[drivingpairs] Re: " willing" pairs

I have driven pairs (ponies & Morgans) for several years. Haven't had one 
pair yet that really pulled well together without some encouragement from 
the driver. I think Hardy's description of "Emil 8's" is very good. 
Unfortunately, with 3 that drive now, I don't have a pair going to try it 
on. (I need to fix that situation since I really prefer to drive pairs.

Dana, since Hardy isn't here, I'll resend his description. I'm sure he 
wouldn't mind.

Don


From Hardy:
Emil 8's - sorry long - but important :-)

I was away a few days, so am sorry to come back to this only now. Yes, I
think there has been some very good information given.  I too switch my 
horses
from side to side so that they do not become one-sided and develope both 
sides of
their body. I switch them almost every time I drive. But yes, they do have
their "better" side and naturally I use them that way when going to an 
event.  I
also agree with the post which said, to put them with their stiffer side to
the pole, meaning when you have a horse that bends better to the left, he
should go on the left side, and the one that bends better to the right, 
should go
on the right side - at the show !  At home quite often the other way around 
to
get that stiff side worked more. But at the show, obviously each time the
inside horse has to bend more as he makes a smaller turn, so let's use his 
better
side at the inside of the turn and his stiffer side on the outside. So if 
you
have the fortune that both have different sides as their better side, then
great! If both have the same side as better side, well, then not so great, 
then I
still use the stiffer of the two on that side to where he can bend better.
A general word here for making them bend better, which I think I have posted
before, but doesn't matter, as we probably have new people on by now: I find
that teaching horses to bend goes better in a pair than as singles, as with 
the
pair the carriage helps!  In all the turns drive that INSIDE horse forward,
with the whip on the inside (of the turn) and forget that outside horse, 
even
if he lags a bit behind. When the inside horse pulls, that will make the 
pole
wanting to go to the outside (if you don't understand this, just pull on 
your
carriage yourself on just one side in front and you'll see how the pole will 
go
away from you), making the turn bigger, giving the carriage the urge to move
"out" of the circle. Great, because then you can counter that by taking up a
bit more inside rein, and voila, you get that neck of the inside horse bent 
to
the inside!   And since most pairs have the tendency automatically to carry
their heads a bit towards the pole, never mind that outside horse, he 
carries
his head already into the turn by himself. That's how you get your bending! 
And
besides, that inside whip with which you drive your inside horse forward, at
the same time also  encourages that inside horse to bend around that inside
whip if applied at his side where the rider's leg would be. Or, if you apply 
it
a bit further back, no problem either, as there it encourages that inside 
hind
leg to step underneath the body. Both good for the bending.

So then, the best excercise for this for a pair is large figure eights! 40
meters diameter, first at the walk, then at the trot. (Emil 8's for those of 
you
who remember him, except he did it with 20 meter circles, which is great 
too,
but only once they can bend and are more advanced already, so we better 
start
with 40 meter circles). One circle to the right, making the right horse do
the work  - and giving the left horse time off - just drive your right horse 
in
that circle, and then followed by the next circle to the left, now making 
the
left horse do the work, just drive him, and give the right horse time off! 
So
we alternate between left and right circles, and left and right horse having
to work and having time off. Great for them, great for the bending, and as
automatic side effect: They learn how to lengthen and shorten stride by
themselves, as each time the outside horse has to lengthen and the inside 
horse has to
shorten stride. And when they learn that, voila, all the spectators are 
happy
to see another pair going so often in stride with each other! Horses are 
like
humans, they want to be in stride if they can. You and me would want to be 
in
stride if we take a long walk together at the beach or in the woods and 
carry
on a conversation.  It walks and talks nicer when one is in stride. Same 
with
the horses, they want it. So the Emil 8's teach them how they can adjust 
their
strides, and then they apply that.

You can drive Emil 8's for an hour  or longer if you like. It's good for
them! But make sure, you drive that inside horse and get some bending. If 
you
can't get bending at the trot, then do it just at the walk until you get it 
there.
Then keep everything relaxed and then start doing nice and easy trot, and it
WILL come there as well! As long as you keep them relaxed and drive that
inside horse. Try it, you'll like it and it works! Trust me and do it!
Good luck
Hardy




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