Hitching Safely - Doc Hammill Horsemanship
Transcription
Hitching Safely - Doc Hammill Horsemanship
lorses i n seshitchi t i n g a vei If you are dropping three or more links, put the end link over the link being hooked. This minimizes the chances of a swinging chain end hitting a horse's leg and surprising it. gave me a real perspective o n h o w quickly things can go awry even w i t h seasoned horses and master teamsters," says student Brad Peterson. H i t c h i n g and u n h i t c h i n g is a time of great vulnerability. " W e really need to have horses that stand reliably, and u n t i l people's skill and experience is very high, they need to have their horse or horses tied u p w h i l e h i t c h i n g and u n h i t c h i n g , or at least have someone to h o l d and help manage t h e m (a header)" says Doc. " W h e n we start doing i t alone w i t h o u t a place t o tie or a header, the horses really have to k n o w to stay p u t , and the person needs to n o t mess around. W e just need to pay attention and get the job done w i t h o u t delay or distraction. The students i n this w o r k s h o p saw firsthand h o w dangerous it can be i f horses become distracted, anxious, fearful, or move around w h e n only part way hitched." Doc continues, "It's really i m p o r t a n t to have a very specific, well understood and consistent h i t c h i n g and u n h i t c h i n g technique so that we can execute i t precisely and promptly. We need to h i t c h and u n h i t c h the same way every t i m e t o develop a consistent, familiar routine. I n addition, we should strategically p r e - p o s i t i o n the vehicle or equipment we're h i t c h i n g to. A n d we need to have a clearly t h o u g h t o u t 'escape plan' each step of the way so we can get ourselves and/or our horses o u t safely i n case something does go wrong." Pre-positioning the Vehicle For Doc, pre-positioning the vehicle strategically typically means p u t t i n g i t where the horses w i l l be facing a d i r e c t i o n they don't especially want to go so they're n o t i n c l i n e d t o take a n o t i o n to leave. " I don't December 2012/January 2013 recommend p o i n t i n g the horses t o w a r d the barn or the h i t c h rail or other horses i n the herd. I do t r y to use a physical or visual barrier o f some sort; I don't like a lot of open space i n f r o n t o f t h e m , especially for horses w i t h l i m i t e d experience." G r o u n d - d r i v i n g the team to a strategically prepositioned vehicle provides all sorts of opportunities for assessing readiness to hitch. "It's a test drive. I get to see if everything is w o r k i n g right. Are m y lines adjusted right? W i l l the horses in fact start, stop, stand, and back w h e n I ask? D o the horses look like they're the proper distance apart o n the bits for the neck yoke and doubletree? " M a n y times horses are anxious or i n a f o r w a r d m o o d or mode w h e n we h i t c h , and they k n o w we're ready to go, so a lot of times just to counteract that f o r w a r d energy, the first t h i n g I do is to back a few steps, b o t h g r o u n d d r i v i n g and w h e n hitched. W h e n I ' m harnessing i n the barn, I back t h e m up i n t o the alley and purposely stop for awhile and wait w h i l e getting t h e m to quit l o o k i n g towards the door. Then I gee t h e m 90 degrees t h e n stop and wait. O n l y w h e n they're clearly relaxed and w a i t i n g on instructions and n o t interested i n their o w n agenda do we go out the barn door." The Teaching M o m e n t The lesson that t u r n e d i n t o an extreme teaching m o m e n t was h o w t o h i t c h and u n h i t c h w h e n we're alone and don't have a place to tie the horses. Doc was d e m o n s t r a t i n g h i t c h i n g to a wagon w i t h a team o f calm, reliable horses. The weather was changing o f t e n and q u i c k l y that day, and u n b e k n o w n s t to Doc, a t h u n d e r h e a d was approaching f r o m a d i r e c t i o n I] where i t was h i d d e n by a h i l l and trees. V i o l e n t l i g h t n i n g began t o strike suddenly nearby, w i t h l o u d claps of thunder. D o c had just started h i t c h i n g and had h o o k e d the neck yoke to