Driving pair update - with video this time!

[pennyturner]

Ages ago I promised some footage of Duke and Shadow going out as a pair.
Better late than never... I think they're going quite well, but welcome comments, especially from fellow drivers.

They have been together about 6 months now, much of which has been on quiet lanes. Now we're doing heavier traffic, tight turns and a bit of off-road, as well as a fair bit of standing still quietly in odd places at the driver's whim. (very important that!)
They have made it very easy on me. Most of the time has been spent getting Shadow fit so that he was doing his share of the work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF66i9UdiUc

 

[Cortez]

I have driven, many years ago, but am very far from an expert, but what lovely ponies! How big are they? And do you ever swap them over?

 

[Nappy Croc]

What's your aims with them? Are your reins the right way round? The left coupling rein looks like it needs to go out about 6 inches

 

[pennyturner]

They're both just over 14hh - although there's a risk that Shadow (5) might grow a little bit as he fills out.

I haven't swapped them over yet, but only because I wanted to keep Duke on the kerb side until Shadow was fully fit. Swapping is quite high on the agenda now that they understand their job.
They're purely for pleasure. I have broken and driven singles for over 15years now. Next step, logically is to get another pair up to the same standard and put them together as a four in hand next year! Of course, I will need my children to agree to this plan, as they'll be the ones running alongside

 

[pennyturner]

What's your aims with them? Are your reins the right way round? The left coupling rein looks like it needs to go out about 6 inches

The reins are old ones. They're both on the same centre hole, but I did have them out on the ground to check they were level last Christmas. Perhaps I should do it again to check they haven't stretched!

 

[rara007]

Fun

I would play around with both the quality of their contact and the length of the coupling reins. It is quite possible you will end up with one coupling a few holes infront or behind the other to ensure they have an even contact. Until they're really taking a contact that'll be hard to judge but the RH pony does seem to have too much contact on the inside rein compared to the other pony. A bit more work on the halts wouldn't go amiss either- even with gullet straps rubbing bridles is asking for trouble- especially when/if you get a team head to the pole How much longer than the outside rein are your couplings currently out of interest? I can compare to ours if you like They look to be going sweetly and pretty straight I think that RH pony will straighten up as the rein is let out but watch that he's not pulling on the pole when you do as that might creep in as he is leaning off it at times. They seem to work nicely together overall though

ETA. looking closer I can't quite get a still shot of the reins in focus- are you sure the left rein is the right way around We've all made that mistake!

 

[pennyturner]

Having just looked more closely, I think it's Duke not fully in draft some of the time. He's coasting (he was a bit tired) and not up on the bit, which is giving him a loose coupling rein.

 

[pennyturner]

Rara, I have found one of the main differences between single and pair is the weight of the contact. I break the singles to go with just the lightest contact, where that doesn't seem enough for a pair to establish a 'feel'. Does it look like I need to shorten further?

 

[rara007]

For me I like them even as singles to be 'in' the contact, however light that may be. It will give you smoother and more defined transitions and when you come down from trot they'll be more likely to stay straight through the transition. I think you may struggle getting the outside pony to wheel up and in the future leaders to take the loops driving without much of a contact but everyone has a different style so I could be proven wrong! For me a lightest contact I'm happy with is the rein being 'carried' and the pony showing me that is enough by responding to that with bend either way, be that single pair or team.

 

[pennyturner]

I think I will have to invest in a camera and film more often, as it's quite instructive. So far, I have been focussing on 'safe' and 'together', and of course out on the road it's a result if nobody died and you can re-use the carriage!
Having never driven a pair before, it feels great to give an instruction and have the two animals obey it as though they were one, but clearly there's lots still to learn

 

[Blurr]

They look like lovely ponies. I have no experience driving horses, despite owning two trained to drive in their previous lives, but yours really do look very nice indeed and very well behaved (what an idiot in the car overtaking on the pavement!).