Tandem Fun and Training

[MiniHGal]

I know I haven't posted in a very long time...

But, since I have the pictures ready and there isn't a whole lot to say, I figured I would share!

This is my tandem, Fascination (wheeler), and Peekaboo (leader). We are gearing up for a CDE in May, so we went for a training day on Wednesday, to the same facility where the CDE will be held. We drove for about an hour in the dressage court, working on our figures and gaits. As they will be doing Intermediate, our dressage needs lots of work as a tandem! Then we played in the obstacles and went out on the trails. Lots of fun with really wonderful horses!

FYI: My mares are 36" and 35" at the withers, respectively. The cart is a Pacific Smart Cart, and the harness is a mixture of many things (always a work in progress). The balance was set for two people, which is why my posture is not as good as it ought to be.

The boots on the horses are there for their protection...Fascination has front shoes on, and as such, can do more damage than if she was barefoot.

And yes, for tandem driving you should always have a groom with you. For the dressage portion of the schooling, my groom took pictures, but for obstacles, she was in the cart with me.

Dressage schooling:

Straightness...momentarily! It is easier to do curves than straight lines with a tandem.

A short refresher of dressage work after obstacles revealed a rather more sensitive Peeks...one that thought maybe a very cute canter was the right answer to a whip cue (which it would have been if I had asked for a canter along with the whip).

And out on the trails. Our horse sized buddy is way out in front (away from the unpredictable tandem).

Hope you enjoyed my pictures as much as I enjoyed the day they were taken!

 

[jegray21]

thanks for sharing!

 

[ClickMini]

Wonderful! The straightness photo...WOW!!! You have mad skilz, girl. I expect to see you on our National Team one day.

 

[Performancemini]

Love the pictures!

We fooled around with a little tandem with our draft hitch team a few times. There is definitely a different skill to handling a pair that way. The reins!!!

Whew! Would love to try some more someday when we have another team/pair

(the other two are retired/semi-retired).

 

[RhineStone]

Nice slack in the Leader traces. Peekaboo looks nicely forward. Not knowing your horses, why did you place them where you did? (Why is Peeks in the Lead?) What attachment are you using on the end of the Leader traces? Do you use "Come" and "Get"?

There is definitely a different skill to handling a pair that way. The reins!!!

Whew!

Truly, tandem is not for the faint of heart (or experience). It is the hardest way to drive horses, including 4-in-hands. We first tried it by hodge-podging two horses together and then tried to use the reins how we thought they would work. It worked OK, but getting a tandem lesson or two made a world of difference in being able to control the two safely, more easily, and logically. ("Oh, wow! That works better!")

Then, it is all practice inc. getting them tangled up on purpose and untangling them!

Myrna

 

[Shari]

Wonderful! The straightness photo...WOW!!! You have mad skilz, girl. I expect to see you on our National Team one day.

What Amy said! What an incredible team you have!!!

 

[CZP1]

Awesome!

 

[MiniHGal]

Awww, thanks! I am privileged to have two very talented horses.

Nice slack in the Leader traces. Peekaboo looks nicely forward. Not knowing your horses, why did you place them where you did? (Why is Peeks in the Lead?) What attachment are you using on the end of the Leader traces? Do you use "Come" and "Get"?

Myrna, I have them that way pretty much for aesthetics....Fascination is actually a better leader, but she is bigger, has more push, and will not quit (she will pull two people and the Pacific as if it was nothing). Peeks is fancier, cuter, and has a better neck and better collection than Fascination. Therefore, she gets to be in front, so she can "dance". Peeks is not naturally brave, though, and would rather stop and look at things than barge on through. That is good for a single driving horse....but in a leader, I'd like a little more fire and bravery. She tries so very hard, and being a leader has definitely helped her self confidence. She relies almost too much on her driver.

I am using horse size tandem keys with quick releases on them. Works just fine for me!

