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Anne Dickens
| | Posted on Monday, 15 November, 2010 - 7:43 pm: | |
Hi Martin
Thanks so much for all that! Very helpful. I have collected nearly all the various hardware. I also have some webbing and matching elastic and was going to sew some long traces (I measured those on Dick Carey's similar size ponies at the last event). Hence my question before I started! It seems I've just missed this approach somehow so yours and Diane's responses very helpful.
I also have the Paul Devereux book - though haven't read it recently, must do that again before starting - and Joy Claxton's which has a tandem chapter.
I was only half serious about the ponies. I have a little spotty who's notoriously spooky, but I know what he spooks at (piles of mud, leaves - the usual monsters!) and he listens to me when it matters 99% of the time. My other one is a stocky and strong little welsh cross appaloosa and have always felt he should be in the shafts - hence my uncertainty in putting mr spooky out front. But I do take your point and I am prepared to decide it's not for them.
Very good idea re lessons with experienced tandem first :-) We have dearth of trainers here in depths of Kent, though can travel to Sarah Howe or Sonny Hillier (don't know if either do tandem specifically).
Think my local DDA might have rein machine I could practice with (or I should make one following Joy's book with horse shoes!)
Thanks again - think I will 'rush slowly' on this one and be sensible. Lessons for Xmas maybe :-)
Anne |
Martin Yemm
| | Posted on Sunday, 14 November, 2010 - 2:19 pm: | |
Hi Anne.
I drive one of the tandems that have been photographed by Mike. He does get some great photographs.
Yes, Dianne is correct that in normal circumstances the leader should be kept out of draft. Otherwise on a sharp turn the wheeler could be pulled over.
Tandem bars are still occasionally used in some show/presentation cases. Again as Dianne says, spoons can be used. However on most tandem sets the wheeler breast collar will either have 2 dee’s, one to take the leader traces and one to take the wheeler traces, or a trace buckle with an eye to take the leader traces. Have a look at the Leading Eye Trace Buckle on the Abbey Saddlery website. You also need to look at various other things like double terrets on the wheeler pad and rings on the wheeler bridle to carry the leader reigns.
Starting to learn tandem driving with 2 spooky ponies does not sound a good idea at all. It would be worth doing some background work first. There is an interesting book called ‘Driving a Tandem’ by Paul Doliveux which worth reading. Its available through the BDS website. Whilst on the BDS website you could look at the Tandem Club pages and picture gallery.
Tandem driving is something that you can get completely hooked on, but it does take time to sort out the reign handling. Don’t believe that the ponies just follow each other in a perfect straight line on their own. You are continually tweaking the reigns to keep them where you want them. It’s worth starting to learn ‘coachman’ style and it’s then easier to change to 2 handed as most drivers do when competing. If you know anyone with a reign machine with double reigns, that is worth trying. A mistake on that is not going to be a disaster and you can see the effect of the 2 sets of reigns. As there is a correct safe order to put to a single this also applies to a tandem.
What part of the country do you live in? There are a number of trainers around the country who will give lessons on experienced ponies which is the best way to start. They could probably then give you advice as to whether your ponies might be suitable to train.
Don’t let the above comments put you off. It’s a great challenge and really enjoyable when the ponies are going well. |
Anne Dickens
| | Posted on Thursday, 11 November, 2010 - 7:18 pm: | |
Thanks Diane - especially the point about not wanting to transfer the draft which had passed me by!! And good to know it's fun - it certainly looks it.
I think I'm right in understanding that attaching the leader's traces to the wheeler's trace buckles is a fairly standard practice. And I've observed this set up in 'real life'. It looks and seems logical, as it emulates continuous traces.
What I've been seeing in the pics - I think! - is the leader's traces attached direct to the very FRONT of the wheeler's collar e.g. onto the kidney rings. But if, as you say, transfer of draft is not an issue, then I guess this is as good a place as any?!
Would be very interested in others' thoughts.
Thanks. |
Diane Phillips
| | Posted on Thursday, 11 November, 2010 - 12:28 pm: | |
My experience of tandem driving is as a groom and its great fun. Our leader traces have always been attached to the wheelers collar/breast collar normally onto a metal spoon that is attached to the wheeler trace buckle on the breast collar. I believe that in HDT you do not want the leader to come into draft at all (except maybe on very steep hills). If the leader is in draft it makes turning tight corners much more difficult as the leader will pull the wheeler around as he turns and you end up wrapped around posts etc! The turnout should articulate between the wheeler and the leader ie the leader turns, the wheeler turns and if you have delayed steering on your carriage it then turns. You should give tandem a go. It is a lot harder than it looks but when it goes right it is a real buzz. But please please please make sure that you get very experienced help when you put your tandem together.
I hope this has been a little bit helpful. |
Anne Dickens
| | Posted on Wednesday, 10 November, 2010 - 5:54 pm: | |
Hello All
I was recently having one of my regular browses of Mike's lovely pics of various driving events. These are not only nice in their own right, and much appreciated for that, they are a great resource for us novices interested in different people's carriages, harness etc.
On that note, I was interested to see (I think mainly or solely on EACDG event pics?) that many of the tandems in recent pics seem to have the leaders' traces attached directly to the wheelers' collars (without a tandem bar).
I know nothing about tandem driving, except what I've read and observed, but have been collecting various bits of hardware with the aim of giving it a go sometime (how sensible that is with my spooky ponies remains to be seen!). Anyway, I don't believe I've seen this kind of set up before. Can someone tell me a bit about it please? It seems to me to be an easier way of adapting two single harnesses and possibly safer than continuous traces which I've seen horses get tangled in, but is it as efficient? Does it transfer the draft in the same way? Any general hints about this approach? And is it only for experienced tandem drivers? Or maybe I've misunderstood what I've seen or it's very common and I've just been going around with my eyes closed?!
Many thanks for any advice.
Anne |
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