[drivingpairs] different standards ...draft driving

In a message dated 10/13/2003 12:25:00 AM Pacific Standard Time, 
ecartis@xxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
> 
> Hardy...in your recount of the draft horse delivery hitch...why was the one 
> trace removed from the single tree?  
> Renie in Ramona, CA
> 
Good question, happy to explain: When we removed just one trace, that gave 
both horses through the unrestricted evener which was on the freight waggon so 
much free room, that even if they would try to step forward, they could not 
move the heavy waggon with the remaining three traces (and the parking brake 
set), but much before the traces would became taught the horses would be 
restricted by the bits stepping into the bits which held them stay put as the 
reins 
were tied to the dashboard.  But as long as they stood calm (which they always 
did thankfull for a break in the work) they had enoug room in the reins too to 
stand relaxed and were not restricted by the bits and tied reins. Only if one 
or both would step forward, the reins would become tight and hinder them from 
going further, rather than the traces coming tight and having a chance to move 
the waggon. With the parking brake set the waggon was too heavy to be moved 
just by the bits. So this was generally in practice as a safe method and I am 
not aware of any mishaps ever with it. With a young horse one would remove an 
inside trace so he could not swing his butt out, but in practice that was 
almost 
never done. After all, after just a few months going in the hitch 8 hours a 
day, 6 days a week, any horse had more training than many of our horses now get 
in a lifetime (!), so in practice, the teamster would just take off the 
outside trace of the near horse after he had just climbed off the box seat, 
throw 
it over the back of the near horse and then go about his business in the office 
or at the loading dock.

And yes, as Cindy comments, we know that many logging horses are trained to 
go by voice commands alone, so the handler  can stay at a safe distance from 
dangerous logs swinging, pitching and rolling on hillsides. That's were good 
voice commands come in, as well as in farming, when the reins are around the 
neck 
as the hands are on the plow, but I wouldn't want to drive  dressage, or 
cones by voice commands. So it all depends on what we are doing, and how our 
horses are trained. Different tools work for different jobs.
Hardy


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