I have acquired a very handsome Amish-made neck rope.
No more hitching to my caveson!!!
A Question for those who use them when driving:
Do you leave the rope in your cart or on the horse?
I chose the latter on my Maiden Voyage this year, wrapping the excess round the waterhook.
It stayed in place for my short drive, but it occurred that I was tempting Fate, as if it had come loose & gotten tangled that could have been a disaster.
What do you more experienced Drivers do?
TIA
I can tell you that the Amish keep them in their buggies! :winkgrin: I have several here, but I haven’t taken one with me when out driving. It’s a great question!
When I tie, we use a halter and neck rope with a braided in snap. Sorry, i CAN NOT make myself tie up a harnessed/hitched horse and walk away as the Amish do! We carry the halter and rope for emergency spares if we break down, need to lead horse without carriage. Or for unhitching and tying up at a picnic drive while humans eat lunch and tell stories! Ha ha. I find it better to carry them in the vehicle than have horse wear it, because of the weight and movement on moving horse. It really annoys me watching it swing and slide, along with desensitizing horse to rein signals over time.
Some riding clinics I took wanted horse responding to light rein signals, so weighted reins, rein snaps on bit, runnng martingale, were dicouraged because they "hung weight " on the bit, constantly moving mouthpiece on mouth bars uas you rode, at all gaits. Deadened the rein feel to horse mouth. I want horse “talking back” thru the reins when I drive or ride him, not ignoring me. He gathers himself if I take up rein, preparing for what I may ask. Takes the rein back when I loosen them “hunting for the bit” to find contact. I do not want him flinging himself one way or another, throwing his head with a light rein touch. To me, that horse has an untrained mouth, over-reaction to any bit touch. He is NOT light-mouthed. He won’t move into bit pressure, unable to be collected, give and bend at the poll. Does not know how yet.
So I would carry any extra parts in the vehicle, not hang them on horse. Trail riding I securely tie halter and neck rope behind the cantle on my western saddle. Do not want it coming loose in travel. Out of the way back there, don’t have to watch them moving, yet still handy if I need to tie horse up for some reason.
Thanks @ASB Stars & @goodhors :encouragement:
Good to know I am developing some decent instincts for driving.
I will never hitch & leave Amish-style, but when on drives with my Club he’ll stay tied to my trailer while we lunch & chat. At shows between classes too.
FWIW, I did not attach the short length of rope w/braided-in snap meant to clip to the caveson to it when I drove, just had the loop around his neck.
But I imagine the short piece with that snap bounced on his chest, also an annoying distraction.
Neckrope will travel in my cart from now on!
Halter and lead rope are among suggested spares to carry on your vehicle when going driving. I believe the original single horse list was made up from stories of bad things happening to Drivers in the Carriage Association and the ADS. Coaching spares list came from stagecoach spares carried for breakdowns. I am sure the fancier Park Drag coaches used the stagecoach list and added some things they found useful on long drives, like the extra jointed whip hung on a seat back. The better prepared they were, the shorter time they were held up fixing things! I think the longer Coaching list can be found in the ADS carriage driving Rules. For CDE they only have suggested spares now, but we had to have the full list way back when we started and got them checked off before Start to go on course. We still carry the spares on course, have used every item in there except the rein and trace splices!
The halter and leads have come in handy more than once, when the unexpected happens. And it will!! Question is not if, but WHEN it will happen. Variety of spares to implement repairs sure helps! Often you can help another person with your spares or loan them a halter and lead to get back to the trailers.
Visiting Gloria Austin’s Museum in Florida was incredible in the variety of vehicles and all their related accessories. The Europeans pack everying for trips by carriage!! We saw wheel cases that held spare wheels! Beautiful leather workmanship, like designer luggage!! Chests for for heavy staff coats,lap robes and horse blankets. Beautiful baskets for food and fancy dishes, food coolers, wine bottle carriers that kept it cooled, unbroken. Spares in lovely leather cases holding harness parts, shoeing tools with nails, shoe pullers, hammers, spare shoes, lamps and oil or candles to light them with. Saw one adjustable spare shoe with a hinge to make it wider or narrow, fit a good size hoof. Wheel jack and tools to change wheels. I have to think they traveled as a caravan because there would not be enough room in a single carriage for people AND all the luggage plus spares! If you get the chance it is worth while to visit the Museum. Plan a few hours because there is a lot to see and read on the signs. Just a wonderful view of carriages. Lots of American vehicles as well as the European items when we last visted.
Next time I’m in FL I’ll try to get to that museum!
Where is it located?
My FL trips are to Ft Lauderdale.
We have a local guy who has a nice collection including a 12-passenger stagecoach < 6 passengers seated 3-across facing each other on top - must have been the Economy Fares :winkgrin:
Some of his larger carriages have beautiful, luxurious fittings - the sleighs have metal firebox/footwarmers.
I assembled my Spares kit from the current ADS rulebook.
Packed everything into a canvas carpenters belt, rolled & tied.
I had the guy who made my cart add a teeny spares box beneath the seat in back.
He did a lovely job, adding brass hinges & catch to the black laquered box
The only missing pieces are the rein & trace splices, but if asked I can honestly answer that I do carry the kit.
pretty sure it is in Grand Oaks, right?
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