Driving four horses...

Roxy Sew

New Member
Jun 9, 2006
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West Midlands
I was just curious really, how do you drive four horses!? I've done some limited driving with a single horse, just wondered how on earth you drive four!!?? Is it quite difficult? I'm imagining it is, and presuming all the horses would have to be well suited to each other, which would be a task in itself?
 
Not many people drive a team of 4 or more. It is a military operation that involves a great deal of time, money and luck!

It is a totaly unlike driving any other combination. If you have ever driven a tandem or a unicorn you will have a feel for it.

You have to have at least 4 horses who will all work together, and with the 'spares' that you will need incase any member of the team is unsound.

Idealy the horses will go as wheeler or leader on either side!

They all need to have matching ish paces & size.

They must all be fit & kept fit.

Now you see that what you are asking of the horses is difficult, verging on impossible.

Add to this the fact that not many people know how to drive 4 or more inhand, you can't just pop off for a lesson... it is also incredably dangerous!

Idealy you need a private income, a large estate to practice on and staff!

Alternatively you can go and learn in Baveria!

http://www.intetra.net/homepage/anemitz/main_e.htm

Thats where I learnt... and when you concider all of the above difficulties, the Bavarian coach driving is a bargain!

I am still breeding my team. I am up to a unicorn at the mo... all should be up and running by 2009! I hasten to add that I don't have millions of pounds, I am having to breed the horses, break em myself and save up for the harness!
 
Good luck with getting your team together for 2009, how is it going so far? I think I would be too scared to drive a team of 4, as there is a lot of power there if they were to decide to do what they liked!! I think you can hire teams of 4 to do funerals, which I think would be quite spectacular!!
 
this is hilarious, they're in america by the looks of it, yet dress up like what they think bavarians ought do dress like :p

(i'm a real bavarian from bavaria so i should know!)

Julia
x
 
They are in Bavaria! Have I got you worried now! I think they wear the hats to impress the tourists! You should see some of the things the English wear and do to impres the tourists! Have you ever seen English 'Morris Dancers' :eek:
 
Driving a team is hard work on the hands.

There is indeed a lot of power there, but one horse could tank off with you if he felt like it!

We are building up to a team, it takes a while to get them absolutely obedient and reliable. You need to practice 4 in hand rein technique, which you can do with a tandem, which, beleive it or not, is harder to drive well than a team.

Idealy you need a private income, a large estate to practice on and staff!

I wish! :D :D :D

It's not a job for one person, you need a friend or two to help you get harnessed and trained up. If you take a team out you must have a couple of helpers willing to hold onto heads and stuff and jump out to see if the road junction is clear, because sometimes you are just too far away from the junction to see.

We got as far as Unicorn, which is 3

unicorn-9.jpg
 
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