Warring States period () was an era in ancient Chinese history characterized by warfare, as well as bureaucratic and military reforms and consolidation. It followed the Spring and Autumn period and concluded with the Qin wars of conquest ...

were also known to have used carriages as transportation. With the decline of these city-states and kingdoms, these techniques almost disappeared.

Medieval carriage

Kobelwagen, Jean Le Tavernier, nach 1455

A two-tiered carriage drawn by four elephants

The medieval carriage was typically a four-wheeled wagon type, with a rounded top ("tilt") similar in appearance to the Conestoga Wagon familiar from the United States. Sharing the traditional form of wheels and undercarriage known since the Bronze Age, it very likely also employed the pivoting fore-axle in continuity from the ancient world. Suspension (on chains) is recorded in visual images and written accounts from the 14th century ("chars branlant" or rocking carriages), and was in widespread use by the 15th century. Carriages were largely used by royalty, aristocrats (and especially by women), and could be elaborately decorated and gilded. These carriages were usually on four wheels and were drawn by two to four horses depending on their size and status. Wood and iron were the primary materials needed to build a carriage and carriages that were used by non-royalty were covered by plain leather. Another form of carriage was the pageant wagon of the 14th century. Historians debate the structure and size of pageant wagons; however, they are generally miniature house-like structures that rest on four to six wheels depending on the size of the wagon. The pageant wagon is significant because up until the 14th century most carriages were on two or three wheels; the chariot, rocking carriage, and baby carriage are two examples of carriages which pre-date the pageant wagon. Historians also debate whether or not pageant wagons were built with pivotal axle systems, which allowed the wheels to turn. Whether it was a four- or six-wheel pageant wagon, most historians maintain that pivotal axle systems were implemented on pageant wagons because many roads were often winding with some sharp turns. Six wheel pageant wagons also represent another innovation in carriages; they were one of the first carriages to use multiple pivotal axles. Pivotal axles were used on the front set of wheels and the middle set of wheels. This allowed the horse to move freely and steer the carriage in accordance with the road or path.

Coach

One of the great innovations in carriage history was the invention of the suspended carriage or the ''chariot branlant'' (though whether this was a Roman or medieval innovation remains uncertain). The "chariot branlant" of medieval illustrations was suspended by chains rather than leather straps as had been believed. Suspension, whether on chains or leather, might provide a smoother ride since the carriage body no longer rested on the axles, but could not prevent swinging (branlant) in all directions. It is clear from illustrations (and surviving examples) that the medieval suspended carriage with a round tilt was a widespread European type, referred to by any number of names (car, currus, char, chariot). In the early 14th century England, coaches would still have been extremely rare. They would have been unlikely to be more than a dozen, and even then to be very costly until the end of the century. These coaches would have had four six-spoke six-foot high wheels that were linked by greased axles under the body of the coach, and they had no suspension. The chassis was made from oak beam and the barrel shaped roof was covered in brightly painted leather or cloth. The interior would include seats, beds, cushions, tapestries and even rugs. They would be pulled by four to five horses. Under King Mathias Corvinus (1458–90), who enjoyed fast travel, the Hungarians developed fast road transport, and the town of Kocs between

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...

and

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

became an important post-town, and gave its name to the new vehicle type. The earliest illustrations of the Hungarian "Kochi-wagon" do not indicate any suspension, a body with high sides of lightweight wickerwork, and typically drawn by three horses in harness. Later models were considerably lighter and famous for a single horse being able to draw many passengers. Grand Gala Berlin

The Hungarian coach spread across Europe rather quickly, in part due to

Ippolito d'Este of Ferrara Ippolito or Eppolito is an Italian surname and given name, and the Italian form of the name of Saint Hippolytus of Rome. It may refer to: Given name * Ippolito Adobrandini, birth name of Pope Clement VIII (1536–1605) * Ippolito Aldobrandini (card ...

(1479–1529), nephew of Mathias' queen Beatrix of Aragon, who as a very junior Archbishopric of

Esztergom Esztergom ( ; german: Gran; la, Solva or ; sk, Ostrihom, known by alternative names) is a city with county rights in northern Hungary, northwest of the capital Budapest. It lies in Komárom-Esztergom County, on the right bank of the river Danu ...

developed a taste for Hungarian riding and took his carriage and driver back to Italy. Around 1550 the "coach" made its appearance throughout the major cities of Europe, and the new word entered the vocabulary of all their languages. However, the new "coach" seems to have been a fashionable concept (fast road travel for men) as much as any particular type of vehicle, and there is no obvious technological change that accompanied the innovation. As its use spread throughout Europe in the late 16th century, the coach's body structure was ultimately changed, from a round-topped tilt to the "four-poster" carriages that became standard everywhere by c.1600.

