THE TANDEM
One horse driven in front of the other gave a University wag the
opportunity to nickname two horses so driven a "tandem," from the
Latin word meaning "at length," as applied to time. This joke has
crystallized into a familiar English word, and many tandem drivers
to-day include all the Latin in their vocabulary in this form of
exercise.
The fundamental principles of tandem driving are much the same as
four-in-hand driving, except that the horses turn more quickly,
and with less pressure on the reins, especially in the case of the
leader. The reins, too, are closer together in the hand, making the
fingering more difficult, and the handling of a spirited leader is
perhaps as difficult and nice a task as any form of driving affords.
Although the chief authority for this chapter, T. Suffern Tailer,
Esq., late the president of the New York Tandem Club, decries the
use of anything but traces for the leader,--traces fastened to
the traces of the wheeler,--it is fair to the reader to describe
another method of harnessing.
This method consists of having two swingle-bars, one 2 feet 6
inches in length, the other about 2 feet in length. The first has a
hook in front and a chain at the back, about 1 foot in length. This
chain is hooked to a ring at the bottom of the wheeler's hames, and
at the end are two short traces fastening to the wheeler's traces
by two rings, or loops, under the trace-buckles. The second bar is
attached by an eyelet to the hook of the first bar; to this, of
course, are attached the leader's traces in the usual manner.
Advocates of this way of harnessing claim that by this method
the leader's traces may be made almost as short as those of the
wheeler, and that there is far less danger--none, indeed--of a
leader getting his legs over a trace.
In tandem harness there should be as little harness as possible,
even breeching omitted, except in a very hilly country. One of the
advantages of this form of driving sport is that, even with a small
stable and few horses, one may drive tandem without any great extra
outlay. The wheeler's harness may be an ordinary set of single
harness, with double terrets in the pad, and terrets above the
blinkers, to carry the leader's reins. The leader's harness may be
the same, with a very light pad, since the pad in the leader's case
only carries the traces. The traces of the leader have spring-hooks
which are fastened to the brass rings, or loops, under the
wheeler's trace-buckles. On the leader's pad are two leather loops
to carry the traces, and over the leader's loins, a bearing strap,
just long enough to keep the traces level. The reins should be
light, strong, and of the same size, and suited to the size of the
coachman's hands. It is hardly necessary to say that to fasten the
leader's traces to the ends of the shafts is suicidally dangerous;
but as it is sometimes done the warning is needed.
The writer's own experience in driving tandem has been confined
mostly to a pony tandem, a form of amusement strongly recommended
by Lady Gorgiana Curzon in the Badminton volume on Driving.
Two ponies, a stocky, short-legged pony 14.2 in the wheel, and a
breedier specimen of the same height in the lead, make a pair that
bowl along at a good rate, are light in hand, and give younger
members of the family capital practice in the handling of four
reins in one hand. If you have a Phidippides in the family, by
all means put him to work at tandem driving. It is good for his
courage, and may be good for his conceit (Plate XXXIII.).
Every one who has driven tandem much, and almost every one who has
not driven tandem at all, agree: the first that tandem driving is
excellent sport, and not dangerous; the latter that it is a foolish
waste of equine energy, and very dangerous.
[Illustration: PLATE XXXIV.--TANDEM DOG-CART]
[Illustration: PLATE XXXV.--HIGH AND DANGEROUS COCKING-CART]
All forms of driving are dangerous, from piloting Dobbin in a
farm-wagon, to driving a drag to a race meeting, if the coachman
is ignorant, careless, and nervous. Even Dobbin may go down on
his knees, or shy, and run away, if he is not looked after. But
tandem driving is no more dangerous than other forms of driving, if
harness, cart, and horses are suited to the sport, and the coachman
is forever vigilant. There is no doubt but that most horses
enjoy going this way, and the change is good for them, and it is
excellent practice; none better, indeed, for their owner.
In putting two horses together in this fashion the traces of the
leader may be as short as possible, say three feet from the nose
of the wheeler to the croup of the leader, when the traces are
taut. The leader, if a breedy-looking animal, with good neck and
shoulders, may wear to advantage a breast collar, instead of a neck
collar. He may, indeed, be with propriety as lightly harnessed as
possible.
The origin of the tandem was a convenient way of taking a hunter
to cover by putting him in the lead of a dog-cart, with his saddle
and bridle carried along in the cart. Even to this day this
pedigree of the tandem marks out the proper proportions and proper
qualities for both wheeler and leader. The leader may thus be
driven appropriately in a ring snaffle, although probably the best
bits are the Liverpool or Elbow bits with the not-to-be-forgotten
proviso that the wheeler's bit should have a bar across the bottom
of it to prevent the wheeler catching the leader's rein under the
end of the cheek-piece of his bit--a trick one of the writer's
ponies soon learned, and was much mystified for days to find
that the trick would not come off, after a bar had been added to
the bottom of her bit. If the wheeler indulges in much shaking
about of his head, he should have both a light bearing-rein and a
martingale. The leader ought to be the type of horse which needs
neither of these fixtures.