only one horse w h e n explosive l i g h t n i n g repeatedly struck nearby, f o l l o w e d by deafening thunder. D o c was already t r y i n g to u n h o o k the neck yoke w h e n the other horse j u m p e d sideways and k n o c k e d its p a r t n e r o f f its feet. " I don't k n o w h o w many thousands o f times I've hitched horses and mules i n the six decades since I started d r i v i n g , but this was the first t i m e I've ever had anything like this happen while h i t c h i n g . I n hindsight it wasn't really m u c h o f an incident; it was more of a close call," says Doc, " b u t i t could easily have been disastrous". His students were unanimous i n their appreciation for h o w calm Doc remained and h o w he gently and efficiently managed the horses, b o t h physically and psychologically, to a safe and m i n i m a l l y stressful outcome. Student Brad Peterson shares, "Doc knew exactly what t o do so quickly and so calmly. The horses stayed relatively calm because they felt that f r o m Doc; they knew they needed t o just stop and stand while he made things right." I n addition, the students also experienced h o w Doc managed "people reactions and behavior" at the same time he was calming, controlling, and untangling the horses. The students' nervous energy, talking amongst themselves, and attempts to help started to add tension to an already difficult situation. " I signaled the students to be quiet and asked t h e m to relax, take their energy d o w n , and stop m o v i n g around while I was holding and calming one horse that wanted to get away, u n h o o k i n g harness to get t h e m apart, and quieting and comforting the horse that couldn't get up," says Doc. "It's very natural i n such situations for people to become upset and adrenalincharged, making things worse i n their efforts to help." "Over the years there have been many times w h e n m y i n t e n t i o n was to h i t c h up, b u t instead I abandoned the idea," reflects Doc, "either because I judged the animals not well enough trained i n general, or not prepared well Hitching the inside trace chain first preserves an escape route in case the horses move unexpectedly. 12 Rural Heritage enough for h i t c h i n g specifically, or n o t i n a frame of m i n d to be h i t c h e d safely at that particular time. I t is imperative that they stand still i n a quiet, comfortable, relaxed way t o be h i t c h e d safely." Having a horse or horses move w h e n part way h i t c h e d or part way unhitched creates one of the most potentially dangerous situations that can happen. Several i m p o r t a n t things c o n t r i b u t e d t o the safe outcome f r o m this extreme event. First, Doc had a strong relationship of trust, respect, and leadership w i t h his team; he k n e w they were extremely well-trained and experienced and that they n o r m a l l y listened and responded t o h i m well. Next, D o c had made several changes t o the typical hitching gear and harness t o m i n i m i z e chances for equipment failure or wrecks. (See "Preventing Wrecks" i n Rural Heritage volume 37, n u m b e r 2, A p r i l / M a y 2012, and the article "10 C o m m o n Wrecks w i t h D r i v i n g Horses" o n D o c s website for complete details.) Over the years, he has heard enough stories of wrecks to k n o w that taking the t i m e to make these changes has prevented problems f r o m o c c u r r i n g . I n addition, D o c had followed his step-by-step process for h i t c h i n g so he k n e w exactly what had been done and D o c H a m m i l l what hadn't w h e n i t came t i m e to extricate the horses f r o m their predicament. I f he hadn't been so rigorous about following his process, he w o u l d n ' t have been as able to help his horses as quickly and quietly as he d i d . Finally, because D o c had followed his process carefully, he also k n e w w i t h o u t t h i n k i n g what the escape plan was at the p o i n t w h e n the incident occurred. Because he was following a procedure that he k n e w well, he was able t o successfully u n h o o k the neck yoke as the falling horse was going d o w n . It's m u c h easier to anticipate problems and consider escape routes w h e n things are calm t h a n t o have to