.PatAndre

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You'll need to view this full screen. Yesterday, I gave you all some homework. All but one of you who posted commentary failed to even address the homework. The homework was: how does the team stop or back up a wagon? Only "tigs" took a stab at it. Study the harness of the various teams. They are not all the same. You'll see this in westerns with horses pulling a stage or anytime two or more horses are hitched to a wagon or buggy. Today's post should answer the question. (teacher walks impatiently among class with ruler in hand). In today's post, do you see the thick short leather straps leading from the part of the collar under the horses neck and down to the wagon tongue and attached by chains? When the horse is ask to slow or stop, that hook up is what enables slowing of the wagon or backing it up. In an 8 horse hitch, note also that there are three wagon tongues that articulate and are connected together by those big hooks you see. One long wagon tongue would never work. It would inhibit turning. The lead team of a 4, 6 or 8 horse hitch never has a wagon tongue between them because they have to be free to turn hard. Look at my first post "Hark, Do I Hear Horses Hoofs" and you can readily see what I am talking about (3 articulating wagon tongues and the lead team attached only by long leather traces) Got it? (teacher spanks desks with ruler)