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  • latest reply 5 years ago

5 years ago

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Klaus may can answer this question best. I watch folks in Germany drive their horses with just the one line how is this done to teach the horses to step one way or the other and turn at the ends. Also can someone explain how the 20 mule teams worked with a jerk line and did they always have post riders along the way. Thanks

Klaus Karbaumer says 2018-06-20 09:13:49 (CST)



Neil, the one line driving is not the common way any more, but it used to be with single horses, especially in the woods.
The line is split in a way, that one side is a bit longer than the other, and when you position your hand differently then you exert pull on one side or the other. In addition this was accompanied by short repeated pulls, therefore jerks, or longer ones. Thus the horse learned that for example one long pull would mean to go right, several shorts ones would mean left. There were also individual deviations. Of course, a person at the head, during the initial training always was a plus.
Since a lot of German horse owners could/can not depend on an older training horse as few could/can afford more than one horse, training a single horse that way makes sense.
And I experienced myself how much more practical a single line is in the woods when you log with only one horse.


5 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum

Klaus Karbaumer says 2018-06-21 09:57:29 (CST)



I thought I had responded to your question, Neil, but I guess I forgot to send it.
While the single line was commonly used in the woods and in the fields when working a single horse, it was/is prohibited on the road for safety reasons, and I think it isn't that widespread anymore today either.
In order to make it work when training, somebody , of course, had to lead the horse, till it understood what was demanded. The line is split in a way, that one side is a bit shorter than the other, so it depends on the position of your hand on which side the horse feels a pull. In addition, the pulling was different depending to which side you wanted to go, either several short jerks or one or two long pulls.


5 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum


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