Team Driving

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Kelly

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Thoughts on this set up? There is no team pole in the middle, is this a common set up? Is it safe? Looks like a sulky type cart. What would be the benefits of shafts vs a team pole?



IMG_2381.jpeg
 
I feel like I've seen that somewhere before, maybe with plow horses.

Yes, just looked it up! It is used by the Amish. With more weight behind it and only being used at a walk, I would say it's fairly safe. It's most commonly used in multiple work horse configurations like this.

If you want to do pleasure driving with a pair though, I'd stick to a vehicle with a pole, or drive tandem! Then you don't need a pole at all!

Amish woman driving a team pulling a disc plow | Amish culture, Amish ...
 
The harness is intriguing. I wonder what it's made out of. Almost looks like they are bitless, but I can't make my mind up on that. Pretty sure bitless, though. Not sure what to think about it all!
 
The black horse has shafts, they're attached to the side. The red has no shafts, just a single tree.

The black horse does have breeching, looks like it's snapped to the shafts.

The shafts appear to almost be too short as it looks like they are barely in the tugs.

I would say unsafe. Mainly the tugs, and the red horse, "if" it stops while the other one is still going, the cart will run up on top of him.

JMTCW
 
It looks very uneven and homemade to me. But I don't know anything about driving at all.
 
It must have been some sort of a custom job because the shafts are obviously on one side so I don't think you could drive it with a single.
I've also seen that sort of hitch in mule teams. I don't know much about the reasons behind work or plow hitches, but in carriage, three abreast is called a troika, pictured here. The middle horse is between the shafts.

May be an image of 3 people and horse


You could do this @Kelly !! Stormy, Breezy and Bentley! ;)
Especially because originally, in Hungary, the middle horse was supposed to trot, while one outside horse slowly trotted/pranced and the other outside horse galloped! It was considered the ultimate status symbol. I think the size differences would make doing the different gaits easy! 😆
 
A Troika is a very specialized Russian configuration with a larger high stepping horse in the center with two outside horses traveling with their heads turned out (to intimidate wolves or the enemy). Note the shafts on the center horse connect to the top of the saddle. Three abreast is just called three abreast or I have sometimes heard it referred to as a Trandem. But who knows.
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Not too mention that setup is on a two wheeler which has it's own set of problems. I'd love to talk to whoever built/drives this and hear about the setup. Maybe it's genius and we just can't see it?
 
Don't team cart setups have to have brakes?
No, they don't. Brakes are not recommended on two wheeled carts as when they are applied, it forces the shafts downward.

They're nice to have on four wheeled vehicles, but as long as there is breeching, brakes aren't required.

😊
 
No, they don't. Brakes are not recommended on two wheeled carts as when they are applied, it forces the shafts downward.

They're nice to have on four wheeled vehicles, but as long as there is breeching, brakes aren't required.

😊
I was thinking a team cart would be four wheeled. Wasn't thinking of a two wheel miniature setup being large enough for a team. You're the pro!
 

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