Ask A Teamster: Pressure Release Driving
Ask A Teamster: Pressure Release Driving
by Dr. Doug Hammill D.V.M. of Montana
with Steve Wood of Minnesota
QUESTION from Richard:
Hello Steve:
I am truly enjoying the “Ask a Teamster” articles that you and Doc Hammill provide in the Small Farmers Journal. They are invaluable for learning. I have Doc’s DVD “Teaching Horses to Drive: A Ten Step Method” and both of Lynn Miller’s workhorse books. I am very keen to find more information on Pressure – Release Driving referred to in the Ask a Teamster article “Jackrabbit Starts” (Small Farmers Journal, Summer 2008). Unless I have missed it, I cannot find the segment in the videos on Pressure Release Driving, nor in Lynn’s books.
Can you direct me to more information please?
Richard Cutfield
Cornflower Ranch
Turner Valley, Alberta, Canada
RESPONSE from Steve Wood:
Richard,
Thanks for the question. Maybe you’ve already heard from Doc on this but I will add my 2 cents worth anyway. The pressure release driving refers to the handling of the lines to give pressure release messages to the horse’s mouth. If you hold your hands with a constant amount of pressure on the bit while driving, your horse will naturally push back on that pressure. This is because horses are an “into pressure animal.” That is, if they feel steady pressure they will push back with an equal force or even an increased force to overcome the initial pressure. Just try pushing a newborn foal into the udder the first time and you will see the foal push against that hand with amazing strength.
The same is true for the mouth, if they feel pressure they will push back. So, if you want a horse that responds to pressure rather than fights it you must release the pressure. The best way I have heard it described is by Doc. When I heard him call it “massaging the mouth” it made good sense. What Doc teaches is that you should alternately pull each hand backward and move it forward again to release the pressure of your pull, as your horse is being driven. In the beginning your hand movement (or stroke) should be about 6 inches long. The timing, or rhythm, of your stroke should about match the foot falls of the horse’s front feet. For instance, as the right front foot lowers to the ground your right hand should be moving back toward your body. As the right foot hits the ground, the right hand stroke will be started back forward. At the same time your left hand will begin its backward stroke. Note the left front foot of your horse is now on its downward stroke. As the left foot strikes the ground, your left hand will be at the back of its stroke and begin its forward stroke.
Now note the horse’s head movement. A horse’s head naturally moves side to side slightly as he walks. As the right foot hits the ground his head will be slightly to the right of center, then, as his left foot comes down his head will swing over to the left of center. So by timing your strokes to match his footfalls you are also moving his head side to side. Longer strokes will move his head more, while short strokes will move it less.
Now comes the cool part. If you increase the tempo of your strokes (more strokes per minute) the horse will try to match his footfalls to his head movement from side to side, with Doc Hammill of East Glacier Park, MT and will increase the tempo of his footfalls to do so. I call this “setting a cadence for your horse.” You can adjust his cadence up or down about 15 percent of his current cadence.
I have helped many owners gain the confidence and respect of their horse while giving a cadence because the horse is receiving a message of instruction with each step. Horses love a leader and I feel they see this constant instruction as leadership. There is much more to pressure release driving, but these are the basics.
Here is a link to the Natural Gait website. http:// www.thenaturalgait.com/clinics.htm Check it out.
Good luck with the new technique. Let me know if I can be of any more help.
I hope to meet you someday,
Steve Wood of Elk River, MN
RESPONSE from Doc Hammill:
Hi Richard,
Steve copied your question and his response to me. I hope you don’t mind if I add my 2 cents worth, too.
His explanation is a great short summary of pressure/release driving. I’ve had more reports of success, and improved comfort and performance of horses from the use of what I call pressure/release driving than from any other single thing that I share and teach.
Horses are very rhythmic animals – notice in photos how many times two horses working together in a team are in step with one another. As riders we use our body as well as the reins to communicate physically to our horses, but as drivers the lines are our only constant means of physical communication and contact.
For teaching purposes I find it’s almost always necessary to have students exaggerate the length of their hand strokes initially in order to get them moving their hands at all. Old timers and younger skilled teamsters probably think the length of strokes and other gyrations I propose initially are ridiculous. But, once I get students driving with live, moving, floating, hands (by using longer strokes than necessary – but not greater pressures than necessary); and once they can rhythmically and smoothly move the horse’s nose gently from side to side; then I begin to have them shorten their strokes and use more finesse. Working with thousands of students has proven to me that exaggerating the length of strokes and hand motions initially greatly speeds up the process of learning and developing skill with pressure/release driving. Early in the learning process the long strokes allow students to see the effects of their hand motions on the horse’s heads. Somehow, actually seeing the results of the hand motions on the horses head(s) must help the mind make the connection between what the hands are doing and the effects produced on the horse(s). At this point I ask students to start feeling the bit, and the subtle and constantly changing variations in pressure on the lines from the horse(s) pushing into the bit(s). With pressure/release driving each pull and release tells our horse(s) many things when done appropriately, consistently, and skillfully – such things as “the leader is here to support you and give you the information you need to do what’s expected,” “you’re doing a good job, going the right speed, paying attention,” etc. – or not. Every pull and release is an opportunity to remind the horse that we are indeed the supportive, gentle, fair leader/boss that will take care of them and make all the decisions. And, each is an opportunity to immediately reward appropriate responses with a lighter, comforting subtle squeeze and release of the hands – a mere caress or massage.
