Ok, i have a question for the Old timers here. i recently questioned a team driving set up ( was told they had 4 lines, driving a team in a parade, single lines to each horse) and was critiqued for considering that dangerous, and was then told that is a common method to drive in Eroupe. i have never seen or hear of a set up like that ( unlike a jerk line i have seen used) and thought maybe i missed something in my last 20 years around horses.

ALSO, What are the USE of Spreaders? i was always told by my dad it was to Spread the team apart to promote air flow / cooling when working in the feild. I was critiqued for that and told that Spread are only for decoration, and cna damage a horses neck if used. I had never seen this, as the the lines were then adjust correctly i guess? Thanks for any input! Lori

I guess if you like a handful of lines to keep you busy that works. Check lines seem a whole lot more practical. The only spreaders I ever use is to keep my lines where I want them.

What was the name of this idiot that questioned the use of spreders ? yOU Use whatever tools are in toolbox to make things easier or safer for your horses.
Was they using a single line for each side of the horse? If so what diff did it make if they had the skills to keep things under control.

Lori, absolutely, the spreader is for separating the horses when they are working. I was always impressed with the movie/program, Little house on the Prairie, as his team was always "far apart". Your other question, I have never heard of 4 lines for a team. Sounds odd.

IME there are about 17 gazillion "experts", who have a grand total of about 15 minutes working horses between them all, that stand around with nothing better to do than criticize anyone else working a horse in every way possible. Unless it's someone I know to be better with horses than I am I just ignore them. My method has worked pretty good so far.

Spreaders are used for exactly what your dad told you however in the world now days I do think they are more for decoration then proper use. I don't imagine there are many people that really know their use.

As far as this person using four four lines versus two that's their preference but it isn't common. Sort of like using four horses for a job when two gets it done.

I drove teams for a number of years back in Bavaria with four lines in my hands, combining the two right lines and holding them between the index finger and the thumb, and combining the two left lines holding them between the middle finger and the ring finger of the left hand. Thus, when you turn your hand which is held in a vertical position forward, you lengthen the right lines and shorten the left by the same amount, resulting in a turn to the left. The right hand turn is accomplished by turning your hand backwards to shorten the right lines and lengthen the left ones. Your right hand can function in front of the left hand as a helping device to secure the lines. Why drive with four lines ? Well, when you arrive at the field or in the forest, it is easy to take one horse out of the team and do single horse work, while the other one is still standing at the tongue and you do not have to change the entire line arrangement.

The system in my post also functions when you hold the two left lines between index finger and thumb and the two right lines between middle finger and ring finger , you just have to turn the hand opposite to the first example for turns. The right hand can support the left by taking over the lines in the same manner.

I have seen the thread that you are talking about. I use spreaders on my team to get the angle of pull for the inside check lines to match the angle of pull for the outside main lines. I believe that if the check lines are adjusted correct then the horses heads would not be pulled either to the inside or outside. If this is happening, it is not the fault of the spreaders; but, the mis-adjusted lines.

In my mind there is no such thing as wrong or right. There is what works best for you in the conditions that you use and drive your team under. What might be dangerous for one person might be the safest and most practical method for someone else. The one thing I have learned over the years is that in all endeavours in life there is always a best way of doing something; but, it is very seldom the same way for everyone.

i use spreaders quite a bit especially with different sized horses hooked to together. Also i use any where from a 36 in yoke/double tree to a 48 in yoke/double tree depending on what I am doing so using spreaders makes it easier as i dont have to then be constantly changing my cross line adjustments. I just change where the spreader hooks on the hame--top or middle. Or use varying lengths of spreaders.

Can anyone explain to me how a set of double spreaders are rigged up? How do you run the lines through them?

You n eed to describe what you call double spreader? If it just has 2 rings, you can put the leaders through one ring and the other span thriugh the other.
Think of spreaders as a way to keep lines from getting tangled up or on the wrong side of the horse.

Winter helps them walk in wide track bobsled trails. Cross line is close to outside line in length. To wide for field work.

4 in hand is driven with outside lines in pinky slot and pointer slot and the rest in middle slot. Don't know the reasoning.
Had a neighbor who always drove a team held in one hand.

Dale, the reasoning behind driving a team in one hand is that you have the other hand free for the whip or the brake. The system is called the Allenbach System, named after a well-known German driver who won many contests and instructed a whole generation of drivers. His entire system is even a little more complicated than that, because he is using loops in the lines while in the hand to make turns. When the other hand is put in front of the leading one, usually the left one, it is much easier to make turns with a four-up or six-up , for that matter , without sending all horses to make the turn at the same time, like one can see it quite often when the hands are spread out and the left lines are held in the left fist while the right lines are held on the right fist. Not being able to send the teams individually , one after the other, into a turn, can be a problem when you are not in the arena but taking a bend on a road or narrow town street. His system is explained in a book " The Art of Driving".

The book, I mentioned, about the Benno von Allenbach system was written by Max Pape, another well-known driver, and I think it is available in English. The original title is " Die Kunst des Fahrens'.

Driving a team with one hand also works with mittens so you don't have to face the wind. Stand at about a 45 degree angle to the lines. When using my right hand, the left line goes between the the thumb and mitten. Right line comes up from the bottom and out between the thumb and mitten. When I switch hands I just would trade hands on the lines. Left hand is backwords. Roll your wrist and they turn one way or another. never GOT GOOD ENOUGH to drive faceing backwords.

Klaus, I believe the name was Benno von Achenbach. According to what I've read, he used a combination of French, Hungarian and English driving methods.

Howard, I think the double spreaders you are referring to would be a shorter set accompanied by a longer set. One pair would be about 8" long and the other pair would measure about 12". Your check lines would run through the shorter ones first then cross over to the long spreader on the opposite horse then back to the bit on your near horse. This will bring the point of where your lines intersect back about 6 to 8". This lessens the chance of you lines getting tangled over the end of your tongue. We like to use this arrangement in the summer when teaching others to drive or when doing wagon rides in public. Just one more thing to put in your toolbox fur insurance.

The way we used double spreader on my 6 pony hitch was for decoration. Both spreaders snapped into the same ring on the ring by the ball on the hame. the one cross check line to the other horse goes through to the center ring. The check line from the other horse after it goes through the center ring through the spreader and to the bit. I have done this on my draft horses also it keeps the line up so it does not get hooked under the end of tongue. Useful on horses that like to throw their head around while standing

Bobby, you are absolutely right. Benno von Achenbach is the name. I even had it in front of me while I was writing.