Topic summary
Carriage

A carriage is a two- or four-wheeled horse-drawn vehicle for passengers. Coaches are a special category within carriages; they are enclosed carriages with four corner posts and a fixed roof. From the early modern period until the rise of railways and motor vehicles, carriages were a principal means of road transport, with models ranging from simple vehicles to elaborate ceremonial coaches used by royalty. Although largely replaced by mechanized transport, carriages remain in use for ceremonial occasions, tourism, equestrian sport, and in some communities as everyday transport. Modern carriages have been redesigned and manufactured for sports such as combined driving and for tourist transport.