Driving, know the basics heres the rest!

[Colonel]

Hi Everyone this is a thread for those who have the basics (hopefully) but want to know more about how things should be done.

Tara - You are doing brilliantly informing me/us and believe me you are helping.

What I would like to know is can someone show me on a picture what the 'draw' is? I have the idea that it is where the strain is put through the traces to the collar, is that correct?

[Wally]

That is not a term I am familliar with,

[klebert]

Sorry, but I don't know the term 'draw' either (although every region in the UK has a slightly different name for different items...). :confused:

Could you explain further please?

[Denbenj]

First thing that sprang to mind when you said draw, was a term I have heard people use for a Bearing rein (which keeps the horses head higher... or to keep them tucked with no freedom whatsoever)

It was used alot years ago in times of horse and carriage.. posh people thought it made there horses look 'posher' ... I believe it is highly frowned upon now, and cant say I have ever seen it used!

obviousley completley of track there anyway! :D

[Libbyo]

Not a southern word either

[jinglejoys]

First thing that sprang to mind when you said draw, was a term I have heard people use for a Bearing rein (which keeps the horses head higher... or to keep them tucked with no freedom whatsoever)

It was used alot years ago in times of horse and carriage.. posh people thought it made there horses look 'posher' ... I believe it is highly frowned upon now, and cant say I have ever seen it used!

obviousley completley of track there anyway! :D

Yes that sprung to my mind immediately too--shades of Black Beauty and Ginger!

[Denbenj]

awwwe yes!! of course I love that book.... and the film always makes me cry!!

[Zingy]

They're still used to some extent on hackneys aren't they? Though it seems to be less so in the last few years. At least a fair percentage now are shown without, but you do see them a lot in the hackney classes at Hickstead and suchlike.

[tazzle22]

my first thoughts were linked to the line of pull as well ..... and on a liitle search for a definition I found references to it being used to mean the action of horse pulling a cart or "drawing" (mostly american I think).

Bearing reins .......... arrggghhhhhhhhhhhhhh.............

I detest them with a vengance and saw a horse ( trotter)at stow fair having its head yanked up in attempt to get one on ...... I was walking over and calling to the rspca officers when man saw us and stopped. I felt like yanking his head up till he could not see the road in front of him and telling HIM to run !!!!!!!!!!

[Wally]

NO, a draw rein keeps the head down, a bearing rein keeps the head up.

And don't be too drawn,.......no punn intended, into thinking a bearing rein is such a bad thing, lke everything used properly, with empathy, on the right shaped horse it can be well employed. Just don't use them on proper cart horse shaped things, use them on horses like Hackneys who sit back to pull, not real draught horses who are cheese wedge shaped!

Draw......???? could it be related to draught,???? There is an anchor point on the hames on a collar,

[Alfies-slave]

Hello, do you mean the 'line of draft' or 'line of draught'???????

That is the line or angle that the pulling force travels from the hames (or breast collar) through the traces to the swingle tree or splinter bar.

This line varies with different types of harness and cart. What people look for is a good 'line of draft' ie, one that makes the most of the horses force pushing in to the collar. Carriage driving people worry about this, but when you come to working in gears folks are fanatical about it!

In gears, it is all to do with the most economical way that the horse is put to the implement. Have a look at the angle of the traces used by master ploughmen and you will see that they all use prety much the same angle (and therefore length of chain) for horses of the same size.

As far as driving goes....

A poor line of draft would be one that runs in a virtualy horizontal line fron the collar to swingle. You see this sometimes on carts where the swingle is positioned very high, some carts have the swingle attatched where the shafts join the cart. This is very hard work for the horse.

A good line of draft would be where the traces slope gently down away from the horse.

There is no precice formula used to work this out. You have to develop an eye for it! The more you look at different turnouts the more you will know.

If you buy a good, profesionaly made cart to suit your pony it will have all been worked out for you by the manufacturers.

