On Lingo, Rules and Contradictions

I am so excited to announce that Chimacum Tack has a guest blogger!! Please welcome:

Christine Beattie is an accomplished horsewoman and teamster with a background in commercial carriage work. Based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Christine offers training programs, lessons, and clinics in driving, groundwork, and liberty training. She also mentors students around the world through her online courses and virtual instruction. With over 25 years of experience, her grounded, thoughtful approach emphasizes communication, connection, and confidence between horse and human.  

www.christinebeattieequine.com

Facebook / Instagram / Youtube: @christinebeattieequine 

__________________________________________________

As someone who keeps one foot in the workhorse community and the other in the carriage driving community, it’s not uncommon to run into contradictions.

Much like English and western riding, each comes from it’s own history, traditions, and reasons for doing things a certain way. While there are many commonalities, the language and terminology often differs, and there are many examples where these two sets of rules or guidelines, both written and implied, conflict.

Reins.

Lines.

Always leave the halter on under the bridle.

Never leave the halter under the bridle.

Always carry a whip.

A whip will only get in the way.

Sit on your line tails.

Don’t sit on them; hang them from your wrist.

Always tie your horse to hitch.

Never hitch while tied.

All of these are statements that I have heard directly from accomplished drivers who do fine work with their equines. And the list goes on and on.

If any of these statements make you twitchy, consider that while they may be different than you’re familiar with, they likely have a very good reason behind them, with the ultimate goal of unharnessing at the end of the day safe, sound, and content. Before you start bashing someone’s methods or writing them off as “wrong” or even “dangerous,” I encourage you to get curious and dig deeper. Consider that there can be more than one “right way.” Things are rarely black and white.

I generally find myself picking and choosing; taking habits from both worlds to find what suits me and my horse best. It’s not always the same from one horse to the next. Often, it means altering my equipment and my style according to the job at hand.

My preferred ways of doing things have certainly evolved over the years, and will inevitably evolve further as I continue to learn and grow in my own horsemanship and driving.

These days, I use a work harness with collar & hames for farmwork, and a buggy harness with a breast collar for carriage work. I use the same bridle – with a full noseband – with both, but I do tend to keep the halter on underneath.

I always carry a whip on a carriage, but rarely while doing fieldwork.

I might call them “lines,” I might call them “reins,” and I might just use both terms interchangeably in the same sentence.

I generally prefer to hitch out in the open, but I’ll often hitch with my horse tied to the trailer when we’re away from home. I like to be comfortable with both. With my students, I’ll sometimes suggest one and sometimes the other, depending on the individual person, horse, and setup.

But most importantly, none of this is set in stone.

Although the contradictions may seem confusing, especially online where everyone is so sure they’re Right, I’m grateful to have the connection to both of these worlds of driving horses. It makes me more versatile, my horses more versatile, and allows me to honestly consider what works best for me and for this horse, in this situation. I frequently question WHY I’m doing things a certain way, and strive to keep my mind open to new or differing information. I will say, even with the best intentions, this isn’t always easy!

It’s easy to get attached to one way of doing things. We humans can be incredibly inflexible and attached to our habits and beliefs. We can be very quick to have an emotional reaction to any information that challenges our perceptions. Yes, routine is valuable, no doubt. But so is flexibility. So is an open mind. So is remaining teachable.

Vet carefully your sources of information, but if someone you trust suggests something that at first raises your hackles, take a deep breath and allow yourself to consider it. Consider 𝘸𝘩𝘺 they might say that, and 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘸? Consider how their perspective may differ from your own, and what they might be seeing that could be hiding in your blind spots. 𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘵𝘴.

Challenge yourself to honestly answer: 𝘐𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦? And even more importantly, 𝘐𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘦?

Stay curious. Stay open-minded. Stay teachable. Even – especially – when it feels confronting. You owe it to your horse, and you owe it to yourself too.