figure everything o u t i n the crisis of the m o m e n t w h e n something happens. O f course, just because Doc was able to extricate the horses didn't mean that was the end of the story. The students got to see what he d i d to calm and evaluate the horses after the mishap. "After I got the tangled harness off the d o w n e d horse and he was able to get up, I spent a lot of t i m e r u b b i n g h i m and talking to h i m , m a k i n g sure he was alright b o t h physically and mentally." The s t o r m had passed just as quickly as i t came, and the horses were again relaxed and comfortable so they were led to the b a r n . A f t e r some quiet time, Doc's partner Cathy and the students g r o o m e d and re-harnessed the horse H o r s e m a n s h i p C e l e b r a t i n g 3 6 Y e a r s o f T e a c h i n g P e o p l e To D r i v e , W o r k & T r a i n H o r s e s a n d M u l e s i n H a r n e s s " T h e most comprehensive and detailed videos available on driving, working, and training horses" DRIVING A N D W O R K I N G HORSES IN HARNESS DVDS • Doc teaches you to gently, safely and effectively harness, hitch, drive and work horses • Fundamentals 1 & 2 (2 DVDS / 4 Hours 1 $90) • Fundamentals 3 & 4 (2 D V D S /4 Hours/ $90) S A V E $20! Fundamentals 1.2.3.4 (4 DVDs / 8 Hours / $160) S A V E $20! • Preventing Wrecks IDVD i.5Hrs/$42) Fall Learning Opportunities with Doc Driving and Farming with Horses Workshops A l l on Horsepowered Organic F a r m s Covelo, California Oct. 11 - 15 Sebastopol, California Oct. 18 - 21 Dorena, Oregon Oct. 26 - 28 Dorena, Oregon (Plowing) Oct. 29 & 30 Contact Doc at workshops(&>dochammill.com or 406-250-8252 TRAINING DVDS • Doc teaches you how to train (or RE-train) horses using Gentle/Natural Horsemanship • Gentle Training 1: The Round Pen (3 DVD Set (6 Hours / S120) • Gentle Training 2: Daily Opportunities (DVD 1.5 Hours / $42) • Teaching Horses To Drive: A Ten Step Method (2 DVD / 3.5 Hrs /$90) TO ORDER: Credit Cards at www.DocHammill.com or by phone (406)250-8252 By Mail: Send Name, Address, Phone*. Email, Crder Details. Price of DVDs plus S&H ($6,50 USA or $8,50 Canada) in US funds. Information, Learning and Online Shopping at www.DocHammill.com Workshops • Doc's Blog • Doc's Articles and Tips • Doc's Videos • Books & Videos *. Equipment D o c H a m m i i l H o r s e m a n s h i p w w w . D o c H a m m i l l . c o m (406) 250-8252 [email protected] (Doc) • PO Box 1494. Eureka, MT 59917 • [email protected] December 2012/January 2013 13 Doc HammiU's Step-by-Step Checklist For Hitching a Team Start in front - end in back. Reverse for unhitching. 1. Pre-position and the vehicle. Whenever possible, pre-position the vehicle or piece o f equipment i n a place where the team can be tied while h i t c h i n g , especially i n the case o f an inexperienced driver, horse, or team. A t a m i n i m u m , pre-position the vehicle i n a way that the horses have a physical and/or visual barrier rather than open space i n f r o n t o f t h e m . 2. Safety C h e c k the vehicle. Be sure the neck yoke is chained o n , and the double tree p i n is secured. D o a general equipment safety inspection. Have everything y o u w i l l need o n the vehicle or equipment p r i o r t o h i t c h i n g . 3. Position the horses for hitching. Drive the team over, back t h e m onto, or lead t h e m into place relative t o the tongue and p o s i t i o n t h e m for h i t c h i n g . A L W A Y S have the bridle o n and lines attached and f u n c t i o n a l before h i t c h i n g . NEVER unbuckle the lines f r o m the bits or remove the bridle w h e n a horse is still h i t c h e d to anything. 4. Secure the horses. Whenever possible, tie your horses. I f the horses aren't tied, have your header h o l d one of the cross checks i n each hand near the b i t of each horse. The header should stay i n this p o s i t i o n u n t i l released by the driver f r o m their duties. NEVER t r u s t the horses t o stand. NEVER let go of the lines or rely totally o n a header. NEVER tie the lines up on the vehicle or equipment unless the horses are tied. I f the horses are n o t tied, A L W A Y S keep the lines i n your hands i n case y o u need t o "talk" to or c o n t r o l the horses w i t h t h e m . Whenever y o u h o l d b o t h lines i n one h a n d keep one finger between t h e m and A L W A Y S k n o w w h i c h line is o n t o p so they are n o t crossed w h e n y o u p u t t h e m i n t w o hands again. D o c always puts his r i g h t line o n t o p so as n o t to get t h e m m i x e d u p . 