Yesterday I had a rare picture taking opportunity. I'm going to share it with you, thinking some of you might find some of this Amish farmer's methods useful, others may just be interested.

When we arrived at their farm in Lancaster Co., PA, this team was paused in the farmyard. The five horses were hitched to a loaded liquid manure spreader. While hubby and the farmer chatted, I had his permission to take pictures of the horses. Later I had the pictures to question my hubby about the things that confused me, so I learned a little.

In that last closeup, the closest to the camera is a stallion, and the one to his left was a mare. I'm guessing that the other three were mares also.

The driver only had lines going to the two horses on either side of the tongue. The other horses were just following along. The driver had used methods that probably would never be used if driving just a team. I think you'll be interested in his tricks of the trade. I was fascinated with the hitch. Guess you can tell.

I finally understand better about a jockey stick. It's a bar that has two flattened ends with snaps attached to both ends. The purpose is to keep 2 horses at the distance from each other that the driver wants them to be. That's the bar that is going from B to C. It's snapped into the bit ring (F) on the side farthest away from the horse next to him. The other end (C) is snapped into the hames of the horse near him. In that shot of the 5 from the front, you'll see the driver's used one between the stallion and mare, and on the other side of the tongue, there are 2 jockey sticks, keeping distance between all 3.

That bale string has a purpose, too. Tying it between the bit ring (E) and the hames chain (D) keeps that stallion from turning his head toward the mare next to him.

Besides those two things, he had a tie back that isn't visible in any of the pictures. Note the additional ring (A) that you can see at the bit ring closest to the camera. It is the end of one of two straps, going from either side of the bit, back to a ring on the mare's harness. The purpose of that was to keep that stallion just a little behind the mare.

I know this is more than you wanted to know, but after I thought it all out, I just had to share the information.

Bomax thank you much! It's good to see horses that aren't freeloaders !

Have some Amish friends. They hook 4, 5 and 6 across when haying. They just keep adding trees, jocky sticks, and horses. I usually go watch 'em put up hay every year. They will take horses off the baler and add 'em to the wagon as it gets full. Bring 'em back, start baling and picking up till they get the wagon about loaded and switch up horses again until they're done.

Thanks for these!
Some films, and even textbooks, show pretty, and evocative images of working horses. But it's frustrating to try and see exactly what is going on in there. Great - keep snapping and keep posting.

You noticed only the 2 on the tongue had lines and the others were "just following along," that is not the case. With the jockey sticks all 5 were being driven with the 2 lines, a common practice with multiple abreast hitches. He could have also had the lines on the outside horses and used short checks on the others. Nice photos.

WOW! I drive through Lancaster County often, and enjoy the variety of hitches I see in use. Wonderful information. Thanks.

Thank you for the information. Do you have a picture of the evener set up?

Thanks for posting the pictures. It is good to see different ways to do things.

KM, I don't have any picture any better than the one above of the eveners.

I've never had such an opportunity before to photograph this kind of a hitch. But, I try to keep my camera handy. And I never do know where we'll wind up in Lancaster County.

Look… the A, B, C, D thing was a great idea. I was amazed and glued to the pictures. Thank you.

I really like the baling twine idea to keep the stallion from putting his head towards the mare. It's a great idea and I tried it today on a mare that likes to nip her teamate. I think it works better than a jocky stick.

Thanks for the photos

wally

Anyone notice the breeching?

I hook my jockey sticks to their halter, which is always worn underneath the bridle. A much safer way, in my opinion.

Very nice job with the photos and explanation. Thanks!

Janet

"Anyone notice the breeching?"

Yeah, Tim, I noticed the breeching. Only the ones next to the tongue have it. The others don't need it.

Neat pic, thanks for sharing.
All have wooden hames and chain tugs. What are the tugs covered with?
Wanted to comment about the dog. Even he knows they are broken well enough that he can lay down behind them.

Cheri, any time I have leather harness made I have them make trace chain covers. Just folded over piece of leather sewed together. My harness guy splits the bottom for the bellyband. Keeps them from sliding.
The softer the leather, the easier to handle when hanging up.

I also noticed he's got those old style hame hooks. I got a bunch of them. They make them different now and the old ones are getting harder to find.

Mooney Ranch, bicycle inner tubes make good chain covers as well.

Amish 5 horse hitch In a recent post by Bomax with all the good pictures, isn't the jockey stick hooked to the stallions outside bit ring good enough to keep him from turning in toward the mare? And the hay string really not needed?

Neil, look again at where the jockey stick is attached. I would keep the animals' bodies apart, but would not prevent the stallion from turning his head over there and biting, as some stallions are prone to do.

Harry I do not see where the stallion can get a bite at the mare, when it is hooked on her hame and his outside bit ring? Help me out here.

Neil,

But if the stallion can fall back the jockey stick will not separate the stallion from the mare. He could also veer to his right and then bend his head back to the left and maybe get the jockey stick collapsed. I think that the twine is ugly, but maybe the farmer learned the hard way that is is necessary. Stallions just think too much about things other than work.

Neal

Neal I can see what you are saying. We use jockey sticks and never use a outside-tie back but we never work stallions . thanks