Carriage driving is a sport with many variations, vehicles, and methods. In this article we discuss and explain some of the most popular driving configurations.
Single: Refers to driving a vehicle with one horse.
When in harness, a single horse will typically be hitched to the cart or carriage between two shafts.
Pair (Two Horse Team): Refers to driving a vehicle with two horses hitched side by side
When a pair is harnessed they will typically be hitched to a four wheeled vehicle with a pair pole running between the team which is hooked to a pole strap that attaches to the collar.
Tandem: Refers to driving a pair of horses with one in front of the other
Tandem driving consists of two horses: the horse in the front (leader), and the horse closest to the vehicle (wheeler). The wheeler is responsible for pulling the weight of the carriage and will typically be hitched like a Single configuration. The leader horse does not pull the weight of the carriage, and is instead connected to the carriage via the wheeler either directly to the wheeler’s breast collar, or via tandem bars which create a single tree. This advanced driving technique requires well trained horses, especially as the lead horse has no shafts to guide him and is up and ahead of the carriage. Tandem vehicles typically sit the driver higher inorder to see in front of both horses.
Unicorn hitch: Refers to driving a pair of horses, with an added horse in front
The unicorn hitch is a three horse hitch, with a pair behind a single horse. The perfect blend of Pair and Tandem driving, this advanced configuration typically features a four wheeled vehicle being pulled by a pair of wheelers and a leader hitched infront to a single tree which is attached to the pole.
Four-In-Hand: Refers to driving two teams of horses one in front of the other.
Building on the idea of a pair of horses, the four-in-hand configuration is driven by a single driver, and is typically associated with coaching, combined driving, presentation driving, and farming. To hitch four-in-hand the two wheelers are hitched as a traditional pair on either side of the pole, with a leader bar attached to the pole, which is then attached to the traces of the leaders.