Carriage types
Driving with horses has a long tradition. The first chariots pulled by two or four horses were two-wheeled chariots. Because the horses were not that big at that time, riding the horses was not so popular at that time. Therefore, the development of fast war chariots, equipped with spoked wheels that could be used in any terrain, progressed. The oldest chariot, which is still preserved today, belonged to the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun (1361 to 1352 B.C.). It can be viewed in the museum in Cairo.
In addition to the Egyptians, the Chinese were also involved in the development of horse-drawn carriages at a very early stage. Important improving inventions regarding the tension can be traced back to the Chinese. These include chest harness, harness for harnessing, rear harness and fork drawbar for one-horse carriages.
In the Middle Ages, it was mainly the Hungarian wagon builders who influenced the development of horse-drawn carts. In the late 15th century the first carriages were built in Hungary. The place of origin was Kocs in Komorn County in western Hungary. The name carriage for this type of carriage is derived from this. The Hungarian carriages were characterized mainly by the fact that for the first time in the history of carriages, the cartwrights equipped the carriages with front wheels that were smaller than the rear wheels of the carriages. In this way the turning circle of these carriages was very narrow. These types of carriages also had a lower center of gravity than the previous carriages, which made it possible to drive faster. A lighter carriage body, based on a hammock-like leather belt construction, offered more comfort and convenience for the passengers due to the suspension. The Hungarian car makers also invented the elliptic spring, which also helped to reduce the car's vibrations and make the car safer even at higher speeds.
The most significant improvements in carriage construction took place later in Great Britain. This was related to the construction of the hard roads throughout the country in the 19th century. In addition, the development of the thoroughbred horse and the change in horse types in general also had an influence on carriage construction at that time. The coaching era lasted until the middle of the 19th century. During this period, mail and passenger transport reached a driving culture that was unique in terms of its perfection. Elsewhere in Europe, where road building was not driven forward as vigorously as in Great Britain, horse breeding changed. Here, heavy horses of the coach type were bred from the cold-blood breeds for use in front of carriages and coaches.
In 1825, the counterpart of the English stagecoach was developed in America. The best models of the stagecoach came from the Abbot-Downing Co. factory, Concord (New Hampshire). These carriages were also called Concords or Concord carriages. In 1853, these carriages were also introduced in Australia, where they were adapted to the conditions there.
There are still many different types of carriages today. Here, not all types shall be listed, but only some common ones shall be picked out and described.
At first, one distinguishes between uniaxial and biaxial carriages.
Single axle carriages:
- Sulky: especially used in trotting, the driver sits directly behind the trotter
- Quadriga: Roman chariot with a maximum of two persons
- Gig: Similar to the sulky but with a coach box that can carry two people
- Dog Cart: Single carriage with hood
Two axle carriages:
- Hunting carriages: Single carriage for a maximum of four persons, double carriage for a maximum of six persons
- Marathon carriages: for marathon/off-road driving, made of light metal, is quite robust.
- Viktoria: closed historical carriage, can be driven by two or four horses
- Landauer: open carriage, usually driven by two horses
- Covered wagon (Kremser): mostly driven by two horses
- Wagonette: small carriage, can be driven with one or two horses
