Driving Tandem

[Al B]

I may agree with you Leia on the four being easier than the tandem. It may be a tossup. My leader in the tandem is my champion multi honor roll obstacle driving horse that is actually smarter than I am. He is so precise in his movement and response to my voice and bit movement that I may be spoiled. With him in the lead driving the tandem is just plain fun. We did the entire class at the AMHA World Show and I don't think the traces ever changed position and my wheeler is perfectly content to follow exactly in his rear. It was not so easy when I had them reversed.

My comment about the four is that there are more things to think about and more horses to be concerned with. Even though my two tandem horses are the leads, there is still quite a bit of work to do. Keeping the horses pulling evenly and not leaning apart are my biggest problem. The answer may be that I have driven the tandem more than I have driven the four, but they get better every time I drive them (may have something to do with my confidence level also). Right the four are more challenging to me than the tandem.

As far as you being lighter than me, there is no doubt.

 

[Bess Kelly]

OK, I'd love to have 4 up......but, why aren't they all connected to pull?? Is it just simply the cart that you are using/choose to use? Obviously the center pole being long will create some requirements for movement, size of area for movement. Or do you need collars and/or more harness to connect all "that" to make all pull.

I know the Lone Ranger jumped off of Silver onto the back of the stagecoach, climbed over and then WALKED A POLE between the racing horses, to get to the reins! Yes, I remember this clearly!!!

You guys are ruining my assumed delight of 4 driving!

20 mule team was another favorite show!

So, is the "loose team" up front simply cart selection? (I've only driven a single--& seldom)

 

[hobbyhorse23]

The leaders in a 4-up are also attached to the pole and do pull except during certain situations (turns, etc., where you don't want the pole pulled over) but the single leader in a tandem does not. 4-ups were about adding more power, tandems about getting a spare horse from one place to another in the days before horse trailers.

And Al, I think you were talking to Bree that time!

Leia

 

[BannerBrat]

[SIZE=12pt]Thanks for answering guys.

[/SIZE]

Sorry for twisting your thread Marsha!

Driving sure is an interesting hobby.

 

[Boinky]

i would also think with the 4 you aren't likely to get the spin seperatly because don't they have reins that criss cross...like in a regular team to get the reins on the right and left hand of the driver? it would make it mighty hard for the leaders to "split" and go seperate ways. I'm still going to have to try a 4 though! lol

Leia,

I'll keep that in mind as well...lol

 

[Amy]

We also drive tandem & our grandson Joe, who shows with us has been learning the hitch driving as well & he now drives tandem, unicorn & 4 horse hitch . Joe just turned 16 last summer so has been doing this for 2 years now. It is so nice to see a young person interested in learning this dying art of horsemanship.

I tried to post a picture of Joe driving unicorn & 4 horse hitch -- but don't think it worked. LOL

I usually have to get Joe to do the picture thing & he is not here much when school is in. ( I sure do miss him to do these things though)

 

[nbark]

You might want to consult with Marc Johnson, an international course designer, judge and driving instructor in the New England area. He has driven many tandems in competitions and is currently getting a course designed in this area for minis at two and three phase events. His email is [email protected]. He is also interested in hearing from anyone interested in competitive driving for minis in the New England area. He can certainly give you the pros, cons and safety info you need.

Good luck.

 

[joylee123]

Here is my tandem from the AMHA World show last year.

I have found that a true tandem harness has quite a few differences but two sets of single harness can be used just to try it out. And, Vickie is correct. Harder than a pair but not a hard as a four in hand.

[SIZE=12pt]Oh How elegant

[/SIZE]

Joy

 

[PAS Hercules]

Very interesting thread with great photos !!!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

My sister came today and helped me with my horses. They stood like angels while we invented and cobbled. My goodness, trying to figure out how to hold the reins was so hard! It will take lots of ground miles before I will feel comfortable with keeping the reins sorted out.

My sister walked with a lead rope on Dapper Dan at first. Then we seemed to be going well, so she took a few photos. After that, we went out on the road for about half a mile, and she walked beside us, ready with the cutters in case we had any disasters. They both went like lambs.

I had some trouble where the two reins were hooked together and wouldn't side through the terret smoothly, so for sure I need long reins. Also, Dapper Dan's reins kept getting over Hawk's (the wheel horse) ears so I need to attach them to his bridle. I am thinking a zip tie ring for the reins to run through might work.

We went around the cones, then out on the road. Several neighbor dogs came to visit us en route, and neighbor horses did some snorting and prancing, but my boys stuck to their business. I practiced weaving back and forth across the road and up and down a ditch, trying to get the feel of the reins.

Then back to the corral and a VERY NICE WHOA.

I am so proud of the way they worked! Now I need to figure out how to make my connections better. I will carry cutters in a fanny pack while we are learning, just in case, and a lead rope. The biggest challenge is my leaning how to use the reins. Wow, it was fun!

 

[Boinky]

yes for me the definate challenge was in using the reins.. lol even growing up riding with double bridles didn't prepair me for having to REALLY use the reins separately and make it work for two separate horses! what i used was a pair of big horse driving reins that were quite long..they were also a lot wider than my mini driving reins (like the mini reins are like 1/2" wide and these were 1" or 1.5" wide. Of course i used them on the lead horse so i had two completely different feels in my hand for each horse.

You can buy rodger rings to go on the side of the bridle of your wheel horse for the lead horses reins to slide through.. not real expensive or what i found that really works well is a big horse pair of tear drop shaped side check rings. I found some with conway buckles that attach easily to the side of my bridle.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Boinky, I don't know what a rodger ring is. What is it used for? Would a jack strap snap work?

I have access to some big horse driving reins, so I think that will work. And I've figured out a workable way to attach the lead harness to the wheel. I will pick up some rings and snaps tomorrow.

The only tandem harness I saw was one from Smuckers, and it was $3000+. I think I will make-do with what I have for now.