[tazzle22]

;) wally ... indeed :p

like any piece of equipment really , as we see by other parts of the harness .... its just that bearing reins are much easier to misuse than some ...... perhaps me should have said hate some USErs with a vengance

I also have visions of a horse not being able to put its head down to steady itself if it trips ........



not real draught horses who are cheese wedge shaped! :D :D :D I can just imagine trying to get one on Taz ...............:rolleyes::o:rolleyes:

[Colonel]

Gosh you lot have been busy!:D

The term was in one of the posts in Esther.D thread and I didn't know what it was so wanted and explaination. I shall go and have a look and see if I can paste it onto this thread.

[Colonel]

Hello, do you mean the 'line of draft' or 'line of draught'???????

That is the line or angle that the pulling force travels from the hames (or breast collar) through the traces to the swingle tree or splinter bar.

This line varies with different types of harness and cart. What people look for is a good 'line of draft' ie, one that makes the most of the horses force pushing in to the collar. Carriage driving people worry about this, but when you come to working in gears folks are fanatical about it!

In gears, it is all to do with the most economical way that the horse is put to the implement. Have a look at the angle of the traces used by master ploughmen and you will see that they all use prety much the same angle (and therefore length of chain) for horses of the same size.

As far as driving goes....

A poor line of draft would be one that runs in a virtualy horizontal line fron the collar to swingle. You see this sometimes on carts where the swingle is positioned very high, some carts have the swingle attatched where the shafts join the cart. This is very hard work for the horse.

A good line of draft would be where the traces slope gently down away from the horse.

There is no precice formula used to work this out. You have to develop an eye for it! The more you look at different turnouts the more you will know.

If you buy a good, profesionaly made cart to suit your pony it will have all been worked out for you by the manufacturers.


Dooooh! I am so dull. Yes it is the line of the draft and not 'draw'!:o Sorry.

Also, Wally is the swingletree the moveable bar which the traces are attached to which are also attached to the vehicle?

[Esther.D]

I'm glad I was not alone in being confused on this one - I didn't answer yesterday as I thought I was just being dense not understanding you!

And yes the swingle-tree (sometimes called the swingle-bar or whiffle or whipple tree - just to confuse things!) is the bar that you mean - it is not needed with a full collar but with a breastcollar it is needed so that the collar doesn't move backwards and forwards across the chest and rub the horse.

[klebert]

You'll also use one (which we call a bodkin here in Jersey) when you plough or harrow etc. ;)

[Colonel]

At the auction that I got the shafts from included in the price were about 3-4 swingletrees. Guess what? My husband chucked them out about a week ago because he said they were no good anymore (not used anymore he meant I think!):mad:

I only opaid £10.00 for the whole lot too!

[Alfies-slave]

I sell my old and worn out swingles (and prety much any worn out heavy horse stuff) to a man with a pub. He nails it all to the walls!

[Wally]

Somwhere in my junk pile I have a full sized swingle tree, ie not small enough and narrow enough for the Shetlands. It's somwhere if you want to buy another one!

[jinglejoys]

In the back of my mind somewhere I seem to remember an old swingle tree being used to attach a harrow anyone know of this use?

[Colonel]

Somwhere in my junk pile I have a full sized swingle tree, ie not small enough and narrow enough for the Shetlands. It's somwhere if you want to buy another one!

That would be great Wally. Just Pm the details of how much, address etc. and I will post a cheque.

I will then go and google 'fitting a swingletree'

Obviously will keep you all updated with the progress!:p

[Wally]

I'll have to find it first OH had a tidy up in there!

[ShariN]

Hi Everyone this is a thread for those who have the basics (hopefully) but want to know more about how things should be done.

Tara - You are doing brilliantly informing me/us and believe me you are helping.

What I would like to know is can someone show me on a picture what the 'draw' is? I have the idea that it is where the strain is put through the traces to the collar, is that correct?

Do you mean, "Line of draft"?