Pair driving - any advice?

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pennyturner

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I'm working with a pair of ponies to get them going together as a driving pair. One is a fairly experienced quiet driver, the other hasn't driven before, but is quiet and bold. Both are 100% in traffic, and pretty unflappable.
They have long-reined out together (in pair reins) and seemed to enjoy it. No issues with personality, and they both were trying hard to please.

I have broken many ponies to drive single, but never a pair. I've got the theory, but is there anything practical I should be thinking about before/during putting to, to minimise the chance of spoiling them?
I will have 2 helpers.
 
Put the experienced pony on the offside (traffic side)- also make sure the harness and reins are correctly adjusted before you move off. At first have a helper either side. Im sure itl be fine.
 
I think the thing I'm most worried about is keeping them together. I can imagine a situation where one is pulling and one is sitting in the breeching!
Do I just need to be sharp about reminding the one who sets off too slowly?
 
What harness do you use? I take it you've got pole chains/straps? And swingletrees? if they are adjusted correctly if the vehicle moves forward there is very little chance one pony wont go, but if he is reluctant to move the helper can lead him.
 
I've got a cheap but serviceable breast-harness. It had no breeching, so I bought two single breeching sets separately and made side straps myself (still working out whether to fit these behind the trace buckle or under the belly to a martingale).
Have tied down the evener on the swingletrees.
Pole has a short cross-bar on a pivot, with pole straps to the breast harness.
I might have to do something about the reins, as I was right up their bum long-reining, so they're too short!
 
Definitely do not go out with too short reins, you can be pulled from the box seat,or drop them. Breeching isnt always necessary with pair harness as the pole straps will hold the vehicle on hills, but if used should fit under the trace buckle, I am sure you will be fine :)
 
UPDATE:

Put them to today. They were very well behaved, and whilst we had a couple of 'moments' when they struggled to get it together (coming around tightly, uneven ground), they were extraordinarily calm. We had no issues putting or setting off whatsoever. I think they'd have stood there all afternoon whilst we faffed with harness, and neither pole nor clanky carriage bothered them. We took it steady, but they were perfectly happy going up to trot and back to walk on a word.

It's quite hilly here, which makes starting driving horses challenging, but by the final hill even the novice was starting to get the idea and pull his share - much to the relief of his friend, who's only ever pulled light exercise carts, and wasn't quite sure why I was making him drag something so heavy.

My side-straps were fine, and the reins were long enough - but I attached a bit of baling twine from them to the carriage just in case I dropped them.

Thanks Stormox!
 
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