[drivingpairs] Re: Pole bumping horse in the nose
- From: "Terri Barker" <barker.terri@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <drivingpairs@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 16 Nov 2006 07:44:51 -0800
Good morning everyone,
Thanks Hardy for your experienced words of wisdom.
I appreciate your time and consideration to answer all.
I agree that the alignment and degree of the pole combined with the
adjustment of the harness is the determining factor on where the pole end
will stay. You are right, I also have the harness adjust a little tighter
than I would on a single. I learned this by trial and error.
Another determining factor as to why the pole hits the horse in the nose
may be due to the design of the pole itself. I always enjoyed watching
other drivers on the marathon. It is quite exciting! I have also witnessed
various different makes and models of carriages. I was surprised to see
when some these pairs came through the hazards their fixed poles were
bouncing anywhere from 2-4 feet in the air! There needs to be some give
and take on a fixed pole to allow for movement and terrain but I felt this
was dangerous. My pole has about 1 1/2 feet, more or less, of play with a
good size shock absorber for rebound.
I do have a question. I too have noticed the trend is to have a yolk that
moves up, down, back and forth.
I can see the advantage in the marathon phase by moving the pole length back
to the breastcollar thus making tighter turns in the hazards. I hit the end
of my pole on a hazard making a tight turn. I was using my pole straps and
crab. A few more inches would have made the difference.
Question: By using that kind of yolk, wouldn't that put the inside horse,
on a turn, back a bit too far toward the carriage causing him to bang his
hocks? No amount of harness adjustment could compensate for that.
I appreciate your input.
Happy Thanksgiving next week!
Best wishes to all!!!
Terri Barker
I
----- Original Message -----
From: <Hzlax@xxxxxxx>
To: <drivingpairs@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, November 15, 2006 10:14 PM
Subject: [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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