Later development of the coach

The coach had doors in the side, with an iron step protected by leather that became the "boot" in which servants might ride. The driver sat on a seat at the front, and the most important occupant sat in the back facing forwards. The earliest coaches can be seen at Veste Coburg, Lisbon, and the Moscow Kremlin, and they become a commonplace in European art. It was not until the 17th century that further innovations with steel springs and glazing took place, and only in the 18th century, with better road surfaces, was there a major innovation with the introduction of the steel C-spring. Many innovations were proposed, and some patented, for new types of suspension or other features. It was only from the 18th century that changes to steering systems were suggested, including the use of the '

fifth wheel The fifth-wheel coupling provides the link between a semi-trailer and the towing truck, tractor unit, leading trailer or dolly. The coupling consists of a kingpin, a vertical steel pin protruding from the bottom of the front of the semi-tr ...

' substituted for the pivoting fore-axle, and on which the carriage turned. Another proposal came from

Erasmus Darwin Erasmus Robert Darwin (12 December 173118 April 1802) was an English physician. One of the key thinkers of the Midlands Enlightenment, he was also a natural philosopher, physiologist, slave-trade abolitionist, inventor, and poet. His poems ...

, a young English doctor who was driving a carriage about 10,000 miles a year to visit patients all over England. Darwin found two essential problems or shortcomings of the commonly used light carriage or Hungarian carriage. First, the front wheels were turned by a pivoting front axle, which had been used for years, but these wheels were often quite small and hence the rider, carriage and horse felt the brunt of every bump on the road. Secondly, he recognized the danger of overturning. A pivoting front axle changes a carriage's base from a rectangle to a triangle because the wheel on the inside of the turn is able to turn more sharply than the outside front wheel. Darwin suggested a fix for these insufficiencies by proposing a principle in which the two front wheels turn (independently of the front axle) about a centre that lies on the extended line of the back axle. This idea was later patented in 1818 as

Ackermann steering The Ackermann steering geometry is a geometric arrangement of linkages in the steering of a automobile, car or other vehicle designed to solve the problem of wheels on the inside and outside of a turn needing to trace out circles of different rad ...

. Darwin argued that carriages would then be easier to pull and less likely to overturn. Carriage use in North America came with the establishment of European settlers. Early colonial horse tracks quickly grew into roads especially as the colonists extended their territories southwest. Colonists began using carts as these roads and trading increased between the north and south. Eventually, carriages or coaches were sought to transport goods as well as people. As in Europe, chariots, coaches and/or carriages were a mark of status. The tobacco planters of the South were some of the first Americans to use the carriage as a form of human transportation. As the tobacco farming industry grew in the southern colonies so did the frequency of carriages, coaches and wagons. Upon the turn of the 18th century, wheeled vehicle use in the colonies was at an all-time high. Carriages, coaches and wagons were being taxed based on the number of wheels they had. These taxes were implemented in the South primarily as the South had superior numbers of horses and wheeled vehicles when compared to the North. Europe, however, still used carriage transportation far more often and on a much larger scale than anywhere else in the world. Naghs Jahan Horses

Demise

Carriages and coaches began to disappear as use of steam propulsion began to generate more and more interest and research. Steam power quickly won the battle against animal power as is evident by a newspaper article written in England in 1895 entitled "Horseflesh vs. Steam". The article highlights the death of the carriage as the main means of transportation.

Today

Nowadays, carriages are still used for day-to-day transport in the United States by some minority groups such as the

Amish The Amish (; pdc, Amisch; german: link=no, Amische), formally the Old Order Amish, are a group of traditionalist Anabaptist Christian church fellowships with Swiss German and Alsatian origins. They are closely related to Mennonite churches ...

. They are also still used in tourism as vehicles for

sightseeing Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism mor ...

in cities such as

Bruges Bruges ( , nl, Brugge ) is the capital and largest City status in Belgium, city of the Provinces of Belgium, province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium, in the northwest of the country, and the sixth-largest city of the countr ...

, Vienna,

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

, and

Little Rock, Arkansas (The Little Rock, The "Little Rock") , government_type = council-manager government, Council-manager , leader_title = List of mayors of Little Rock, Arkansas, Mayor , leader_name = Frank Scott Jr. , leader_ ...

