Chat
06-30-2016, 10:47 AM
What's the "Man Stops Runaway Horses" article? I can't read it.
So, if the doubletree/lynchpin breaks, what's the big deal? It seems like as long as the yoke stays hooked to the pole, all that would happen is that the load would "bump", there would a clattering of broken doubletree on the road and it may strike the horses' back feet and spook them, but no more than any other type of spook that could happen. It seems they would be better off under control of the reins with the carriage in tow than running wild down the street with a broken doubletree smashing along at their heels. If they're going to spook badly and bolt from nothing more "scary" than a broken doubletree, they aren't a very good team and I'd say they need more groundwork. The only thing that should happen if a doubletree comes loose is that the load would "bump" back a few inches until the pole slid to the end of the chain, at which point the point of draft would shift a little since the horses would now be pulling the wagon by the tongue instead of by the traces. With the tongue in place, your britchen will still be engaged so you'll have full braking power to stop the horses, turn them off the road, and unhitch them safely. Sure, they'll raise their heads and get all bunched up and kicky while the doubletree is rattling at their heels, but it shouldn't be enough to make them bolt unless the driver panics. The second they stop, the dangling doubletree will quit bothering them. If they get loose from the wagon and the driver, that doubletree will go on chasing and frightening them until they crash.
On the other hand, what happens when just one trace comes loose from a singletree and that horse gets far enough forward to pull the yoke off the pole? At that point, your whole wagon will come crashing into the backs of your horses and good luck to the driver involved in THAT wreck! Most trained horses aren't going to spook badly at a broken doubletree, but very few of even the best-trained horses will stay calm if the whole carriage smashes into their hindquarters.
So that's why I like the logic behind chaining the yoke to the tongue even if not many people do it. No one around here wears a riding helmet either and I get a lot of funny looks, but some things just make sense to me even if they aren't common practice.
So, if the doubletree/lynchpin breaks, what's the big deal? It seems like as long as the yoke stays hooked to the pole, all that would happen is that the load would "bump", there would a clattering of broken doubletree on the road and it may strike the horses' back feet and spook them, but no more than any other type of spook that could happen. It seems they would be better off under control of the reins with the carriage in tow than running wild down the street with a broken doubletree smashing along at their heels. If they're going to spook badly and bolt from nothing more "scary" than a broken doubletree, they aren't a very good team and I'd say they need more groundwork. The only thing that should happen if a doubletree comes loose is that the load would "bump" back a few inches until the pole slid to the end of the chain, at which point the point of draft would shift a little since the horses would now be pulling the wagon by the tongue instead of by the traces. With the tongue in place, your britchen will still be engaged so you'll have full braking power to stop the horses, turn them off the road, and unhitch them safely. Sure, they'll raise their heads and get all bunched up and kicky while the doubletree is rattling at their heels, but it shouldn't be enough to make them bolt unless the driver panics. The second they stop, the dangling doubletree will quit bothering them. If they get loose from the wagon and the driver, that doubletree will go on chasing and frightening them until they crash.
On the other hand, what happens when just one trace comes loose from a singletree and that horse gets far enough forward to pull the yoke off the pole? At that point, your whole wagon will come crashing into the backs of your horses and good luck to the driver involved in THAT wreck! Most trained horses aren't going to spook badly at a broken doubletree, but very few of even the best-trained horses will stay calm if the whole carriage smashes into their hindquarters.
So that's why I like the logic behind chaining the yoke to the tongue even if not many people do it. No one around here wears a riding helmet either and I get a lot of funny looks, but some things just make sense to me even if they aren't common practice.