FARM HORSE TEAMS

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21465, 6 May 1935, Page 18

FARM HORSE TEAMS

TO THE EDITOB OF THE FIUSSS. Sir,—To any ploughman who should contemplate coupling up his team in the manner advocated by Mr Love, I would like to utter a word of warning. Do not try it on hills. It is useless. With steady-going, evenpaced horses, it works fairly well on flat country, but if your horses are not this kind it is far more cruel on the fast horse's mouth than direct coupling would be. I cannot understand "Teamster" when he praises check-coupling and wide coupling in almost the same breath. You simply cannot have wide coupling with checks, which tend to draw the horses together. This is obvious to any practical ploughman. I am afraid "Teamster's" 12 years of farm work is not sufficient experience. I have been almost twice that time driving teams, yet it is only just lately that I have evolved a method of checkcoupling horses which is really workable and efficient. This is it. The checks are placed in the usual manner; i.e., from the bit-ring to the other horse's hame ring; but, about eight inches to a foot from the bit end of the check, fasten a ring, an old bitring will do. To this another short coupling is fastened and taken to another ring fastened to the other horse's choke strap, fairly high up towards the ear. If all these checks are made adjustable, the best positions will be very quickly discovered. The pull on one horse's mouth is transferred to the other's mouth per rnedium of the neck, the strongest part of any horse. Ploughmen wno try this will be delighted at the smooth and gentle way in which it works. Both norses' heads will be noticed to turn simultaneously, and neither horse is forced to back before turning, as is the case with ordinary checks. A reined horse turns his head first of all, and instantly he does this, the- coupling from his neck as instantly tightens on the other horse's bit, where with Mr Love's method, he must back a little, then move bodily over, before the hame exerts its pull on the other bit. If one does not like to fasten to the choke strap, another strap or piece of rope, can be fitted around the neck and made fast to the choke strap at the bottom, to prevent it from slippfng back. If the checks are connected high on the hames, they act as bearing reins also, preventing the horses from putting their heads down to crop grass at the ends, an annoying habit some horses have, which is responsible for some of the kerosene language "Teamster" complains of. The fault does not always lie with the teamster, but rather .with the class of horse which is bred nowadays Borers, crooked walkers, plungers, slugs and very badly mouthed, halfbroken horses are far too numerous to-day, and calculated to arouse the irr» of a plaster saint. I have known excellent ploughmen with whom loud swearing was just a habit. I have also known very quiet-spoken drivers who were atrocious ploughmen Horses very soon become accustomed to both types, and abuse is not called for.—Yours, etc., PLOUGHMAN. Omihi, May 3, 193.1. TO 1119 EUIIOB OF IHt »ÜB.->!». Sir,—With reference to the photograph of a ploughing team which appeared in your issue of Saturday last and which was so adversely criticised by J. K. Love, I would, as the- photographer concerned, like to offer a brief explanation. The position was exactly as described b\ "Quadrant." who evidently has sound ideas, not only of the working of horses but also of the difficulties in photographing animals. The horse which appeared to be boring had decided objections io walking over me as I was attempting to take the photograph from ground level. In justice to the teamster concerned. I would like to state that during the 10 years I have known him I have never once seen any evidence of his ill-treating his horses.—-Yours, etc., PHOTOGRAPHER. May ■!. 1935. TO rilß F.IHTOB OF THF. J'RBiS. Sir, — I heartily endorse Ihe former par! of "Quadrant's" letter in your Friday's edition as that was the very way 1 read the picture myself. The way in which F. E. Love describes the picture would lead the inexperienced person to believe that rein horses worked under constant torture, which is quite wrong, as a horse very quickly learns to hold the bit without hurting the mouth under the usual system of coupling. As for the check straps, they are only a curse. (1) One horse cannot start to move without the other I have seen very keen horses made to jib when worked beside a rather steady one. (2) They are very bad when turning roimd if the horse vou are turning away from does not pull up hard on the rein, as the check iust holds the other horse in the correct position to be tramped, and if the horse you (urn on to comes back short round, you cannot r.top him as the other horse is compelled to come with him, which might result in turning the plough upside down. As for using check straps with horses abreast in a drill, !his is madness, as the rein horses must have full control and answer to the slightest touch of the rein. If you have a horse on the mark, your second horse from the other side rather keen and a check strap on to the far horse's hame, it is really asking your mark horse to null the far horse over by the collar, that is. if the far horse hangs back at all. I have seen two of the best mouths ruined with using check straps. Yours, etc., NOVICE. May 'l, 1935.