. The most complete working collection of carriages can be seen at the Royal Mews in London where a large selection of vehicles is in regular use. These are supported by a staff of liveried coachmen, footmen and postillions. The horses earn their keep by supporting the work of the Royal Household, particularly during ceremonial events. Horses pulling a large carriage known as a "covered brake" collect the Yeoman of the Guard in their distinctive red uniforms from St James's Palace for Investitures at Buckingham Palace; High Commissioners or Ambassadors are driven to their audiences with the Queen in landaus; visiting heads of state are transported to and from official arrival ceremonies and members of the Royal Family are driven in Royal Mews coaches during Trooping the Colour, the Order of the Garter service at Windsor Castle and carriage processions at the beginning of each day of Royal Ascot.

Construction

Body

Carriages may be enclosed or open, depending on the type. The top cover for the body of a carriage, called the ''head'' or ''hood'', is often flexible and designed to be folded back when desired. Such a folding top is called a ''bellows top'' or ''

calash A barouche is a large, open, four-wheeled carriage, both heavy and luxurious, drawn by two horses. It was fashionable throughout the 19th century. Its body provides seats for four passengers, two back-seat passengers vis-à-vis two behind the co ...

''. A ''hoopstick'' forms a light framing member for this kind of hood. The top, roof or second-story compartment of a closed carriage, especially a diligence, was called an ''imperial''. A closed carriage may have side windows called ''quarter lights'' (British) as well as windows in the doors, hence a "glass coach". On the forepart of an open carriage, a screen of wood or leather called a '' dashboard'' intercepts water, mud or snow thrown up by the heels of the horses. The dashboard or carriage top sometimes has a projecting sidepiece called a ''wing'' (British). A ''foot iron'' or ''footplate'' may serve as a carriage step. A carriage driver sits on a ''box'' or ''perch'', usually elevated and small. When at the front, it is known as a ''dickey box'', a term also used for a seat at the back for servants. A footman might use a small platform at the rear called a ''footboard'' or a seat called a ''

rumble Rumble or Rumbling may refer to: Sounds and vibrations * Rumble (noise), a form of low frequency noise * Rumble, a haptic feedback vibration feature in video game controllers * Rumbling, a quality of a heart murmur * Stomach rumble, or borbory ...

'' behind the body. Some carriages have a moveable seat called a ''jump seat''. Some seats had an attached backrest called a ''lazyback''. The shafts of a carriage were called ''limbers'' in English dialect. ''Lancewood'', a tough elastic wood of various trees, was often used especially for carriage shafts. A ''holdback'', consisting of an iron catch on the shaft with a looped strap, enables a horse to back or hold back the vehicle. The end of the tongue of a carriage is suspended from the collars of the harness by a bar called the ''yoke''. At the end of a

trace Trace may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Trace (Son Volt album), ''Trace'' (Son Volt album), 1995 * Trace (Died Pretty album), ''Trace'' (Died Pretty album), 1993 * Trace (band), a Dutch progressive rock band * The Trace (album), ''The ...

, a loop called a ''cockeye'' attaches to the carriage. In some carriage types, the body is suspended from several leather straps called ''braces'' or ''thoroughbraces'', attached to or serving as springs.

Undercarriage

Beneath the carriage body is the ''undergear'' or ''undercarriage'' (or simply ''carriage''), consisting of the running gear and chassis. The wheels and axles, in distinction from the body, are the ''running gear''. The wheels revolve upon bearings or a spindle at the ends of a bar or beam called an ''axle'' or ''axletree''. Most carriages have either one or two axles. On a four-wheeled vehicle, the forward part of the running gear, or ''forecarriage'', is arranged to permit the front axle to turn independently of the fixed rear axle. In some carriages a

dropped axle A dropped axle is the axle of a vehicle that is bent upwards towards the ends, i.e. the centre is 'dropped'. This gives two advantages: the centre of gravity of the bodywork is lowered relative to the wheels, which improves stability; secondly th ...

