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