Thank you, Kathy Robertson. With some of the strange advice being posted, we were beginning to worry that we were doing something wrong, that maybe we were supposed to be putting ourselves and our carriage in harms way. Fortunately, you advised the same thing we've been doing for years, and the advice about the order of hitching is totally logical (Outside trace first not only keeps horses from swinging out, but they are rarely lined up perfectly parallel to the pole but butts are somewhat outboard and the outside trace pressing against the haunch brings them in where they belong.) To add a comment. If it's absolutely necessary to hitch by oneself, try bringing each harnessed and bridled horse up to a prepared fence or board and fasten the head (halter over bridle or ring on gullet strap) to ring on fence. The carriage, with pole facing fence, is already in place. Snap both snap shackles on breast collars to yoke, snap shackle near outside trace to carriage, then inside, then off outside trace then inside trace. Undo or unsnap halters or gullet straps keeping already joined lines in hand) )taking halters and lead lines or the (much easier to stow) dope rope with you, standing still at their heads for a few moments, telling horses to stand. Then four steps to mounting carriage lines still in hand. Horses should be trained to take a step or two back, then turn them a little to leave area. Now after all that, don't do it. Have some help to head them up. Bob T, Kanapaha Morgans _________________________________________________________ To Unsubscribe, change to Digest or Vacation mode go to: http://www.drivingpairs.com/index.php?pg=2 `````````````````````````````````````````````````````````