In a message dated 2/18/2006 6:52:23 PM Eastern Standard Time, gedeckt@xxxxxxxx writes: BUT all four are hooked together so the horses are working again a constant...pressure against the breastplate.collar and bit. That is true in an ideal situation when all four are working evenly. But some times that is not so, a lazy horse, an out of sort horse can wreck havoc with the way a team is moving. This is why Achenbach reins are so important because one then can adjust the reins to help. Douglas Kemmerer Hawks Hill Middleburg, VA 20118