[drivingpairs] Neck yoke / pole crab
- From: Hzlax@xxxxxxx
- To: drivingpairs@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 30 Apr 2005 13:18:43 EDT
In a message dated 4/30/2005 12:09:16 AM Pacific Standard Time,
ecartis@xxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
> Subject: [drivingpairs] Neck yoke / pole crab
>
> Hi all,
>
> I'm still VERY new to pairs, but have started a pair of young Haflingers.
> One is a very hard worker - the other is more easy going but not lazy. In
> all
> these discussions about leaning in or out from the pole (problem I
> currently
> don't have - guess I'm lucky so far) Hardy says we should use a neck yoke.
> I
> have a light weight pole - 10 lbs - and a pole crab that is wider than most
>
> I've seen on other rigs. I leave the pole straps slightly loose and have
> breeching and brakes on a 5th wheel buggy. I still do a lot of ground
> driving
> single and pair and single light pulling stuff around with me walking and
> talking.
>
> I am wondering if the pole crab is doing the job of replacing the neck
> yoke.
>
> By the way I had a long time searching the inter-net to even see what a
> neck yoke was.... always thought that was a term for oxen. I looked at the
> list
> photos and only found 3 neck yokes - I think - and the most obvious was on
> big mules.
>
> Just thought I'd mention that a lot of us newbies still don't have all the
> names of pair stuff or where it goes.
>
Good points! Let's start this from the bottom: Yes, we all need to constantly
educate ourselves, so we know what our horses need to make them work best,
and a good way to educate ourselve is to become members of clubs and
organziations, subscribe to driving magazines, read books and articles and look
at
pictures of top drivers and see how they do it. I'll give you some example
below on
the yokes.
You say you have a "wide pole crab". Well, when I say "yoke" I don't
necessarily mean a traditional American yoke which is made of wood, has a wide
kind
of leather ring in the middle which slides over the traditional American drop
pole head from the front and is secured by a small leather strap from falling
off again (very important to have it secured, as when it falls off, that means
desaster with the drop pole head hitting the ground). That's the traditional
yoke. But nowadays many modern marathon vehicles do come with a pole head that
has the two rings for the pole straps not directly close to the pole head, but
has them spread out to the sides a little. Well, that's a start to the modern
marathon yoke. (Strictly speaking, it's not a "crab" though, the "crab" has
the swan neck hook on which to hang the lead bars for a found in hand, which we
shouldn't have on a pair pole, as there is only a chance that they get
tangled up in that hook.) So if you have a pole head like that with the two
rings
spread out already a little to the side (not a real crab with swan neck),
that's
fine already, especially if you use your brake and have the pole straps
usually a little slack, AND your horses travel STRAIGHT. Then all is well.
Now, the modern marathon yoke is even a little wider, plus also usually
swivels freely to all sides = up and down, and front and backwards. That's
what
many modern marathon vehicles have these days, and for a good reason, because
it
works well. When you look at marathon pictures of upper level pair drivers,
you'll see it in use with many of them. Example: Just look at the last Whip
(March 2005) cover picture - Alan Aulson. Or if you are not an ADS member and
don't have The Whip, perhaps you have Driving Digest? Similar picture
March/April edition (No 134) page 6, also Alan Aulson.There you see it. As I
wrote
yesterday, it's slightly shorter than from middle of single tree to middle of
single tree, but then, it's also not hooked into a center D ring of the
breastcollars, but into a D a little off center to the inside, and it is hooked
in there
very short, e.g. directly without any pole straps, but just with quick
releases. (I use exatly the same set up)
But not everybody uses it that way. Some examples of the older style: Driving
Digest same issue page 7 top right a Haflinger Pair same as The Whip (March
2005) page 44, or Carriage World Sept 2004 Cover page. If you drive your horses
well and straight, it works that way too.
Same Driving Digest page 10 shows a real draft horse hitch yoke.That's fine
for draft horses, but I don't mean to say that anybody should use that for
light horses. That's too heavy, too wide, and too low for carriage horses.
Or if you are CAA member and have The Carriage Journal: March 2005 page 78
and page 104 (sorry not numbered you have to count them there- ad for Hats by
Katie) shows no yoke but pole chains on page 78 and pole straps on page 104,
whereas page 89 shows the traditional American Yoke as I described it above,
with
the leather ring in the middle (This one in the picture is a little wide for
my taste).
Sorry I'm better with magazines than on the internet, but I'm sure you find
many good pair pictures there as well. But try to look at what the top folks in
the sport do, they usually know, as there is a reason they are at the top,
and don't get hung up with what other beginners do. They may have it right, but
they may also not
Happy driving
Hardy
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