The whip may be lighter than the coach-whip, and 5 feet long for
the stick, and 8 feet 6 inches for the lash, if you are driving
ponies; 2 feet longer in the lash if driving full-sized horses.
Before attempting a tandem with any horses you happen to have in
the stable, it is well to do a little training of the one you
propose to use as leader. With a pair of long reins you should
drive him with nothing behind him, so that he may become accustomed
to moving along with no weight on his collar. Let the reins touch
his quarters so that he may become accustomed to the loose traces
in which he will go later. Some horses take to this way of going
like ducks to water, and make no objections and few mistakes from
the beginning; but it is best, in any case, to do a little training
before they are put together in what must be a novel way to them.
As the pressure should be less, and the loops taken smaller, in
tandem driving, much of the turning may be done by the turn of the
wrist and the moving of the hand from left to right, as described
in the chapter on driving one horse. In turning, the points to
right and left should be small, and care taken to keep your wheeler
from rushing his corners, as he may so easily do with a two-wheeled
trap behind him. If your leader is going off to the left too much
and your wheeler to the right, push your two centre reins back a
little, and this will straighten them out; or if the contrary is
the case, and your leader is going to the right and your wheeler to
the left, pull the two centre reins out a bit. The two centre reins
are, the upper one, your off lead-rein, the lower one, your near
wheel-rein.
It is more than ever necessary that the left hand should be kept
in its place, and the reins held firmly in their place, otherwise
your team will never be straight for long at a time. The left hand
should be held as in driving four. When the right hand is used on
all the reins, the little and third fingers go over the two off
side reins, the middle finger over the near wheel-rein, and the
first finger over the near lead-rein, thus giving the right hand
control over each and all of the reins. The two off side reins
may be kept together, for in tandem driving it is only necessary
to make "points" when turning practically at right angles. The
horses should follow one another without making a break between
your leader and wheeler by having the leader at right angles to the
wheeler when making a turn. Too large a loop taken with only one
rein is very apt to bring your leader around too fast and too far.
Never under any circumstances have your lead traces taut when
making a turn, as you may thus pull your wheeler off his feet, and
in any case, when the lead traces are taut, it is your leader, and
not you, who is in control. Though driving tandem is similar in the
manipulation of the reins to driving four, it is on a miniature
scale. Everything must be done more gently, more quietly, more
quickly, and all loops or points need only be of the smallest. The
wheeler should start and stop the cart, and once they are going,
the wheeler should follow directly behind the leader. The reins
in a tandem come into the hand much closer together than in the
case of a four, where the horses, being spread out, the reins
are accordingly apart. This makes the handling of tandem reins
quickly, difficult. When wishing to use the right hand, if the
left be pushed forward slightly it gives the right hand a chance to
place itself correctly on the reins, as the reins are thus pushed
slightly apart. In tandem driving it is of supreme importance to be
ready in advance. Whether stopping, starting, turning, increasing,
or slacking your pace, your right hand should not be fumbling to
get itself on the right reins, but should be there, and ready,
before it is required. A quick, nervous leader can turn, stop,
start, and back like a flash. If you are not ready for him _before_
he gets going, no mortal is quick enough to catch him _afterwards_.
The damage is done, and your horses in a tangle while you are still
groping with your right hand for the proper reins. In passing other
vehicles, or any object that you think may cause your leader to
shy, always have a small loop of that side rein under your thumb,
and your right hand ready to put on the brakes on whichever rein
requires it, instantly, before either horse can make much of a
_détour_. A horse met at once with a rebuke is half persuaded
already to come to terms. The cart, if ponies are driven, should
not be too light nor too low. With wheels 4 feet 9 or 10 inches
in diameter, the coachman's seat will be about 5 feet 4 from the
ground. The wider the cart, up to 6 feet wide inside, the better,
both for the comfort of the passengers, and because a broad track
lessens the danger of upsetting. The body of the cart should be
set as low on the axles as possible.
A cart with bent shafts pivoted on the front part of the cart, and
adjustable behind, with wheels five feet high, and track five feet
wide, will accommodate anything, from 14.2 to 16 hands, and makes,
if lightly built, a good all-round two-wheel cart for all sorts
of purposes. A slant of from three to four inches for the driving
cushion makes a comfortable angle for the seat. If necessary, have
a movable foot-rest, but on no account a rail for your feet. See,
on this subject, remarks in the chapter on driving one horse.
These descriptions and requirements do not purport to guide one in
setting up a tandem for show purposes. This branch of the subject
is dealt with completely, and with experienced competency, by Mr.
Tailer in the next chapter. But tandem driving is too good a sport
to be confined to the show ring. Any enterprising horse owner may
put to a tandem out of his own stable without adding much to the
expense of his stable, while adding greatly to the variety of sport
to be got out of his establishment.