Unicorn driving question

[clara]

Thanks for that info Moo.

[Debbie]

LOL...well the more I read, the more I was confused...which is not hard to do !

"The leader is not supposed to be in draft so they are not doing any work therefore would still be fresh to hunt."

What does this mean? ....''in draft"?? Does that mean that particular horse is not pulling really? Is it because they aren't in shafts?

If they aren't in shafts (but only swingletree), do they pull less weight?

I can certainly appreciate how much harder it would be to handle three separate sets of reins for the team. I can also see how this evolved to show off the 'flashy/hunting horse' and the driver's skills. That was very in vogue, very fashionable.

[merlinalison]

Yes - the lead horse isn't supposed to pull except as The Moo says if needed to give a hand eg up very steep hills. The traces should be slack between the leader and the wheeler/wheelers all the rest of the time. In driving trials the most common comment on dressage sheets for the tandem class (at least in the ones I've written for) is "Leader in draft"...

[Debbie]

Now this is going to be utterly stupid, but WHY? What is the point of having a team, but the leaders aren't pulling their weight?

Were the horses rotated throughout the configuration? Why have extra sets of horses if they aren't actually helping the team to pull the load?

Or is there a difference between teams being used to pull something heavy, and say a carriage?

Sorry for all the questions folks. And THANK YOU!!! for all these helpful replies

[clara]

Teams are historically different to tandems. The leaders on a team should some into draft and are there expressly to come into draft when the going gets heavy or up a steep hill. Although I think in dressage test they shouldn't like a tandem. Teams are traditionally hitched to heavy coaches, ploughs etc and all four need to pull at certain times. However tandem was purely a fashon thing so it can be rediculous! Like I said the leader is supposed to be the flashy one of the two and ther is nothing more flashy than a horse that is free from bearing any kind of weight. It is a particularly English thing no doubt born out of the historical excesses of the EMpire! The EUropeans do not have tandem driving trials they think we are loopy and they are right for exactly the same reasons you do!!

[Debbie]

Aha! The lightbulb has gone off. Thanks for the extra help explaining this, Clara. So there's a HUGE difference between 'tandem' and 'team'. Tandem being the fashionable one, team being the 'for work' one. Got it!

I reread MerlinAlison's post, and now it makes sense to me.