Single vs Double

[Rod]

I am looking at adding a horse or horses to our farm for farm chores and some light woods work. I wonder about the power and practically of buying a single large draft like a 16 hand Percheron that I have found or a team of Halfingers. Which would be likely to pull more? Are there any other thoughts that might help me decide which way to go. I am not an experienced driver.

[Jean]

I do not have the skills to answer your question from my own experience, however, at the recent driving clinic held by Green Mountain Draft Assocation, that question was asked (sort of).

The answer that was given about which would be better for a beginner, a team or single – was a team. I would have guessed single. The reason was if you have a single horse and it spooks, shys, gets pissy and wants to go, it will. If you have a team then you might get lucky and only have one horse spook, shy, or get pissy. The other one might not see the problem, or might think it is no big deal. Therefore the one that wants to run, can’t because his teammate does not see the need. You have 2 horse brains thinking instead of just one.

Now lets get some answers from people who know from their own experinces!

Jean

[Carl Russell]

I am a firm believer in getting one horse as a good place to start. I can not see the logic in the answer described by Jean. There is no way that any teamster should be led to believe that safety be based on the possibility that one of your horses might be more level-header than the other, nor that working them will somehow be easier because they are inclined to moderate each others behaviour.

The beauty of working one horse is that the teamster can concentrate on just one animal. The communication with that animal can be perfected, without the distraction and needs of the second horse. That way there are far fewer possibilities that there will be any problems. (Rod, you may be able to relate to this because of your experience with the steers)

As far as the workability of a single vs. a team, there are many farm tasks that really don’t require a team. There is a huge pastoral aesthetic associated with a team, and therefore it seems to be the ultimate choice. Obviously there is the matter of making sure there are shafts on everything, rather than poles, but buying forecarts and such, or building them, with the capability designed into them to accommodate both is an option.

For jobs like spreading manure, or pulling wagons or sleds, you will need to size down to the capacity of the single animal, but the work can get done handily. There are very few jobs that can’t be done with the single. Only for those long skids with a loaded sled do I really feel that I HAVE to have a team.

I strongly recommend buying a single horse to begin with, and structuring the horse-power portion of your farm around the single animal, you may never need a second. Carl

[Marchand]

@Bret4207 1755 wrote:

One horse. Always start with one, preferably an older, level headed gelding thats got some miles on him. He doesn’t have to be big, handsome or expensive. What he needs is enough patience to get through YOUR leaning stages. I was blessed with a 12 year old 15+ hand, old style, chunky grade Percheron gelding. After the intial foolishness we develpoed into a pretty darn good woods team, he and I. I will admit the day I found him dead in the back pasture I cried like a little girl. Weeped would be more accurate. I loved Old Jack. Best thing that ever happened to me in the way of farming or woods work.

Get one.

---

Ol’ coon-azz in La.told me in the ’60’s (while we’s grocery-shop’n mud-bugs on a bayou & samplin’ some home ethanol):
“Whut-chu’ know about laugh’n…unless you know all about cry’n….”

My ol’ sainted Daddy come down…when I couldn’t find my ego with both hands….& an Instructional Video….I’d lost my ever-day horse…&/or thanks to the Barbie from Hell….offer’d Comfort..like his ol’ Dad, ad-inteneum:

“Son…It’s your Own Dang Fault…..It only happens to them,….that’s got ’em…..

Translate(for those , whose ‘puters ain’t set on Archaic Southern Anglish)

“If you can’t grow your britches up high enough to lose anything you got…woose-out…& don’t have it…or any giggles along the way…”
Ol’ Papa Hemingway took a 12 ga. for breakfast insteada’ coffee…that blue day…over one damn ol’ horse…..Me?…I better Ape & Clown……..

[Carl Russell]

I’m sorry, Marchand, I just can’t make out the gist of your contributions, and I’m verging on discomfort. Could you please try to put your offerings in a written style that is more to the point? I’m sure we could all benefit. Thanks, Carl

[Jim Ostergard]

For myself the single to start has worked wonderfully. Being new to horsepower just a few years back and with a busted skidder I picked up an 18 year old Belgain. I put him to work right off so you can imagine the goings on those first few jobs in the woods, ’cause I didn’t know what I was doing. Now almost 3 year later he and I are the team. Ground twitch, lay him off while I take a skidder job and two months later put him on the arch first day and it seems to work. He gets a long grooming every night whether I’m chasing skidder or working him or its a day off. He loves to load even after a layover of some time. Its like, “well, you took your time Jim getting us a job again, lets go! This has given me the courage to think about a team although I have had very few times when I needed the extra power and when I did Jason and I hooked our guys up in tandem with some advice and encouragement from Simon. That was a neat thing and showed us how two neighbors could get the power on a job when it was needed.
Good luck and peace…..Jim O