, bent twice at a right angle near the ends, allows for a low body with large wheels. A guard called a ''dirtboard'' keeps dirt from the axle arm. Several structural members form parts of the chassis supporting the carriage body. The fore axletree and the splinter bar above it (supporting the springs) are united by a piece of wood or metal called a futchel, which forms a socket for the pole that extends from the front axle. For strength and support, a rod called the '' backstay'' may extend from either end of the rear axle to the reach, the pole or rod joining the hind axle to the forward bolster above the front axle. A skid called a ''drag'', '' dragshoe'', ''shoe'' or ''skidpan'' retards the motion of the wheels. A London patent of 1841 describes one such apparatus: "An iron-shod beam, slightly longer than the radius of the wheel, is hinged under the axle so that when it is released to strike the ground the forward momentum of the vehicle wedges it against the axle". The original feature of this modification was that instead of the usual practice of having to stop the carriage to retract the beam and so lose useful momentum the chain holding it in place is released (from the driver's position) so that it is allowed to rotate further in its backwards direction, releasing the axle. A system of "pendant-levers" and straps then allows the beam to return to its first position and be ready for further use. A catch or block called a ''trigger'' may be used to hold a wheel on an incline. A horizontal wheel or segment of a wheel called a ''

'' sometimes forms an extended support to prevent the carriage from tipping; it consists of two parts rotating on each other about the kingbolt or perchbolt above the fore axle and beneath the body. A block of wood called a ''headblock'' might be placed between the fifth wheel and the forward spring.

Fittings

Many of these fittings were carried over to horseless carriages and evolved into the modern elements of automobiles. During the Brass Era they were often the same parts on either type of carriage (i.e., horse-drawn or horseless). * Upholstery (trimming): traditionally similar to the

upholstery Upholstery is the work of providing furniture, especially seats, with padding, springs, webbing, and fabric or leather covers. The word also refers to the materials used to upholster something. ''Upholstery'' comes from the Middle English word ...

of furniture; evolved into car interior upholstery such as car seats and door trim panels * Carriage lamps: typically oil lamps for centuries, although carbide lamps and battery-powered

electric lamp An electric light, lamp, or light bulb is an electrical component that produces light. It is the most common form of artificial lighting. Lamps usually have a base made of ceramic, metal, glass, or plastic, which secures the lamp in the soc ...

s were also used in the late 19th and early 20th centuries; evolved into car headlamps * Trunk: a luggage trunk serving the same purpose as, and which gave its name to, later car trunks *

Toolbox A toolbox (also called toolkit, tool chest or workbox) is a box to organize, carry, and protect the owner's tools. They could be used for trade, a hobby or DIY, and their contents vary with the craft. Types A toolbox could refer to several typ ...

: a small box with enough

hand tool A hand tool is any tool that is powered by hand rather than a motor. Categories of hand tools include wrenches, pliers, cutters, files, striking tools, struck or hammered tools, screwdrivers, vises, clamps, snips, hacksaws, drills, and kni ...

s to make simple repairs on the roadside * Blankets: in winter, blankets for the driver and passengers and often

horse blanket A horse blanket or rug is a blanket or animal ''coat'' intended for keeping a horse or other equine warm or otherwise protected from wind or other elements. They are tailored to fit around a horse's body from chest to rump, with straps crossing ...

s as well * Running board: a step to assist in climbing onto the carriage and also sometimes a place for standing passengers * Shovel: useful for mud and snow in the roadway, to free the carriage from being stuck; was especially important in the era when most roads were

dirt road A dirt road or track is a type of unpaved road not paved with asphalt, concrete, brick, or stone; made from the native material of the land surface through which it passes, known to highway engineers as subgrade material. Dirt roads are suitable ...

s, often with deep ruts * Buggy whip or coachwhip: whips for the horses. For obvious reasons, this is one of the components of carriage equipment that did not carry over from horse-drawn carriages to horseless carriages, and that fact has made such whips one of the prototypical or stereotypical examples of products whose manufacture is subject to

disruptive innovation In business theory, disruptive innovation is innovation that creates a new market and value network or enters at the bottom of an existing market and eventually displaces established market-leading firms, products, and alliances. The concept was ...

Carriage terminology

A person whose business was to drive a carriage was a '' coachman''. A servant in livery called a '' footman'' or ''piquer'' formerly served in attendance upon a rider or was required to run before his master's carriage to clear the way. An attendant on horseback called an ''outrider'' often rode ahead of or next to a carriage. A ''carriage starter'' directed the flow of vehicles taking on passengers at the curbside. A ''hackneyman'' hired out horses and carriages. When hawking wares, a ''hawker'' was often assisted by a carriage. Upper-class people of wealth and social position, those wealthy enough to keep carriages, were referred to as ''carriage folk'' or ''carriage trade''. Carriage passengers often used a ''lap robe'' as a blanket or similar covering for their legs, lap and feet. A ''buffalo robe'', made from the hide of an

