Thanks Robin, I did not know you could do that!!
I have never driven a four in hand, although of course you don't double up on the reins as they all sort of slot into one another- but I have enough trouble with a tandem- I just cannot imagine getting a team to do this- I quite literally had my mouth open the whole drive- if I had known they had this class I would have gone up to watch, just think what it would be like to watch live!!
I think a tandem is actually more difficult, on a basic level, than a four in hand, (so long as the horses are experienced, that is, think of a green team!!) as you have one horse stuck out in front with no moral support- horses don't like that at all, so you have to have the dominant animal in front. Unfortunately my dominant animal was the taller animal, so I was constantly pushing the little chap, who I did insist went in lead, to keep him going forward. For the actual pageant we led them, in the end, as I was NOT going past Her Majesty at 600mph with a person dressed as her great grandmother in the Victoria, trying to look as if I was in control. That was just two. Four and a course like this and I am happy to admit I would be at sea...