Tandem Hitch

[MajorClementine]

My two minis are about 9-10" different in height. Major is much shorter but a lot stockier than Clementine. Can I drive them as a tandem hitch? What different tack/equipment is needed for this type of hitch? Thanks!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

There is some good information on former posts. Can you search the forum? I've tried this, but my horses were not suitable for tandem driving. Sure would be a good way to use both! Hope it works for you.

 

[BSharpRanch]

I've driven tandem several times. My first tandem was a 44" Shetland gelding at the wheel and a 35" miniature stallion at lead. It was very challenging but fun!

My current tandem is a mini stallion at the wheel and a mini mare at lead! Challenging and fun!

To begin with, the stronger, better trained horse should be at the wheel, the more forward horse at lead. Both horses need to be pretty well trained. For harness when begining you can use two single harnesses, adding a bit of baling twine to the traces to give a little extra room between the horses. You will also need a set of long reins to reach your lead horse. To begin with you may want to just use two lengths of rope for your lead reins.

Please, please, please, have some help when you are driving tandem, at least till you and the horses figure it out as things can get ugly pretty quick with a tandem.

 

[MajorClementine]

I'm still working with Major on his driving so the tandem thing will be next fall at best. I've wanted a team since it opens up a larger array of vehicles and hadn't even thought about tandem until now. I'd like to be able to use the two horse I have rather than adding to the herd.

I would like to try ground driving them in tandem this spring first and see how things go from there. Both horses have their strong points so as Major's training progresses I'll keep in mind your tips for which horse should lead and which should be at the wheel.

I promise to have help moving forward on this. I'd really rather not injure myself or my horses. My husband is a great help when it comes to driving the minis (not to mention he's a good sport about my hobby).

 

[BSharpRanch]

My Hubby too! Why I'm up to 6 on my wagon!

 

[MajorClementine]

My 5 year old saw an 8-up of minis at a draft horse show we attended this summer. He was pointing to them with a look of concentration on his face. When I asked what he was doing it turned out he was counting since his reply was "Mom! We just need 6 more minis!"

6 is a very impressive hitch. Are they all fairly close in size or do you more make sure your pairs are close in size?

 

[paintponylvr]

Wow, 9-10" different in height? And still both minis?

I've seen and heard of many different size pairs being driven together but when I now go search for pics/images - guess what I can't find!

Here is a vid of a pair - Horse w/ Shetland pony - Barry Hook

Here is a website for driving pairs and there are pics of tandem driving - Driving Pairs

I think between 2008 and 2011 - there were a lot of write ups here on LB about driving tandems. Both had detailed info on how they attached the lead horse to the one hitched to the cart and how they did the lines and what they would do different. Both had lots of pics! I haven't been able to get the search feature to go back past 2013 lately, so I have NO IDEA how to access that now.

O, now I can't get the search feature to go back past my own posts of mid - 2014!! ARRRGH...

 

[BSharpRanch]

My smallest mini on the hitch is 30", the largest is 33". So pretty evenly matched. I team up my pairs my attitudes, work ethics, strengths, weaknesses...I let them choose their spots.

My wheel pair is a father/daughter pair, both calm, strong and obedient. My swing pair are followers, definitely not leaders. My leaders are very forward and energetic and seem to like being out front!

 

[MajorClementine]

Wow, 9-10" different in height? And still both minis?

I've seen and heard of many different size pairs being driven together but when I now go search for pics/images - guess what I can't find!

Here is a vid of a pair - Horse w/ Shetland pony - Barry Hook

Here is a website for driving pairs and there are pics of tandem driving - Driving Pairs

I think between 2008 and 2011 - there were a lot of write ups here on LB about driving tandems. Both had detailed info on how they attached the lead horse to the one hitched to the cart and how they did the lines and what they would do different. Both had lots of pics! I haven't been able to get the search feature to go back past 2013 lately, so I have NO IDEA how to access that now.

O, now I can't get the search feature to go back past my own posts of mid - 2014!! ARRRGH...

Major is 29" and Clementine barley eeks in under the class B max of 38"

Thanks for the videos. I did do a search on tandem but didn't come up with much. I didn't notice, but maybe it's because I can't go back farther than a couple of years...?

 

[paintponylvr]

well, I googled and started digging - way past the 1st page...

Here is a training YouTube - Training horses for Tamden driving hitch

and here is a PDF - Horseman's Yankee Pedlar Aug 2011

and another PDF - Connecticut Valley Driving Club - Long Lines - Oct 2011

, Squee, squee - found a pic of a mare that I bred and raised!!! With the woman who owned her then (at the bottom of page 4). Lacey is now re-paired up with her full sister and not sure if they are owned by Randy Sabatino now or not... Just know that they were put back together. SO EXCITING to see one of the ponies we bred and raised after years of not knowing what they were doing. Lacey was born in 1999 - and was sold with her full sister (born in 2000) in 2001... At one point, the woman who purchased them contacted me and our middle daughter went w/ her to a show and showed her in 2 or 3 driving classes. When the pair was split, I was given the chance to purchase 1 or both back - but I couldn't come close to their new purchase prices.

Here was a pic of Lacey as a foal -

SORRY, the pics are a bit off topic, but it was just .... EXCITING.... and I got a little carried away. I don't know if the pair were ever driven tandem - they may have been. I image that Lacey would have been lead and Jewel would be wheeler if so.

LOOK WHAT I FOUND!!

http://www.miniaturehorsetalk.com/index.php?/topic/122902-tandem-fun-and-training/

http://www.miniaturehorsetalk.com/index.php?/topic/103404-driving-tandem/

http://www.miniaturehorsetalk.com/index.php?/topic/123736-trying-on-a-tandem-harness-pix-added/

this is a neat blog - http://www.toominiranch.com/2007.htm

When I googled images, I found several pics of mine - pair, 3-abreast and 4-abreast! That was a surprise...