5. Attach the neck yoke. H o o k the neck yoke t o the breast strap and pole strap of the least experienced horse first, t h e n the other horse. I f the breast and/or pole straps attach t o the neck yoke w i t h snaps, be sure all snaps are hooked facing towards the tongue. A l l three of the r i n g areas o n neck yokes are potential finger eaters so be careful. 6. C h e c k the neck yoke center r i n g position. Double-check that the neck yoke ring is against the stop o n the tongue. I f it's caught f o r w a r d w h e n the traces are hooked, o n a b o l t head for instance, and slips back later, everything could be hooked too loose. Back the horses a little if necessary to keep the r i n g against the stop u n t i l the traces are hooked and h o l d i n g i t there. 7. Hook the inside trace chains. M o v i n g to the rear, it's especially i m p o r t a n t to be conscious of your safety w h e n behind the horses and i n front of the vehicle or equipment w h i c h is n o w attached to the horses by the neck yoke. Always bear i n m i n d that the action of the double tree and the t w o attached single trees can be like a guillotine. I f one horse moves, the space between a single tree and the double tree can close and crush a finger, hand, arm, foot or leg. The same is true for spaces between the double tree and the front o f the vehicle or equipment. It's generally 14 Rural Heritage a good idea to hook the trace chains of the least experienced horse first because once hooked, the outside trace w i l l set a boundary to help keep h i m f r o m stepping away f r o m the tongue. However, i t is more efficient and less t i m e is spent behind the horses i f you step behind the first horse and hook the inside chains of b o t h horses, followed, after stepping back out, by h o o k i n g the outside chain of the first horse. I f t w o people are hitching, I recommend that one person hook b o t h inside chains because only one person is i n the vulnerable space behind the horses and i n front of the vehicle or load. I f you are dropping three or more links, p u t the end link over the link being hooked before h o o k i n g the chain. This minimizes the chances of a swinging chain end hitting a horse's leg and surprising i t . A L W A Y S grasp chain links and single tree hooks w i t h o u t p u t t i n g fingers through t h e m so you can continue to count t o ten. 8. Hook the outside trace chains. Always step to the outside before h o o k i n g outside trace chains so as n o t to trap yourself i n the space between the horse, single tree, and the t w o trace chains. First, hook the outside chain of the horse y o u stepped b e h i n d to hook the inside chains t h e n go a r o u n d and hook the outside chain of the other horse. NEVER step or c l i m b over the tongue to get to the other side; always go around. 9. C h e c k adjustment between pulling system and hold back system. A s s u m i n g the h o l d back system o n each harness is adjusted properly p r i o r t o h i t c h i n g , the length at w h i c h the trace chains are hooked w i l l determine h o w tight or loose the horses are confined i n the harness w h e n hitched o n a tongue. Too t i g h t and they become uncomfortable, claustrophobic, and can develop f r i c t i o n sores. Too loose and they w i l l be alternately slapped or b u m p e d by the britchen and the collar w h e n changing f r o m the p u l l i n g mode to the h o l d back mode and visa-versa. To test for the appropriate relationship of tension between the t w o britchens and the four trace chains first note i f there is any slack i n the chains. I f there is, then the britchens should be fairly snug against the r u m p s . I t there is no slack i n the chains, as w h e n the horses are p u l l i n g , then y o u should be able t o either pull b o t h britchens straight back one to t w o inches f r o m the r u m p s , or, i f one b r i t