American bison The American bison (''Bison bison'') is a species of bison native to North America. Sometimes colloquially referred to as American buffalo or simply buffalo (a different clade of bovine), it is one of two extant species of bison, alongside the ...

dressed with the hair on, was sometimes used as a carriage robe; it was commonly trimmed to rectangular shape and lined on the skin side with fabric. A ''carriage boot'', fur-trimmed for winter wear, was made usually of fabric with a fur or felt lining. A ''knee boot'' protected the knees from rain or splatter. A horse especially bred for carriage use by appearance and stylish action is called a ''carriage horse''; one for use on a road is a ''road horse''. One such breed is the ''

Cleveland Bay The Cleveland Bay is a breed of horse that originated in England during the 17th century, named after its colouring and the Cleveland district of Yorkshire. It is a well-muscled horse, with legs that are strong but short in relatio ...

'', uniformly

bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a Gulf (geography), gulf, sea, sound (geography), sound, or bight (geogra ...

in color, of good conformation and strong constitution. Horses were broken in using a bodiless carriage frame called a ''break'' or ''brake''. A ''

carriage dog A carriage dog or coach dog refers to a type of dog rather than a specific breed. Dogs of this type were usually bred and trained to trot alongside carriages to protect the occupants from banditry or other interference. They were usually owned and ...

'' or ''coach dog'' is bred for running beside a carriage. A roofed structure that extends from the entrance of a building over an adjacent driveway and that shelters callers as they get in or out of their vehicles is known as a ''carriage porch'' or ''

porte cochere Porte may refer to: *Sublime Porte, the central government of the Ottoman empire *Porte, Piedmont, a municipality in the Piedmont region of Italy *John Cyril Porte, British/Irish aviator *Richie Porte, Australian professional cyclist who competes ...

''. An outbuilding for a carriage is a ''coach house'', which was often combined with accommodation for a

groom A bridegroom (often shortened to groom) is a man who is about to be married or who is newlywed. When marrying, the bridegroom's future spouse (if female) is usually referred to as the bride. A bridegroom is typically attended by a best man an ...

or other servants. A ''

livery stable A livery is an identifying design, such as a uniform, ornament, symbol or insignia that designates ownership or affiliation, often found on an individual or vehicle. Livery will often have elements of the heraldry relating to the individual or ...

'' kept horses and usually carriages for hire. A range of stables, usually with ''

carriage house A carriage house, also called a remise or coach house, is an outbuilding which was originally built to house horse-drawn carriages and the related tack. In Great Britain the farm building was called a cart shed. These typically were open f ...

s'' (''remises'') and living quarters built around a yard, court or street, is called a ''

mews A mews is a row or courtyard of stables and carriage houses with living quarters above them, built behind large city houses before motor vehicles replaced horses in the early twentieth century. Mews are usually located in desirable residential ...

''. A kind of dynamometer called a ''peirameter'' indicates the power necessary to haul a carriage over a road or track. File:HansomCab.jpg, Hansom cab and driver adding character to period filming File:WeddingCarriage.JPG, Bride descending from a decorated wedding carriage File:Cartelajf.JPG, Cartela (or "Kartela", a

Philippine The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

horse carriage, in art (8 Waves Waterpark & Hote

an Rafael, Bulacan An, AN, aN, or an may refer to: Businesses and organizations * Airlinair (IATA airline code AN) * Alleanza Nazionale, a former political party in Italy * AnimeNEXT, an annual anime convention located in New Jersey * Anime North, a Canadian an ...

Competitive driving

Horse carriage at FEI European Dressage Championship 02

In most European and English-speaking countries, driving is a competitive equestrian sport. Many horse shows host driving competitions for a particular style of driving, breed of horse, or type of vehicle. Show vehicles are usually carriages,

s, or buggies and, occasionally,

sulkies A sulky is a lightweight cart with two wheels and a seat for the driver, generally pulled by horses or dogs. With horses, a sulky is used for harness racing. The term is also used for an arch-mounted cart on wheels or crawler tracks, used in ...

or wagons. Modern high-technology carriages are made purely for competition by companies such as Bennington Carriages. in England. Terminology varies: the simple, lightweight two- or four-wheeled show vehicle common in many nations is called a "cart" in the USA, but a "carriage" in Australia. Internationally, there is intense competition in the all-round test of driving: combined driving, also known as ''horse-driving trials'', an equestrian discipline regulated by the

Fédération Équestre Internationale The International Federation for Equestrian Sports (, FEI) is the international governing body of equestrian sports. The FEI headquarters are in Lausanne, Switzerland. An FEI code of conduct protects the welfare of the horses from physical abu ...

