What side?

[Lane Linnenkohl]

I don’t think this has been discussed here before.

I’d like to read a discussion relating to what side folks hitch horses on and maybe why. I’ve had folks tell me they hitch the lead horse on the near side, hitch the larger horse on the right, switch them back and forth, it doesn’t matter…

I’m just curious how some of you all do it?

[jen judkins]

Ha!:eek:

I was just wondering the same thing! Thanks for starting the thread. I have two mini’s I’m gonna team up (got an adorable mini forecart picked out for them), but triing to decide who should be on what side.

[dominiquer60]

I believe that with show hitches you always want the shortest team in the lead, the largest team on the wagon and in each pair the larger horse on the off side, and from what I remember this was mostly about creating the optical illusion of uniformity amongst the hitch. I am sure that there has got to be a better way to decide when dealing with real draft horses that do actual work.

Erika

[Carl Russell]

I switch them around just to keep them on their toes. I put the tall ox on the off side so he’s a little easier to reach. If you don’t watch out a horse will get habitual about which side they’re hitched, and then if you try to change, they have to learn all over to accept the different position.

Carl

[Plowboy]

We, like Carl switch ours up all the time. None of them seem to care where they work but we start switching them as soon as they are comfortable working in a team situation. When we hitch tandem work hitches we put the faster more upheaded horses up front to keep things tight. I’ve heard different stories about hitching the bigger horse on the right. I think as far as show hitches go Erika hit the nail on the head.

[Donn Hewes]

I move them around like Carl does. They might have a regular spot for a while but I still want to be able to move them around. It helps when you want a three abreast or four. You also could consider which is your furrow horse. On a mower and some old rakes the seat is just left of center. A horse that is a little more up on the bit would do well on the right. That balances them out a little. With a three or four abreast for making hay you want a good walking animal on the left as they walk further with every corner. Donn

[J-L]

I’m with most of these guys here. I will switch them around. When I need to plug one in somewhere I don’t want to have to worry about which side they’ll work. I really think it makes them a better rounded driving animal.

[Jean]

I am just starting to ground drive my team of minis. I did not put any thought into which side they were on. It was just the way there were standing when I attached the lines. I like the idea of switching them around. I will have to pay attention the next time, so I will know that I am switching.

[jen judkins]

I’m so relieved;). It makes sense to me to switch them around. There are habits that help us train, but there are also habits that can work against us in the long run.

Jean…have you bought a forecart for your minis yet? I’m still looking at them.

[CharlyBonifaz]

I was told, if on the road, to have the stronger/more powerful horse on the left; if anything happens you’d rather want to be in a ditch than oncoming traffic
since you want an easygoing, unnervous, calm, unafraid horse in this position as well, here is your first “however”….
a lot of different reasons that all make sense 😀
elke

[Lane Linnenkohl]

@CharlyBonifaz 6927 wrote:

I was told, if on the road, to have the stronger/more powerful horse on the left; if anything happens you’d rather want to be in a ditch than oncoming traffic
since you want an easygoing, unnervous, calm, unafraid horse in this position as well, here is your first “however”….
a lot of different reasons that all make sense 😀
elke

Here’s another “however”…

I have a mare that is blind in her right eye as part of my first team. I put her on the left to keep her blind side toward her partner hoping it would make her feel more secure. I’m not sure it would have mattered, she’s pretty rock steady.

[LStone]

I’m with you Elke. I do switch them around lately but when I started my two together I went with experience on the near side who happened to be the bigger of the Two. Now, not that there was a whole lot of experience in a then 3yo or a 2yo but the logic seemed right. A year later I have the bigger 3yo on the off side with the experienced 4yo on the lead. I think it is a trust thing in my case. But I have been known to move them in and out and mix up the road routes I take to suit my trust level.

[Robert MoonShadow]

Drybranch ~ As a one-eyed man, can I comment on that assumption? I hate – absolutely HATE having someone walk on my right (blind) side… if anyone, they’d have to be so totally trusted… but even then – I spend alot of time concentrating on avoiding bumping into the person on that side. It seems to me that having the horse’s attention divided between where it’s going & avoiding stepping into the horse on it’s blind side, leaves little enough attention span to pay much attention to the driver –> effectively, a 3-way split. I had to teach myself to deal with having a passenger on my blind side while driving a vehicle… it didn’t come naturally – or easily. However, I would change things if the mare was blind in the left eye… considering the traffic issue. {I’d put her on the right, then}.
Just my opinion = horses might have an entirely different perspective, although I’d assume not.

[Lane Linnenkohl]

@Robert MoonShadow 6971 wrote:

Drybranch ~ As a one-eyed man, can I comment on that assumption? I hate – absolutely HATE having someone walk on my right (blind) side… if anyone, they’d have to be so totally trusted… but even then – I spend alot of time concentrating on avoiding bumping into the person on that side. It seems to me that having the horse’s attention divided between where it’s going & avoiding stepping into the horse on it’s blind side, leaves little enough attention span to pay much attention to the driver –> effectively, a 3-way split. I had to teach myself to deal with having a passenger on my blind side while driving a vehicle… it didn’t come naturally – or easily. However, I would change things if the mare was blind in the left eye… considering the traffic issue. {I’d put her on the right, then}.
Just my opinion = horses might have an entirely different perspective, although I’d assume not.

Thank you for the observation, good to hear that perspective. Please note, this mare never seemed bothered by the arrangement.

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