c h e n is fairly tight, the other should come back three to four inches. A L W A Y S check b o t h britchens, n o t just one. A d j u s t as necessary by h o o k i n g all four chains shorter to tighten things up, or longer to loosen the adjustment. Be sure to u n h o o k the outside chains for safe access to adjust the inside chains first, and t h e n adjust the outside chains last. 10. Double check everything. Check bridles, lines, and all h i t c h i n g to make sure everything is as i t should be. 11. Untie horses or release header. I f the horses have been tied, take up the lines and move t o your d r i v i n g p o s i t i o n before having a helper untie the horses. I f y o u are alone, take the lines w i t h you to untie the horses. However, keep i n m i n d that once the horses are u n t i e d the lines w i l l n o t w o r k u n t i l you get back towards the rear half of the horses. The driver must A L W A Y S be i n p o s i t i o n o n the vehicle w i t h lines i n hand before any passengers board the vehicle, and all passengers must be off before the driver gets off. 12. Wait long enough to "light a p i p e " before starting the team. Spend the t i m e double checking everything visually while managing horse behavior. December 2012/January 2013 15 that w e n t d o w n while Doc prepared to test the other one by g r o u n d d r i v i n g i t single. " M y hope was to finish w i t h a positive d r i v i n g experience for each horse, b u t only i f they could stay comfortable and handle i t . I didn't w a n t t h e m t o associate acting fearful or misbehaving w i t h getting o u t o f harness or w o r k , b u t I didn't w a n t t o cause t h e m f u r t h e r anxiety either. " W e used a very specific set o f baby steps to test t h e m o u t to see i f any lasting psychological damage had been done. I started by g r o u n d d r i v i n g one and t h e n the other single. W e left the b a r n and g r o u n d drove directly to the wagon, just as we had done an hour before w i t h t h e m as a team. The wagon was in the same spot as before. I drove t h e m single because I w a n t e d to observe each horse's personal reaction to the wagon and the location of the incident. I n t u r n , I drove each one up t o the wagon tongue and stopped to let t h e m check it out. B o t h horses checked the tongue out by t o u c h i n g and examining i t w i t h their lips, b u t neither seemed the least bit concerned about the wagon or the location. As they were examining the tongue I rattled the metal double tree and single trees w i t h m y foot to observe their reaction to the sudden noise. Neither horse reacted to i t . A f t e r d r i v i n g each o f t h e m single around the barnyard w i t h lots o f stopping, standing, and backing up, we called i t a day." The next day the evaluation process continued. The horses were first driven quietly a r o u n d i n the fenced barnyard single and t h e n g r o u n d driven there as a team. Doc drove t h e m into p o s i t i o n for h i t c h i n g t o the forecart several times b u t simply had t h e m stand o n either side o f the tongue awhile w i t h o u t h i t c h i n g u p . A l l w e n t extremely well. Later that day the students practiced h i t c h i n g the team to a forecart repeatedly, and the horses were just fine w i t h i t . Doc explains, " W e chose to h i t c h to and drive a t w o wheeled forecart before advancing to the four wheeled wagon later on. The horses were fine w i t h each o f the progressive tests, and we were able to resume our n o r m a l w o r k s h o p c u r r i c u l u m . " Standing Still Reliably " I can't emphasize enough," says Doc, "the importance o f teaching our d r i v i n g horses to stop and stand still and to do so reliably. These are the most i m p o r t a n t lessons we'll ever teach t h e m . I t should start w h e n they're young, and i t needs to be reinforced every m i n u t e of every day that we're w i t h t h e m . I n addition t o n o t letting t h e m move their feet, we also need to manage their heads so they don't get bridles, bits, halters, etc. hooked onto such things as harness parts, neck yokes, and shafts and perhaps r u b or tear a bridle completely off." Doc's f r i e n d