I use Come, but not quite in a left/right sense. More as, when we are turning, it means come forward to the bit and get out there. If she is backed off, she can't receive any signals from me, so she needs to come to the bit and pay attention. So....it's a combo of pushing her to the bit and "we're turning". Generally by the time I say it, she knows which way we are going, and needs a push to go blazing into the turn. I can't keep my left and right straight, so I don't bother with left/right, come/get, gee/haw....not fair to them if I am backwards! For straight and forward-Fast!-I use Go! for Peeks to get to the bit and run straight.

The nice thing about Peeks is she doesn't whirl instinctively, so it is very rare that we have gotten tangled...almost difficult to do with this tandem, as Fas is extremely level headed about the whole wheeler thing.

I drove tandem for a long time before taking an official tandem lesson...not the easiest way to learn! Also, driving a four helped before starting to drive tandem.

 

[RhineStone]

Alax isn't naturally brave, either, but he is FORWARD! We tried using the more brave less forward horse in the lead. It is like pushing a wet noodle!

We may actually have to put a smaller horse (than Al) in the wheel for a show this year. Not the ideal, but it will be better than that mare in the lead. She is a great wheeler in attitude, but she could have used a bit more structure. Chad said he isn't going for the "title" but the fun. "Use what you have until you get what you want..." The bigger black mare we got to be the wheeler just isn't ready for that, yet. She is going great in the pair, though.

We have "kidney link" snaps on tandem keys. Jan at Driving Essentials recommended that because they wouldn't be as heavy as cockeyes for the VSEs. I bet the snap shackles work well.

I can't keep my left and right straight, so I don't bother with left/right, come/get, gee/haw....not fair to them if I am backwards!

I can SO relate! I use come and get because our tandem trainers encouraged us to do so, but Chad is better at it than I am. I am really good at "Sorry, I mean Get..."

Myrna

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Bree, you are so in trouble! You've been out playing with your kids and you haven't called me?! Bad Bree!

Just wait 'til I have some spare time on Wednesday....

As always, the girls look fabulous. I learned so much getting to drive them at Shady Oaks two years ago (has it already been that long?) and will always have a soft spot for them. I assume the boots on Fas are the ones you got in Europe? And where did her CA Soft Collar go?

I also love the straightness shot and can guarantee you won't see one of those of Kody and Turbo for many years.

I have my suspicions that Kody is going to be a major handful as a leader as he hates ground-driving and will take any opportunity to get some sudden slack in the reins and duck out to head in whatever direction he wants. He's fine at a trot though, so maybe we'll be okay.

He gets bored with my walking pace! Places to go, people to see....

Leia

 

[drivin*me*buggy]

Awesome pix! Thanks for posting. Kudos to you for being such a great representation of what we love to do.

Angie

 

[MiniHGal]

Exactly, Myrna....then the ponies are all confused! I figure they will just have to pay attention to what my hands say.

Leia, I got the Comfy Fit for the wheeler because the buckle is 'tighter' to the collar, so I have less sag in the leader traces. Otherwise, she's really shown no preference between the two. I thought it might work better for the AeroCrown, as well, but honestly, haven't found that to be the case. So, it helps with the droopy traces, period.

Fascination's boots are the ones from Europe, but I went ahead and cut them down more. I'm very happy with them now!

We've got forward down currently, now we need to work on being a serious team, all transitions smooth and simultaneous.

Breanna

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Incredible! Gorgeous!

I've tried tandem, and do not have the right horses for it. I was beginning to get the hang of the rein thing before I had to give up. So many drivers on the forum posted helpful advice with equipment options and tips. I wish it had worked for me. Your photos are inspiring. Maybe I will try it again...

 

[roxy's_mom]

WOW!! What awesome pics!! Kudos to you for making that all look like fun!! I'm sure that took a lot of hard work, dedication, and a good pair of horses to get to the point that you're at now. That picture of your tandem in a straight line is awesome, you'd definately not know there was another horse at the wheel!!

That makes me want to go out and try it SOMEDAY. Right now I'm just glad to have a good driving horse that likes to go and hopefully will find the right match to her to be able to one day have a nice driving pair/team.

Keep up the awesome work with your girls! Please keep posting more pics of you and your tandem progressing and going to shows!

Becky M.