If you recall, we started with our first team last year, and one got hurt. He was shipped south to better care and we bought a replacement. Now, roughly 9 months later, the injured horse has healed and he was given back to us. I find myself at a loss as to how to manage 3 big horses.

We don't row crop, cultivate, make hay, or plow--with the exception of the rare plow day where we borrow a plow. We use the big boys to skid logs, mow our pastures, plow and grade our long driveway, pull our portable shelters around the pastures, and offering carriage services on the side. I have been pleased to keep them in good shape and condition for the last year, though it has been a struggle at times to keep them "employed." I've had to be creative on more than one occasion. We try to work them at least 3 times a week.

Now that a 3rd horse is in the picture, I am at a loss as to how to find enough work to keep them busy. I need ideas. I also have to re-condition the recovered horse, as he is fat and out of shape after 9 months of healing. Can I just tie him to the other team somehow and go for wagon rides to exercise all 3? Do I rotate partners to work all equally, but reduce all workload to only 1-2 times per week? For the record, he accepted a harness without any issue at all, so I have ordered him one. However, they were back logged, so it will be almost a month before it arrives. Meanwhile, I have a horse sitting here needing to be worked.

I'm sure someone will suggest selling the extra, and at first thought, we considered selling the replacement and matching up the old team. There's more to consider, though. The injured horse has a nasty, huge scar on his knee that will likely prevent him from ever being a good carriage horse for the weddings and such we do. We also don't know yet how capable he will be of pulling heavy loads like skidding logs uphill. We won't know that until we get him reconditioned and test Him. The vet says the arthritis that is bound to set in my not have set in yet, and we don't know to what extent it will. Any reasonable person would sell this horse and keep the replacement, but there's more to consider there as well. The replacement is a thick-headed brute who had a lot of bad habits when I got him, and I have worked hard to make a trustworthy and dependable teammate. He's come a long way. He still isn't as nice to drive as the original though. Also, and more importantly, a number of people invested a lot of time and money into healing the injured horse, all with the goal of seeing him matched back up to his original teammate and put back to work. We can't overlook that. Thus, selling one really isn't an option YET. We are thinking of giving this about a year to see how things work out.

Back to original request.....I need ideas to keep these boys busy.

Rotate them as much as possible. He might only be a half a day horse with that injury.
You should have learned that it takes 3 horses to have a team by now.

I'm with Dale on this, rotate them so they all get some kind of work, while getting him back into condition. Besides, this way he will also learn to work with the new teammate.

I would "pony" him as often as any opportunity will allow.

i have wondered about pony'ing him. I am comfortable driving a team, but have never done 3. We often do wagon rides down an asphalt road (very light traffic) with some good hills to keep the horses in good condition. Is there a safe way to tie him to either the team or the wagon? At least it gets him moving and getting in better condition without stress on the knee at first.

Bite the bullet and get a 3-horse evener. Then you can work all three together. If you sell off a horse, it will be a good investment. It would be real handy if you want to train (or have to re-train) another horse in the future.

I thought about the 3-horse evener, but what a riot! I would have 3, 2000 lb Belgians hitched to a forecart to pull a portable chicken coop, mow the pasture, or grade my driveway! I don't think I would feel comfortable driving a 3 hitch down the road connected to the wagon.

I have also wondered about the safety. The replacement horse we bought had a bad habit of being fairly unresponsive to the bit when we first got him. He has come a long way and is SOOOOOO much better now, but still occasionally gets it in his head to charge forward when he's fresh. I have wondered if I would have the same amount of control if I hooked a 3rd horse in there. Thoughts?

I'm with Dave Thiessen. Get a 3 horse evener. Anything (almost) you do with a pair can be done with three.

When Dale has answered a post, I rarely have anything meaningful to add, however I will add this, possibly superfluous addendum.

It is possible to get an offset tongue for your wagon. You can, then, put on a 3 horse evener and exercise all your babies at once. There is also such a thing as a 3 horse tongue evener. This thing, in my opinion, is not a true evener as it requires two bolt holes in the tongue to keep all 3 horses congruent. I know you said your harness is on backorder, but if it was me, I would see if I could find a neighbor that had a harness I could borrow for a few weeks until the new stuff came in.
Driving 3 horses is a hoot. It is good for the horses and it gets them all exercised. Economics is a cruel science. If you can't afford to feed 3, sell one. If you can, enjoy them all. It hurts my heart every time I sell a draft horse. If you have one that you really enjoy driving, think long and hard before you sell him.

In your post on small acreages you mentioned your "Amish friends". Sounds like the answer to your issue is right there.

I have driven Bill in a three set up and it is what he enjoys, HOWEVER, it must be something that requires power not at wagon unless its loaded with hay, wood or grain. He does well in three with lines only not jockey sticks.

That pretty much rules out the 3 hitch then, as I don't have a major load at the moment. Just endurance type work until the weather cools down. We are doing some limited logging, but it's on a bit of an incline, which is when Bill is at his worst--pulling a load uphill he gets very charge-y. I wouldn't feel comfortable doing 3 then. I have to focus so much on talking and cueing for correct response and trying to set him up for success during that time while we are overcoming these bad habits of his.

I can work longer than the horses can.
So I would hitch two and rest one in the shade, rotate every two hours.
Wouldn't want to try to farm with only a team. One won't get it done...

I am now at the position to have this problem. Had a team, then a half a team, now as team and a half. It takes time to grow up babies. I simply rotate out horses. Mine are 3 of a kind size wise so swapping harness is okay. The 4 yr old had more salt than the 3 and 7 year old so she goes all the time. The others swap out as needed.

At Christmas I was asked to take some kids for a wagon ride. One horse was gimpy so we simply swapped her out. I never want to go back to only 2 available. Mine are also breeding mares so it is nice to have an extra when one is out on leave.

KM

To answer this: "Can I just tie him to the other team somehow and go for wagon rides to exercise all 3? "

I recently had the same question then saw a man driving around 3 mules at an auction on a forecart with the standard double tree. I walked around looking at the mules to try to figure out how he did it.

He just hooked one mule on the side of the team. Made 2 straps about 14 inches long with a snap on both ends.

Used one strap to clip the britchens together down on the lower ring then used the other strap to clip the collars together down where the pole strap clips on to the hame ring.

He then had about a 30 inch or so strap that clipped from hame to inside of the bit (this one needs to be adjustable. He had one single driving line going from the outside of the bit back to his hands.

Best if all straps are adjustable.

No 3 horse evener was involved. Made it real simple because you just leave the straps clipped on to your harness when it's hanging in the barn and your not swapping out eveners all the time.

I tried it and it worked well. I always keep these straps handy in case I want to exercise a third horse with then team.

To answer your question about dealing with the overweight horse. You really can do a ton by keeping them off of the green grass and feeding them hay during the summer. Seems like limiting their high sugar intake does more for me than a ton of exercise. I guess it's all relative. Maybe just feed according to the work they're doing.

Enjoy the third horse. :)

Just tie your spare behind.
I take horses behind most days all spring. Also spares to and from the hay fields.