(International Equestrian Federation) with national organizations representing each member country. World championships are conducted in alternate years, including single-horse, horse pairs and four-in-hand championships. The

World Equestrian Games The FEI World Equestrian Games are the major international championships for equestrianism, and are administered by the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI). The games have been held every four years, halfway between sets of consecutive ...

, held at four-year intervals, also includes a four-in-hand competition. For

pony A pony is a type of small horse ('' Equus ferus caballus''). Depending on the context, a pony may be a horse that is under an approximate or exact height at the withers, or a small horse with a specific conformation and temperament. Compared ...

drivers, the World Combined Pony Championships are held every two years and include singles, pairs and four-in-hand events.

Carriage collections

Argentina *Muhfit (Museo Histórico Fuerte Independencia Tandil),

Tandil Tandil is the main city of the homonymous Partidos of Buenos Aires, partido (department), located in Argentina, in the southeast of Buenos Aires Province, just north-northwest of Tandilia hills. The city was founded in 1823 and its name originate ...

. Australia *Cobb + Co Museum – National Carriage Collection, Queensland Museum, Toowoomba, Queensland. *The National Trust of Australia (Victoria) Carriage Collection Austria *Museum of Carriages and Department of Court Uniforms,

Kunsthistorisches Museum The Kunsthistorisches Museum ( "Museum of Art History", often referred to as the "Museum of Fine Arts") is an art museum in Vienna, Austria. Housed in its festive palatial building on the Vienna Ring Road, it is crowned with an octagonal do ...

, Vienna. Belgium * VZW Rijtuigmuseum Bree, Bree, Limburg * De Groom Carriage Center Bruges,

West Flanders ) , settlement_type = Province of Belgium , image_flag = Flag of West Flanders.svg , flag_size = , image_shield = Wapen van West-Vlaanderen.svg , shield_size = , image_map ...

* Koetsenmuseum Verdonckt * Royal Museum for Art and History Brussels (KMKG/MRAH) Brazil MHN03

* National Historical Museum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil * Imperial Museum in

Petrópolis Petrópolis (; ), also known as The Imperial City, is a Municipalities of Brazil, municipality in the Southeast Region, Brazil, Southeast Region of Brazil. It is located in the state of Rio de Janeiro (state), Rio de Janeiro, northeast of the ci ...

, Brazil Canada * The

Remington Carriage Museum The Remington Carriage Museum is located in Cardston, Alberta, Canada. Opened in 1993, and the largest of its kind in the world, the Remington Carriage Museum displays more than 240 carriages. Rated "The Best Indoor Attraction in Canada" four tim ...

in Cardston, Alberta, Canada * The

Campbell Carriage Factory Museum The Tantramar Heritage Trust is a non-profit charity that promotes the preservation of heritage buildings, artefacts and lands in an area of south-east New Brunswick along the Nova Scotia border known as the "Tantramar". This region, which is cent ...

Sackville, New Brunswick Sackville is a town in southeastern New Brunswick, Canada. It is home to Mount Allison University, a primarily undergraduate liberal arts university. Historically based on agriculture, shipbuilding, and manufacturing, the economy is now driven ...

, Canada * The

Kings Landing Historical Settlement Kings Landing is a New Brunswick living history museum with original buildings from the period of 1820-1920. It was created around buildings that were saved and moved to make way for the headpond for the Mactaquac Dam. Although Kings Landing i ...

Prince William, New Brunswick Prince William is a settlement in York County, New Brunswick. History Notable people See also *List of communities in New Brunswick This is a list of communities in New Brunswick, a province in Canada. For the purposes of this list, a co ...

, Canada, has a large collection of horse and oxen drawn vehicles. Denmark * Royal Carriage Museum,

Christiansborg Palace Christiansborg Palace ( da, Christiansborg Slot; ) is a palace and government building on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It is the seat of the Danish Parliament ('), the Danish Prime Minister's Office, and the Supreme ...

, Copenhagen * Slesvigske Vognsamling, Haderslev Egypt *

Carriage Museum A carriage is a private four-wheeled vehicle for people and is most commonly horse-drawn. Second-hand private carriages were common public transport, the equivalent of modern cars used as taxis. Carriage suspensions are by leather strapping an ...

