Line adjustment

Great points Donn. Photos only capture a moment, but sometimes they show us things that we don’t notice or can’t perceive well while we are on the lines. Some times it is a line adjustment problem, but it can also be a multitude of other factors or combinations.

Two years ago one of Sam’s black mares started to hold herself oddly. The harness and lines had not been changed and she had been working well all summer. Sam swapped sides, adjusted the lines, checked her shoulders for sores and collar fit, checked her harness over for any changes that may be irritating, but nothing seemed to get her pointed straight as usual. I decided one day that it was time for hair cuts (we roach manes) and as I took the clippers to the mane at the base of her neck, she jumped. There were no visual signs that she had a problem, her mane was at least an inch long, and to gently palpate the area it seemed fine. Upon closer inspection and some careful clipping, it became apparent that she had a large sore under all that hair and the cause of it seemed to be a tick. Once clipped and clean she had a quarter sized open sore. After 2 weeks rest and some TLC, she was back to her normal “straight in the traces” self.

Another example is Sam’s old Dillon horse, he is a champion on many levels, including the most important, being the “go to” horse at home when you need some real grunt for a project. Dillon is easily recognized in recent photos as Sam’s grey near horse that almost always has his head cocked to the left. Now 18 years old, Dillon has developed some arthritis in is neck and after some dental and chiropractic work, and quite a bit of experimenting with the lines, we have decided that he is just more comfortable going forward with his head cocked to the left. He is a “behind the bit” kind of horse, this bothers us, so we have been working with a couple different bits to find him something that works best with his compromised breathing and large tongue (he is a roarer). Maybe he carries his head that way to help his breathing? We hope to find a high ported curb bit to give his tongue more room, in theory, this may help him swallow and breath better while he is working, it may help straighten him out some too. Who knows? It won’t hurt trying something new.

Horses are dynamic creatures, like humans, so many factors can change during the year and years: weight, Body Mass Index, fitness, etc. We use the same horse on a regular basis, once in a while something wakes us up out of routine to realize that they no longer fit a harness/collar/bridle like they used to. It just sneaks up on you sometimes. This summer we realized that Sam’s older geldings really needed smaller collars, at 16 and 18 they are past their prime and it was time to adjust to the changes in their bodies. A couple weeks ago I witnessed and experienced teamster take a horse out, one that had not been used on a couple months, harness her up, then off to work to see how the long rest had treated her. It wasn’t until in the woods looking at the horse from a distance when he realized, something isn’t right, her collar no longer fit, it was now too small. It happens to the best of us, our animals, like ourselves and the world around us are ever changing.

There are so many variables that can contribute to, or block us from our goals as teamsters. I have to admit that as much as I hate to find a problem, it is finding a good solution that makes my work so rewarding as a teamster. I wanted to add these examples to this conversation so that a novice might realize that though it is good to check the adjustment of the lines, not all “straightness” problems are solved solely by adjusting the lines.

I think Mark is onto something, line adjustment and all the variables of drop rings, spreaders, etc, would make a fantastic topic for a DAPFD workshop.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 9 months ago by dominiquer60.

Good thread Donn. Just to clarify, one cannot shorten the cross checks, stub line, or brace rein. They remain the same length. It is the long rein that is lengthened or shortened by moving the short rein forward or back. Regardless, what you describe is correct, the inside line should extend beyond the outer line when laid on the ground, to accommodate for the distance between heads. I only mention this, as stating that the inner rein can be lengthened or shortened may indicate to the novice that the log rein goes to the inside.

Another factor that I consider is what I am doing with them, or what I have them hitched to. When I am ground driving to skid logs, my lines tend to be over the backs on one side or anther, so I tend to shorten the long lines. This can make them carry their heads a little out, but it also keeps their butts in. It also allows a bit more flexibility on the inner lines.

When I drive the Barden cart, I hold my lines down between the animals, thus bringing the coupling interior, requiring that the long lines are longer to traverse the back. I have another cart that has a very high seat that I use for baling hay, and logging sometimes. Because I sit above the horses’ backs, the coupling tends to float up and I need to shorten the long lines. On the mower I can keep lines interior, so they are adjusted similar to the Barden cart. On the walking plow I adjust similar to ground skidding.

I have days when I play with lines. Horses holding heads out, in, back. Attitude can play a significant role. I like to have consistent contact, so if I have a horse that is playing with the setting, I compensate. Sometimes I will change setting 3-4 times during a day, and invariably return to the setting I had in the morning. They are not computers, and need to be responded to with the same variation that each of them can bring to the enterprise.

That’s what the holes in the lines and buckles are for.

Carl