and colleague Steve W o o d teaches pleasure and competitive d r i v i n g and trains horses to drive. Steve adds, "For a pair hitched to a carriage, almost 100 percent of tongues are self-supporting, (essentially suspended i n the air), so the horses can't be g r o u n d - d r i v e n into place. Instead, they're typically led into position individually. This means the horses have to stand there for three or four minutes while the lines are attached and h i t c h i n g is underway. So it's even more the case that d r i v i n g horses have t o be trained to stand still reliably." E q u i p m e n t and Harness Modifications Slip-on neck yokes should always be secured to the tongue so they don't slip off and cause a wreck. Doc's preferred method is with a quick link and chain. Diagram courtesy Doc Hammill. 16 There are many things that could be discussed i n the equipment and harness department that impact h i t c h i n g and u n h i t c h i n g , b u t D o c w o u l d feel particularly negligent if he didn't m e n t i o n the importance o f securing slip-on neck yokes and using what he calls a b u t t rope. " M a n y close calls, mishaps, wrecks, and injuries are caused w h e n slip-on neck yokes that are n o t secured to the tongue accidentally slide off the end of the tongue," says Doc. "This can happen more easily than most people t h i n k , b o t h d u r i n g h i t c h i n g or u n h i t c h i n g and w h e n actually d r i v i n g . Consequently, all slip-on neck yokes should be secured t o the tongue every t i m e we Rural Heritage h i t c h . M y preferred way of securing t h e m is s h o w n i n the diagram. A n y t h i n g less t h a n a % - i n c h chain and a ^s-inch quick link is n o t strong enough for forces that can be encountered." Doc continues, "One of the most c o m m o n wrecks I've heard about over the years is horses spreading their h i n d ends and then getting head to head or even t u r n i n g around and c o m i n g to the teamster. For this reason, I always r e c o m m e n d the use of a b u t t rope." (See "Key Techniques for Safe Confident Horses" i n Rural Heritage volume 36, n u m b e r 5, O c t o b e r / N o v e m b e r 2011.) Ironclad Process for Hitching and Unhitching Doc's f r i e n d Steve W o o d emphasizes the importance o f a well-understood process for h i t c h i n g . " H a l f w a y hitched is the most dangerous t i m e i n d r i v i n g , so y o u have t o concentrate very carefully d u r i n g that 90 seconds or y o u w i l l forget something or do something incorrectly. A l o t of people get distracted—'Oh, wasn't that a w o n d e r f u l drive,'—and the conversation causes t h e m to forget one strap or another. Because o f multiple connections to the vehicle, w i t h the single horse especially—with the hold backs and shaft wraps and traces—it's easy t o miss just one step that can have devastating consequences i f n o t caught and corrected. A n d w i t h young or green horses, w h e n a driver forgets something, i t changes the routine w h i c h can be stressful for the horse, heightening the possibility for an incident t o occur." Steve continues, "Generally it's another person w h o causes the distraction. O n club drives, d u r i n g family gatherings: the excitement can distract y o u as m u c h as anything. Here's m y solution: I have a step-bystep check list. As a driver, hand that check list to your header. Make the header read off the list; i t keeps h i m or her f r o m starting u p a conversation that m i g h t distract you d u r i n g that critical 90 seconds. A n d remember that u n h i t c h i n g is the reverse of the h i t c h i n g process; start at the b o t t o m of the list and w o r k back t o the top. I f people get distracted, especially w h e n u n h i t c h i n g , they tend to do i t backwards. W h e n people are distracted, they t e n d to remember the first incorrect sequence (for hitching) rather than the second proper sequence (for unhitching)." Escape Plans Especially w h e n h i t c h i n g the back end, w h e n the driver is between the horses and the vehicle/load, our senses must be on high alert for anything that could lead to All Leather Irish, Split Leather Irish, All Purpose Collars, Heavy Pulling Collars, Field, Show & Buggy Collars, Adjustable Collars. Clock, Mirror & Mini Collars Cheek-out our Fine Driving G-Collar Draft Horse Blankets with Leg Straps in Red, Burgandy, Green or Blue Please call or write for a free catalog Coblentz Collar L . T . D . 