France *

Apremont-sur-Allier Apremont-sur-Allier (, literally ''Apremont on Allier (river), Allier'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Cher (department), Cher Departments of France, department in the Centre-Val de Loire Regions of France, region of France. Geography A ...

, Musée des calèches (

Berry A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit, although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples are strawberries, raspb ...

) *Bourg, Musée Au temps des calèches ( Guyenne) *

Cazes-Mondenard Cazes-Mondenard (; oc, Cases e Montdenard) is a commune in the Tarn-et-Garonne department in the Occitanie region in southern France. Geography The Barguelonne flows southwestward through the northern part of the commune. See also *Communes of ...

, Musée de l'Attelage et du corbillard Yvan Quercy ( Quercy) * château de Chambord. Salle des carrosses du comte de Chambord (

Sologne Sologne (; ) is a natural region in Centre-Val de Loire, France, extending over portions of the departements of Loiret, Loir-et-Cher and Cher. Its area is about . To its north is the river Loire, to its south the river Cher, while the districts ...

Orléanais The Duchy of Orléanais () is a former province of France, which was created during the Renaissance by merging four former counties and towns. However after the French Revolution, the province was dissolved in 1791 and succeeded by five ''départm ...

) * château de Compiègne. Musée National de la voiture et du tourisme de Compiègne (

Picardie Picardy (; Picard and french: Picardie, , ) is a historical territory and a former administrative region of France. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new region of Hauts-de-France. It is located in the northern part of France. Hist ...

) *

Cussac-Fort-Médoc Cussac-Fort-Médoc is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. Fort Médoc in Cussac-Fort-Médoc, together with several buildings in nearby Blaye, was listed in 2008 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as p ...

, Musée du cheval du château Lanessan ( Guyenne) *

Le Fleix Le Fleix is a commune in the Dordogne department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. Le Fleix lies on the banks of the Dordogne at a place where the river bends. This is likely the origin of the name "flexus". History Le Fleix is famo ...

, Musée de l’hippomobile André Clament ( Périgord) *Les Épesses, Musée de la voiture à cheval (

Vendée Vendée (; br, Vande) is a department in the Pays de la Loire region in Western France, on the Atlantic coast. In 2019, it had a population of 685,442.

, Bas-Poitou) *Marcigny, Musée de la voiture à cheval (Bourgogne) *Plouay. Musée du conservatoire breton de la voiture hippomobile (Brittany) *Sacy-le-grand, Musée du cheval de trait (

) *Saint-Auvent, musée Au temps jadis (Limousin) *Sérignan, Musée de l’attelage et du cheval (Languedoc) *château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, Musée des Equipages (Île-de-France) *Palace of Versailles, Galerie des carrosses, The Versailles Stables (Île-de-France) Germany *Romano-Germanic Museum *Marstallmuseum of Carriages and Sleighs in the former Royal Stables, Nymphenburg Palace, Munich * Hesse Museum of Carriages and Sleighs in Lohfelden near Kassel Italy * Museo "Le Carrozze d'Epoca", Rome. * Museo Civico delle Carrozze d'Epoca di Codroipo. * Museo Civico delle Carrozze d'Epoca, San Martino, Udine. * Museo della Carrozza di Macerata. * Museo delle Carrozze del Quirinale, Rome. * Museo delle Carrozze di Palazzo Farnese, Piacenza. * Museo delle Carrozze, Catanzaro. * Museo delle Carrozze, Naples. Japan * :w:simple:Japan state carriages, Japanese Imperial Household Agency, Tokyo Netherlands *Nationaal Rijtuigmuseum, Leek, Groningen, Leek in Groningen (province), Groningen. Poland 1 Lancut 084

* Łańcut Castle
Rogalin Palace
Portugal * National Coach Museum (Lisbon), National Coach Museum (''Museu dos Coches''), Lisbon * Geraz do Lima Carriage museum Spain * Carriage Museum, Seville, Carriage Museum, Seville United Kingdom * Mossman Collection, Luton, Bedfordshire * Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace, London. * Swingletree Carriage Collection. John Parker Swingletree Carriage Driving, Swingletree, Wingfield, Nr. Diss, Norfolk * National Trust Carriage Museum, Arlington Court, near Barnstaple, Devon * The Tyrwhitt-Drake Museum of Carriages, Maidstone, Kent United States Crossing the Mississippi on the Ice by C

