Team Question

[kkay3702]

Hi guys!

I haven't been on here in SO long and came across it again and couldnt believe I had forgotten to come on here! But I had a driving question for you all Mity and I have been driving now for 5 years and teaching children to drive as well this summer, he's a true champ! Bombproof as they come he even comes to work with me to Petsmart to see everyone So his latest skill has been helping me train his roommate, Ren. We adopted Ren as a yearling a few years ago to keep Mity company when our other mini (who came with Mity) had to be put down from an accident in the paddock :-( Ren has filled the void a bit and when he came home Mity immediately took to him. Ren is our mini donkey who has just turned 4 and this summer I hitched him up to the cart for the first time (I had been handling him a bit since he came, longlining, tacking up, getting used to being tied etc.) He even would follow Mity pulling the cart which also made it very easy to get him used to the sounds and sights of the cart itself. But I had a interesting idea... Mity and Ren are almost exactly the same size (other than the ears!) and I would like to try driving them together. They both have single harnesses. I have never driven a team before and have NO clue how to even hitch them up. I was going to possibly go to the carriage barn in newton for a couple lessons first. But can you convert single harness to a team harness? I don't have a team cart yet but I would be doing this in hand a bit before trying with a cart so I'll have time to get a new one (or realize this won't work and stick with single lol). If you can convert the harness how would I go about this? And better yet.. How do you steer? I mean do you have four reins or just a right one and a left? May seem like a weird question but I've never really got a good look at a team..

Thanks guys!

 

[hobbyhorse23]

First of all, welcome back to the forum!

It's always good to get updates on people we haven't heard from in awhile.

The idea of putting a donkey and a mini together is an interesting one. I think it would depend strongly on the individuals involved as two of the major issues would be temperment and movement. Temperment, because I understand donkeys learn a bit differently from horses and sometimes take different handling. Movement because again, donkeys often move a bit differently from horses and it might be difficult for them to match paces well. If your two individual animals are already buddies and seem to move well together around the paddock and you think they're at a similar place in their training as far as trusting you to move forward, etc., then it's certainly worth a shot!

Driving a pair isn't tremendously more complicated than driving a single but adjusting the harness at first certainly can be. Pairs are driven with only two reins, an outside rein for each animal that buckles directly to the bit and a "coupling rein" which buckles onto the outside rein over the animal's back and is connected to the other animal's inside bit ring. That way when you pull on the left rein you pull on the left side of each bridle and visa versa for the right rein. Where it gets fun is adjusting these reins so the animals stay the right distance apart, travel straight and pull and stop together.

Getting some lessons will help quite a bit with that!

The rest of the harness isn't hard to convert from single to pair. You use the same breeching, backstrap, saddle, and bridle; only the holdbacks, reins, tugs and breastcollars are different. Essentially you'll need to buy a set of pair reins, new breastcollars with pair rings and a supportive neck strap up front, and convert your shaft loops to a sort of overgirth as well as connecting your breeching to your breastcollars instead of to the shafts via holdbacks. Those last two are easily done with some cheap replacement parts and take about five minutes. Harnessing up a pair takes longer than a single as there's a lot more straps to be done up but once it's on, putting-to is a breeze as all you have to connect is the pole straps and traces. The rest is already connected on the horse!

To work them inhand you'll need some sort of pole strap to connect them at the chest and preferably some way to connect their haunches as well so they can't swing away from each other but other than that you can just experiment and see what works for you. I have some ideas for my own pair but have to wait for the baby to grow up a bit more before I can try them!

Leia

 

[RhineStone]

I have never driven a team before and have NO clue how to even hitch them up. I was going to possibly go to the carriage barn in newton for a couple lessons first.

Great idea! Getting lessons with a "finished" pair will help your understanding a whole lot more than trying to "hodge-podge" it together yourself. I have limited experience with pairs (more with tandems), but my most "memorable" realization is that the "partnership" that you have with a single disappears a bit with a pair, as they have their own "partnership" and the driver can become the "3rd wheel". They are more reactive to each other, and if something goes wrong with one, it QUICKLY goes wrong with the other animal, too! Even with my relatively extensive experience driving singles, I wouldn't attempt a pair without getting knowledgable help.

I don't have a team cart yet but I would be doing this in hand a bit before trying with a cart so I'll have time to get a new one (or realize this won't work and stick with single lol).

This might be nomenclature, as even my husband uses the term "cart" to mean the more generic "vehicle", but as I have said before, pairs need to be put to a four-wheeled vehicle. Putting them to a two-wheeled cart is extremely dangerous, especially for someone not experienced with pair driving. Don't just go out and get a pole for your cart and expect that to work. (It is a whole other thread as to why that is a bad idea.)

 

As far as your pair going together, the way of going will determine more if your pair will work. If one is more "short-strided" than the other, it might not work so well. If they both have about the same amount of stride and reach, it should work great!

 

Good for you for asking for "help" before you "really" need it!

 

Myrna

 

[Marsha Cassada]

What about trying tandem? You can cobble up the harnesses fairly easily for tandem, just to try it out. Differences in movement aren't as critical. My boys didn't work out doing this, but I had fun trying it. The hardest part was holding 4 reins properly.

 

[RhineStone]

Tandem is easier to cobble, but MUCH HARDER to drive! It is even harder than driving a four-in-hand.

Myrna

 

[kkay3702]

well I did discover tandems in my googling around and I thought to maybe try that. Ren LOVES to follow and Mity is a very obedient driving horse so I thought maybe with Mity out front it may help Ren figure it all out. I may just give it a go in hand with a few other people to lead them so both my boy AND me can get the hang of it. We'll see how it goes! I also called and set up a lesson with the Carriage Barn and I'll go once as an eval then I'll get a chance to drive their team of minis once I'm ready to. I'm hoping I can eventually bring Mity and Ren up there for some help.

 

[disneyhorse]

Oh goodness... that is a combo I would never try... but if you can get it going, all the more power to you! Good luck!

Andrea

 

[BannerBrat]

I think this sounds neat. It sounds like you are going about it the right way, and I think there's a decent chance that it will work out nicely. If you get them going as a pair or tandem, could you post pictures. I'd love to see it. Good Luck!