[Gabe Ayers]

All horses should be trained single in order to understand the signals and learn to move against the resistance of the load. It is the perfect opportunity for the working animal to be in a herded situation of you and the animal. This allows the work animal to have the best chance to understand what is being asked of it and how to use itself in response to the signals from the handler. All the best horses are started alone, in a round pen, in harness without resistance and in a working situation involving resistance to movement or pulling a load, which of course is actually pushing a load by walking into the collar. This is the best way to understand how to drive the horse and for the horse to understand the signals from the handler. This is exactly what Carl and the other horsemen are suggesting.

On the contrary we often encounter horses are “Amish broke”, which often means put in a multiple hitch situation and sort of herded along in a field which doesn’t allow them to understand the subtle signals of being driven by themselves, single. Horses that are broke single know the signals from their training and are not as likely to be just imitating the behavior of their team mates. These trained single horses are more trustworthy than a horse that is just responding to the other horses. Sure, horses are influenced by their mates, through gaits, how to start the load and their ability to move a heavy load, when to relax, when to be excite, etc. But the best horses are always started alone and know the signals on their own.

In the country, (rural areas) a one horse farm has been know to be fifty acres of open land. A two horse farm was a hundred acres. So as Carl suggest, one horse can do as much as most folks would ever want to do and do it well. There are all sorts of equipment designed for one horse and that is an appropriate amount of power to accomplish many task, just about everything a family would need to do to be self sufficient and sustainable.

Don’t fall for the two is easier than one idea and the notion that one horse will learn from another, particularly if you don’t know how to handle one horse to start with. Maybe it could be explained as you have to be a horseman before you can be a teamster.

If your one horse is a mare you can raise replacements and have her produce a marketable product along the way as well as working for you throughout the year at anything needed to be a successful farmer. But to get started a broke experienced gelding is the best way to go.

Yea, I am not sure what the Cajun fellow is saying half the time either. It would probably be even harder if we were actually hearing his voice. I suppose that is a price we pay for this great site that is free to those interested in modern animal powered culture. I am southern also and understand the anecdotal euphemistic speak of the south, particularly country people of the south. But for the sake of being part of a national forum, some courtesy to keep communication clear would be appreciated by all, Louisiana man. Be sure to bring out your southern hospitality through your keyboard too, brother bubba man.

[Neil Dimmock]

@Marchand 1756 wrote:

---

Ol’ coon-azz in La.told me in the ’60’s (while we’s grocery-shop’n mud-bugs on a bayou & samplin’ some home ethanol):
“Whut-chu’ know about laugh’n…unless you know all about cry’n….”

My ol’ sainted Daddy come down…when I couldn’t find my ego with both hands….& an Instructional Video….I’d lost my ever-day horse…&/or thanks to the Barbie from Hell….offer’d Comfort..like his ol’ Dad, ad-inteneum:

“Son…It’s your Own Dang Fault…..It only happens to them,….that’s got ’em…..

Translate(for those , whose ‘puters ain’t set on Archaic Southern Anglish)

“If you can’t grow your britches up high enough to lose anything you got…woose-out…& don’t have it…or any giggles along the way…”
Ol’ Papa Hemingway took a 12 ga. for breakfast insteada’ coffee…that blue day…over one damn ol’ horse…..Me?…I better Ape & Clown……..

??????? dang son what are you smoking?????

[gunslinger598]

LoL ………… sampling a little to much ethanol…

With a little thought I was able to decipher the jist….

I’d much prefer to read absorb and move on. I do have other things to do.

I did get a few chuckles out of it though ….

[Rod]

Thanks for all the good and consistent advice. I think everything (all the serious things I mean)written were on the mark and very helpful. I however I did buy the halflingers. They are soo nice and seem perfect for a novice like me. 18 and 19 years old, brothers, been together their whole lives, been in parades, done draft work, vehicle pulling etc. very quiet, nice feet, responsive etc. They drive single as well as a team and are a real nice pair of horses. I plan to drive them single for all the jobs I can alternating between them unless I need the extra power of the team. That is subject to any other ideas from you experienced drivers.

I will be positing some pictures soon. Thanks again.

[Author]

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