Crossing the Mississippi on the Ice by C

* Florida Carriage Museum, Weirsdale, Florida. Formerly Austin Carriage Museum. * Skyline Farm Carriage Museum, North Yarmouth, Maine * The Carriage Collection of the Owls Head Transportation Museum, Owls Head, Maine. * The Carriage Museum, Washington, Kentucky * Carriage Museum of America, Lexington, Kentucky * Henry Ford Museum, Dearborn, Michigan * Long Island Museum of American Art, History, and Carriages, The Long Island Museum of American Art, History & Carriages, Stony Brook, New York * Pioneer Village (Utah)#Carriage Hall, Pioneer Village, Farmington, Utah. * Thrasher Carriage Museum, Frostburg, Maryland * Sylvanus Wade House, The Wesley W. Jung Carriage Museum, Greenbush, Wisconsin * Shelburne Museum, Shelburne, Vermont * Forney Museum of Transportation, Denver, Colorado * Mifflinburg Buggy Museum, Mifflinburg, PA. Only museum in US that preserves an original intact 19th century carriage factory. * Frick Art & Historical Center Car & Carriage Museum, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, preserving carriages owned by Henry Clay Frick and his family.The Frick Pittsburgh
/ref> * The Northwest Carriage Museum, Raymond, Washington.

Types of horse-drawn carriages

An almost bewildering variety of horse-drawn carriages existed. Arthur Ingram's ''Horse Drawn Vehicles since 1760 in Colour'' lists 325 types with a short description of each. By the early 19th century one's choice of carriage was only in part based on practicality and performance; it was also a status statement and subject to changing fashions. The types of carriage included the following:

Notes

External links

''19th century American carriages: Their manufacture, decoration and use''.
By Museums at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, 1987. Long Island Digital Books Project, CONTENTdm Collection, Stony Brook University, Southampton, New York.

University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070822101846/http://www.car-nection.com/yann/Dbas_txt/Sty_apdx.htm Appendix to Cadillac "Styling" section (coaching terminology).] The Classic Car-Nection: Yann Saunders, Cadillac Database. Drawings and text
CAAOnline: Carriage Tour
Carriage Association of America. Photos and text.
Calisphere – A World of Digital Resources.
Search ''carriage''. University of California. Hundreds of photos.
''Carriages & Coaches: Their History & Their Evolution''
by Ralph Straus, 1912, London.

an

ThinkQuest Library. Illustrations and text.
Colonial Carriage Works – America's Finest Selection of Horse Drawn Vehicles.
Columbus, Wisconsin.
''Driving for Pleasure, Or The Harness Stable and its Appointments'' by Francis Underhill, 1896.
Carnegie Mellon University. A comprehensive overview, with photographs of horse-drawn carriages in use at the turn of the 19th century. Full text free to read, with free full text search.
''An Encyclopædia of Domestic Economy, Comprising Subjects Connected with the Interests of Every Individual''..., by Thomas Webster and William Parkes, 1855.
Book XXIII, Carriages. Google Book Search.
''English Pleasure Carriages: Their Origin, History, Varieties, Materials, Construction, Defects, Improvements, and Capabilities: With an Analysis of the Construction of Common Roads and Railroads, and the Public Vehicles Used on Them; Together with Descriptions of New Inventions'' by William Bridges Adams, 1837.
Google Book Search.

The Guild of Model Wheelwrights.
Galaxy of Images , Smithsonian Institution Libraries.
Carriages and sleighs.

Georgian Index. Illustrations and text.
''The History of Coaches'', by George Athelstane Thrupp, 1877.
Google Book Search.

Educational Technology Clearinghouse, University of South Florida. Drawings.

Jane Austen Society of North America. Illustrations and text.
The Kinross Carriageworks, Stirling (Scotland), 1802–1966.

''Modern carriages'', by W. Gilbey, 1905.
{Dead link, date=March 2022 , bot=InternetArchiveBot , fix-attempted=yes The University of Hong Kong Libraries, China–America Digital Academic Library (CADAL).

The Guild of Model Wheelwrights. Illustrations and text.
Science and Society Picture Library – Search
Illustrations and text.
''Treatise on Carriages. Comprehending Coaches, Chariots, Phaetons, Curricles, Whiskeys, &c. Together with Their Proper Harness. In Which the Fair Prices of Every Article are Accurately Stated'', by William Felton, coachmaker, 1794.
Google Book Search.

Texas Transportation Museum, San Antonio. Photos and text.

The New York Times, 29 October 1871, page 2. Carriages, Animal-powered vehicles Horse driving Obsolete technologies