Driving tandem

minister man · Jul 5, 2015

We have one driving mini, and starting the second one. My plan was to train them as a team, but was extremely surprised at how much more expensive team harness costs.

SO............. I am thinking tandem. I have never driven a tandem hitch before, but as I understand it, then I simply need two single harnesses. Correct? Actually the lead horse doesn't even wear the breeching, just the saddle and breast plate. That seems much cheaper, but what are the pros and cons of driving a team versus a tandem hitch???

Marsha Cassada · Jul 5, 2015

I believe it is much more difficult. I was told that one's leader must be "brilliant". I tried it, but did not have a suitable lead horse.

But you can rig up your single harnesses. There are some good topics; search the forum. It's a great driving challenge.

BSharpRanch · Jul 6, 2015

Tandem can be great fun or a great disaster! Your wheeler must be solid as he controls the vehicle AND the leader. Your leader must be forward and obedient. You should always have help whenever working any multiple hitch, however I know how hard that can be. So if that is not possible, I would at least have help until the tandem is going well.

As far as harness, two single harnesses will work, however the traces for the leader must be longer so that you wheeler is not tromping on the leader's heels. You should also have trace carriers on the lead harness and trace hobbles so that the traces can't be pulled over the the leader's back. There is a really good book on tandem driving, but I can't remember the author off the top of my head and I'm at work. Possibly someone else knows.

Be safe and good luck!

JMS Miniatures · Jul 6, 2015

You also need longer reins of course and the traces need to be longer for the lead horse. I agree that BOTH horses need to be well behaved. The one in the cart if something goes wrong needs to know to stop and relax. The leader if gets in a jam does not freak out. It also helps that they stand there when asked too and also the leader have some get up and go so you are not running the wheeler into his butt.

Tandem is a lot of fun, I show in it in draft. My biggest issue is the leader is lazy, but we get her done. Literally tho when you are training tandem driving the leader its like ground driving all over again.

minister man · Jul 6, 2015

Why is team harness so much more expensive than single harness? I know that there is an extra strap around the neck to hold the yoke up, and a martingale system, but the rest is basically is the same.....

paintponylvr · Jul 6, 2015

Considering there is SO MUCH variance in the costs of a single harness, there is the same in pairs harness... Usually, it's about double the cost of a single - simply because you are using two complete harness's w/ extra pieces. Pairs harness is also made differently - if not using collars/hames (either farm style or buggy/carriage style) - the breast collar has to be "beefed up" in materials and balance because it now carries the weight of the tongue and needs more parts as well. Some other parts of the harness will need to be strengthened & some parts will be different. The "brakes" are different from a single to a pair in a wheeled vehicle - so the harness is different as well.

I started training our pairs with hand made harness braided from recycled haystring (long, long strands from around the round bales we get) - in a single, pleasure style. The first set of lines was a long clothesline cord that was meant for only one. We attached each end to the out side of the bit of each horse (left side to left side of left horse, right side to right side of right horse), then connected them together via another short line from inside ring to inside ring. The breast collars didn't need to be beefed up because they were never attached to a yoke in the "training harness". However, they pulled a "surf board" as a pair, a chain link drag @ my place and then a draft horse drag w/ a seat on it. It would be a few months later (spent over a year - first training them to drive single and then to work as a pair) before we would get "work type" collar/hame harness and then to hook them to the wagon I got BEFORE training them as a pair, LOL...

The purple/white lead line keeps their rumps together, so they don't turn and face each other. This pic is June 2010 - their first time ground driving together.

This pic is October 2010.

2nd hitch to wagon in new harness - March 2011.

Pulling a disk normally pulled by a full size draft horse - April 2011.

October 2012 - pulling the new wagon at a show in TX

As far as tandem, I haven't tried that yet. I have driven our girls single, pair, 3 abreast - hooked to various equipment and wagons & ground driven them as 4 abreast. I have the lines now to hook up a 4-up, but haven't a clue when I will try that right now... This month marks almost a full year since ours were in working condition and actually being worked.