Thursday Video: Hooking Up Six
What’s the view from the driver’s bench as a six-horse draft hitch is put together? Thanks to Blue Ribbon Days Percherons, you can watch the entire process!
Most of us as riders are used to the relatively simple process of tacking up, checking the girth and mounting up for a ride. Start driving, however, and there are many more parts of the harness to learn to place and check, plus the connection to make with your cart of choice.
Add multiple horses and the process becomes a real team effort — remember the phrase “it takes a village”? Nowhere is that more true than when putting together a big hitch of draft horses. Individual horses need to come together, harness needs to be checked, lines need to be run, eveners and tongues need to be added as each pair is brought forward: it’s a complicated process that involves many sets of hands working in harmony.
To show us just what it looks like to put a big hitch together, and the behind-the-scenes look outside the show ring at a large show, Blue Ribbon Days Percherons gives us a glimpse from the driver’s bench. Admire the “belles” of Blue Ribbon Farms as they stand quietly amidst the organized chaos at the Indiana State Fair:
Atmosphere: Prelude to a Victory
Atmosphere: Prelude to a Winning Drive. On and off the court, a calm and consistent atmosphere is essential to success. The driver of a six-horse hitch is fittingly counterpart to any sports coach, and a thriving and prosperous team is only attainable in competition if that knack and competence is first achieved on the practice court. Here’s a premium view of the Belles that reflects the composed and unswerving manner in which they are always handled. Watch and listen; you can feel the ambience and sense the mood of the horses, the crew, and ultimately, the driver. A winning drive is never the result of an accidental conquest. It starts with excellent horses that perform as a sovereign unit, an instinctive and talented coach who cultivates superior performance in those horses, and a crew that handles the horses in a manner that buttresses their well-being and contentment. Victories are never by chance. They are dividends from investing in hard work on the home court. This behind-the-scenes video provides a genuine, front-row seat as the Belles of Blue Ribbon prepare for competition at the Indiana State Fair. Absorb the slower moments of the video. Though it appears that not much is happening, you’ll learn a bundle if you pay attention to how the mares are handled and how they react no matter where they are or what they’re doing. Learn and enjoy.
Posted by Blue Ribbon Days Percherons on Wednesday, September 12, 2018
It’s magical when all the little pieces come together to make the big picture work, all the way to a win!
Go driving.
Leave a Comment