574-825-7495 December 2012/January 2013 3348 US Route 62 • Millersburg, Ohio 44654 Ph.: 330-893-3858 • Fax: 330-893-1166 Visa-Mastercard Accepted 17 trouble. By taking such steps as h i t c h i n g the inside trace chains before the outside chains, we can preserve o u r escape route should the horses take an unexpected step i n any d i r e c t i o n , p u t t i n g us i n jeopardy. D o c explains, " H o o k i n g the outside chain first t h e n stretching to reach over i t and h o o k (or u n h o o k ) the inside trace w i l l p u t you way o f f balance. W e r e y o u to fall i n between the trace chains b e h i n d the horses' feet and i n f r o n t o f the vehicle/load, you'd be i n extreme danger o f being stepped o n or r u n over. Standing w i t h the lines between a horse and the vehicle near the tongue while someone else hooks or u n h o o k s is also dangerous since a horse c o u l d fly back and crush y o u against the vehicle or load or go f o r w a r d and p u l l the vehicle or load i n t o you." D o c adds another i m p o r t a n t p o i n t about his extreme teaching m o m e n t , "It's unlikely that I w o u l d have been able to hang o n t o and c o n t r o l b o t h horses i f I had n o t had halters and lead ropes o n t h e m . I was able t o q u i c k l y u n d o the ropes f r o m the hames and use t h e m instead o f the lines ( w h i c h became useless because the fallen horse was l y i n g o n t h e m ) . W i t h o u t halters o n A N D lead ropes attached and easily accessible, we are at an extreme disadvantage i f someone needs t o get c o n t r o l of the heads." The I m p o r t a n c e of Patience If w e regularly h u r r y t h r o u g h o u r harnessing and h i t c h i n g r o u t i n e , it's very easy t o teach our horses an u n i n t e n d e d lesson. I f we h u r r i e d l y g r o o m , harness, h i t c h , and drive off t h e n w e are teaching t h e m to be i m p a t i e n t . D o i n g so sets us up 18 for t r o u b l e w h e n at some p o i n t the process is delayed for any reason and we really need t o have t h e m stand and w a i t rather t h a n go. Doc shares, "There are exercises I use regularly for helping horses practice patience, relaxation, and standing still. For instance, I g r o u n d drive t h e m i n t o p o s i t i o n o n the tongue b u t don't h i t c h a n y t h i n g u p . I w a i t and concentrate o n having t h e m stand there patiently for v a r y i n g lengths o f t i m e before h i t c h i n g . Sometimes I even drive t h e m away w i t h o u t h i t c h i n g so they become accepting o f whatever I choose to ask for rather t h a n start assuming they k n o w w h a t w i l l happen next. However, once we start t o h i t c h up (or u n h i t c h ) , it's i m p o r t a n t that we f o l l o w t h r o u g h to c o m p l e t i o n i n an efficient b u t relaxed way w i t h o u t distractions or delays." Doc continues, "Once you are completely h i t c h e d , d r i v i n g off r i g h t away sets a v e r y bad precedent. I have often heard my g o o d f r i e n d , master teamster, and horsemanship clinician John Erskine share a story w i t h students. A n o t h e r teamster w h o m John a d m i r e d smoked a pipe. Every t i m e after this m a n h i t c h e d up his team he w o u l d sit o n the wagon, clean o u t his pipe, refill i t , light i t , and get i t g o i n g . O n l y t h e n w o u l d he ask his horses t o go. John's advice to students is n o t t o smoke a pipe, b u t rather t o take the t i m e it w o u l d take to light a pipe before asking horses to go after they get t h e m h i t c h e d . John assures t h e m that t h e i r horses w i l l become m o r e and m o r e patient and safer and safer i f they do so, and that i f they don't, the horses w i l l go the other way. It's great advice f o r w h e n w e u n h i t c h as well." Rural Heritage In Hindsight D o c concludes, " T h i s i n c i d e n t came e x t r e m e l y close t o b e i n g a