As live horsepower is the form of energy we use to pull our buggies, a few words of caution in the use and treatment of horses is in order. Let us remember that a horse is a living being. If you treat him right, your horse will be your willing servant and will take you many miles to school, to church, to town, or to visit friends and relatives. In time, your horse may become more than a servant. He may become a trusted companion.
While the driver of a car has only to keep his vehicle and himself under control, the horse buggy driver must also control an animal, with a mind of its own, that weighs ten times as much as the driver.
A horse has been described as “a large mass of nerve endings connected to a small brain.” Your horse cannot reason or understand the way you do. Things that seem simple to you may frighten or confuse the horse. Try to see potential problems before you arrive at them and think of how your horse may react.
While each horse has its own personality and must be handled accordingly, it is also true that a horse’s reaction to certain situations is often the result of previous experiences. Therefore, if a horse has had a bad experience, it will probably take awhile (maybe the rest of his life) for him to forget it.
Knowing that we must break young horses to drive, let us remember not to use them in heavy traffic areas until they have had experience in lighter traffic and are considered safe. You as the driver are responsible for your horse and you must be able to control him, to stop and stand as needed.
Hitching and Unhitching the Horse-horse buggy manual
Hitching and unhitching a horse can be mastered by children at quite a young age, but care should be taken to make sure everything is properly hooked. An unsnapped line,tug, or holdback can cause any horse to become frightened and may prompt a runaway. This could result in injuries or fatalities to occupants of the vehicle and to those in the path of the runaway horse.
A good order to remember and to follow when hitching up is 1-line, 2-trace, and 3-holdback. Do this on one side and then on the other side. That way, the lines, which control the horse, will always be the first thing fastened. Not only is it important to double check that everything is fastened when hitching up, it is just as important to make sure all the traces and holdbacks are unhooked when unhitching the horse. Therefore, to unhitch, simply count backward 3-holdback, 2-trace, and 1-line. This way the holdback will always be the first thing unhooked. Many horses will spook from a buggy coming after them in an unusual manner caused by a holdback still being attached to the harness.
ALWAYS tie your horse with the neckrope. Use respect when tying your horse in town or at public places. Always use a hitching rail if one is available. It is unadvisable to tie your horse to a sign or light post. Tie your horse if no one is available to hold him.
Be reasonable with your horse. When on long trips never drive him too far or too fast.
Allow your horse time to rest after climbing a long hill or after traveling on hot days. A horse that is properly treated will serve you for a long time. We should also be careful about driving lame horses on public roads.
horse carriage Maintenance Check List.It is advisable to check these things on the harness and horse carriage before traveling:
Line snaps
Holdback straps
Single trees and bolts
Single tree straps
Shaft eyes
Brakes
Slow moving vehicle emblem (Fanny flag)
Battery
Lights
Many accidents have been caused when a worn out harness breaks. A holdback tearing,
a snap breaking, or a trace coming loose from the single tree can cause you to lose control of your horse. The harness should be checked regularly, and worn parts should be replaced.
Also, good maintenance of wear points on the horse buggy is very important. Always keep a good single tree and single tree bolt on the shafts. The single tree straps will not only keep the single tree from turning too far, but could hold the horse buggy in the event that the single tree bolt were to break. Keeping brakes in good working order is also very important, not only on down grades, but also to hold the horse buggy in case of any break in any part of the harness or buggy. The brake is great for holding the horse buggyat stop signs too.