Chat
12-09-2014, 07:57 PM
I had to use an overcheck when I ran my carriage business years ago. I tried getting away without them, thinking they were unnecessary, but then a couple of mishaps (thankfully when no one but me was in the carriage) forced me to realize that when properly adjusted, it's actually a safety device. First mishap was that when a horse bent down to rub a fly off its knee, the rein would sometimes get caught over the wagon tongue (or over a shaft if driving single). This never caused a panic or a broken rein (although it could), but I did have to get out and correct the problem a few times--never safe.
The biggest mishap occurred when I was driving home from work one afternoon and I stopped at an intersection. My younger horse reached over and pulled my mare's bridle right off her head! Had the overcheck been in place, this would have been a lot harder since the crown strap is secured to the saddle. I also started making sure throat latches were good and tight--not like regular riding bridles where we're told to leave quite a bit of "breathing room". I never cinched the check reins up tight--horses should always be able to hold their heads in a natural position--but I realized the safety issue that can occur when a horse is able to put his head too far down and when the bridle isn't secured to the rest of the harness in some way. I always unhooked the check reins when we parked so the horses could scratch and stretch their necks as much as they pleased, but they were tied up to a hitching post at the time.
I like that when a goat "takes the bit" and runs off, he's not all that fast, and I can still out-pull him if it really comes down to it. Horses not so much.
The biggest mishap occurred when I was driving home from work one afternoon and I stopped at an intersection. My younger horse reached over and pulled my mare's bridle right off her head! Had the overcheck been in place, this would have been a lot harder since the crown strap is secured to the saddle. I also started making sure throat latches were good and tight--not like regular riding bridles where we're told to leave quite a bit of "breathing room". I never cinched the check reins up tight--horses should always be able to hold their heads in a natural position--but I realized the safety issue that can occur when a horse is able to put his head too far down and when the bridle isn't secured to the rest of the harness in some way. I always unhooked the check reins when we parked so the horses could scratch and stretch their necks as much as they pleased, but they were tied up to a hitching post at the time.
I like that when a goat "takes the bit" and runs off, he's not all that fast, and I can still out-pull him if it really comes down to it. Horses not so much.