disaster. I f I had n o t been able t o u n h o o k the neck yoke t o free the horses f r o m the w a g o n , a n d / o r i f I had n o t been able t o h o l d o n t o the horses and keep t h e m f r o m r u n n i n g o f f w i t h or w i t h o u t the w a g o n , the p o t e n t i a l for m o r e significant lasting psychological effects and possibly physical i n j u r y t o the horses w o u l d have been great. T h o u g h we were f o r t u n a t e , I still f u l l y expect the horses i n v o l v e d to be m o r e anxious and c o n c e r n e d w h e n t h e y experience s t o r m c o n d i t i o n s i n the f u t u r e t h a n t h e y were before this experience. " I n h i n d sight, d o I w i s h the horses h a d been t i e d u p w h i l e I was h i t c h i n g t h e m f o r t h a t p a r t i c u l a r d e m o n s t r a t i o n ? Yes, o f course. T h e reason I show people h o w t o d o i t alone a n d u n t i e d is because i t is s o m e t h i n g t h a t we and the horses need t o k n o w h o w to do. Sooner or later i t may be unavoidable. However, w h e n I ' m d e m o n s t r a t i n g and e x p l a i n i n g the process o f h i t c h i n g a n d u n h i t c h i n g , p a r t o f m y a t t e n t i o n is distracted f r o m the horses a n d the process is slowed d o w n , so i n the f u t u r e T i l consider d e m o n s t r a t i n g the t e c h n i q u e w i t h the horses t i e d and let the students imagine that t h e y aren't." Student B r a d Peterson's greatest lesson, i n h i n d s i g h t , was the i m p o r t a n c e o f staying slow, steady, and c o n f i d e n t . By n o t o v e r r e a c t i n g i n the face o f adversity, it's possible t o w o r k q u i c k l y and i n a c o n t r o l l e d m a n n e r t o c o r r e c t a p r o b l e m i n a way that allows the horses t o r e m a i n as c a l m as possible, t o o . U s i n g a w e l l - d e f i n e d h i t c h i n g p r o c e d u r e w i t h horses, e q u i p m e n t a n d harness t h a t are w e l l - p r e p a r e d sets b o t h people and horses u p f o r h i t c h i n g safely a n d successfully. 31 Doc Hammill and his partner Cathy Greatorex offer workshops and private clinics year-round as well as instructional videos on working horses in harness, including techniques for safely hitching and hitching and preventing wrecks. Steve Wood operates, with his wife Cathy, Wild Sleigh and Carriage in Elk River, Minnesota. Wood Jenifer Morrissey Colorado. Gould, works her draft ponies December 2012/January 2013 in 'fykills training for farming, history, & development I Learn iow-techjarmmgwith our Belgian draft horses & Milking Shorthorn oxen. Ask about bringingyour team to share the learning experience. Bkuksmithing Bkcksmithing Bkcksmithing Bkcksmithing I II I I December 6-7, 2012 December 8-9,2012 January 26-27,2013 February 15-16, 2013 And more! Full 2013 Class Schedule will be available in mid-December online or call to request acataioglobemailcd loyoul .Scotk, Ml | WWW.tlller5internatlOnal.Or2 I 300.&98.1700 FOR SERIOUS ORGANIC AND SUSTAINABLE F A R M E R S SOUTHERN SAWG C O N F E R E N C E Practical Tools & Solutions jjj^fegg for Sustaining Family Farms y^'l** JANUARY 23-26 • LITTLE ROCK Pre Conference Courses Include: Organic Vegetables, High Tunnels, Pastured Livestock, Farm Profitability, Cut Flowers, Food Hubs and others. Conference Sessions Cover: *ft was incredible. Of oil the ag conferences ( a t t e n d , this was by /or the m o s t e n g a g e d group, as well as the ^^^mostdiverse^^ - G l e n D u p r e e , D.VM Sustainable & Organic Production of Flowers, Livestock, Vegetables and Specialty Crops; Direct Marketing Strategies; Successful Farm Stories and more! Plus five field trips! Visit www.ssawg.org or call 404-797-0496 for a brochure. Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group, Inc. (Southern SAWG) is a 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1991 to promote sustainable agriculture in the southern United States 19
Similar documents
River Pilot Tours
Horses are unpredictable. Plan as such and never assume they are going to respond to commands or input. They can be like 1000+/- pound 8 year olds at times after a long day. Daily Mileage – Start o...
More information