[drivingpairs] Pole bumping horse in the nose



I know it's not easy and this can be a problem. You have to make sure that 
all your harness is adjusted properly, the pole is of the right length and the 
right hight! Not too high, not too long, AND your pole straps can't be too 
lose, or connections between pole head and collars too long (how long are their 
necks, how many shackles do you have between the yoke and the quick releases 
and 
the breast collar D ring, etc ?) , AND you need to drive your horses on the 
bit and have enough contact to keep their heads in the right place. Then you 
should be ok. If the pole head hits them in the face, then you are not adjusted 
properly. It's hard to suggest from here what is wrong, as all of the details 
need to be in correct order, but perhaps your pole is too long and / or too 
high and / or your connection between collars and pole head are too long.  So 
ask an experienced pair driver for help and  to take a look. Same with your 
breeching issue.  If you hit the horses in the hocks with your carriage when 
you 
don't use your brake then you are hitched too close or your pole straps are too 
long. Otherwise even without breeching they should hold the carriage with the 
neck straps - which they'll do mainly even with breeching, as for normal pair 
breeching to be effective, it really has to be adjusted very tightly, much 
tigher than most have it, and then so tight that it will restrict the stride of 
most. That's why you see most advanced drivers without breeching, but yes, you 
also should hold the carriage with your foot on the brake, even with 
beeching. Why have the horses do the work that you can do so easily with your 
foot on 
the brake? But if you are not sure of how to do all that, then by all means, 
do use breeching.
I looked at Terry Barker's pole head pictures. Looks ok to me, but for modern 
marathons I like a wider yoke, which then can't have independent ends, but 
needs to swivel up and down as well as back and forth as most modern marathon 
pair carriages of the top carriage builders have now. Just look at some 
pictures 
of advanced pairs - in Bob Mischka's Photo Album A Driving Horse for example, 
look at the pictures of Larry Poulin, Lisa Singer, Alan Aulson, Miranda 
Cadwell, Fritz Grupe, Walt Rector, David Saunders. No hitting in the faces 
there, 
wide yokes and properly adjusted. 
Best of luck.
Hardy


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