With each pull and release we also have an immediate opportunity to create a consequence for horses that are pushing to hard on the bit, trying to go too fast, or both. The consequence is merely a slightly longer stroke which translates into the horse feeling a bit more pressure momentarily on one side of the mouth, followed by partial release of that pressure as pressure increases on the other side. It is imperative that we immediately lighten up when the horse or horses respond appropriately. For example, if your horse wants to hurry and starts to push into the bit with too much force you would progressively increase the length of your strokes (but not the speed of them) until he gives to the pressure and lightens up on the bit. The goal is to lengthen the strokes rather than increase the pressure although sometimes more pressure needs to be part of it momentarily. The instant the horse (or horses) lightens you must lighten also – that is his reward for slowing and not pushing on the bit so hard. If you lighten up too much it will signal him to go faster again. If you fail to lighten up when he does, it will teach him that there is no escape from the longer strokes and increased pressures by his lightening up, so he will try faster again and/or get frustrated or angry.
There is, of course, much more to the art of what I call pressure/release driving than either Steve or I have explained here. Unfortunately, this type of driving is not understood, used, or taught by very many people in the driving and workhorse world.
The great old time teamsters that I learned to drive and work horses from were masters at it. However, they were so good at applying and releasing just the right pressures with such perfect timing that what they were doing was invisible to me. And, no matter how many times I asked “how did you get that horse to do that?”, there was much of their skill with their hands that they could not really verbalize and teach me – they truly were not conscious of what they were doing in a way they could explain. Later on, after I had tortured quite a few horses with steady pressure, I ended up learning more appropriate ways of communicating with the lines and better finesse in clinics taught by Doris Ganton. Over the many years since those clinics, the form of pressure/release driving that I now use and teach has evolved for me. I didn’t invent it and it is not new, but rather ancient knowledge not widely understood or used by the masses even today.
It’s difficult to learn the nuances of this style of driving by reading about it. The best way is hands-on with a mentor or in a workshop or clinic with an instructor to demonstrate and work with you in person. Since you are not far from me you might want to consider one of the workshops at my ranch so we could work on it together. In the meantime, or as another option, I cover pressure/release driving extensively in my Fundamentals 1, 2, 3, and 4 of Driving and Working Horses in Harness DVDs.
I hope this is of some help to you.
With appreciation,
Doc
From Richard to Steve:
Hello Steve:
Thank you so very much for your response. It came one day after I did a four hour wagon ride, but I will try this technique today when I feed my herd of cows. I use a round bale roller sled.
Cornflower Ranch is near Calgary, Alberta Canada. I met a man a few weeks ago who attended Doc’s clinic in Montana – which is about three-four hours from here.
I will look into the natural gait clinics.
Your detailed response is much appreciated and additional questions – the description you provide seems to focus on a single horse in shafts. How do I apply the same technique with a team???
Also, my right lead needs a full curb bit while the left lead just a mild curb. (Same bit but I attach the lines down low on the right horse and up top on the left) – so each stroke is going to be different on the lead lines and the horses gaits are not always synchronized.
Lynn Miller has indicated that the Ask a Teamster column this upcoming issue is on authority, so I’m keeping an eye on the mailbox. (Winter 2009)
Kind regards,
Richard
To Richard from Steve:
Hi Richard,
The same hand movement works for driving a team as it does for a single. I even use it when I am driving 4 up. For the four horses I use a rolling wrist as well as a forward back rhythm to give all four the messages.
By adjusting your position of the lines on the bit levers as you have, you are increasing the mechanical advantage you have on your right hand horse’s mouth. Now if you adjust your cross lines correctly so the team is working straight ahead, with both foreheads in the same plane then you have arranged everything correctly, so that you will have equal pull on both lines yet your right hand horse will feel more “contact” or pressure, due to the mechanical advantage.
As you start your team, allow them to pick up their contact and then begin giving them your cadence, or rhythm. Each time you pull the right hand line, both horses will feel the pressure increase on the right hand side. If your right hand horse is ahead, he will feel more contact than the left horse. In effect, this heavier contact will check his stride and he will take a slightly shorter stride than your left horse. In about 4 even rhythmic strokes your right hand horse will be back where the left horse will catch up with him. Now they will be striding evenly and your left horse will not have to play catch-up all day. The thing about the cadence is that immediately following the check pressure, you release it during your forward stroke. If your horse takes a shorter stride and feels the release of pressure he thinks that he did that by himself and he will begin to stay back so he doesn’t bump that bit lever each time. A cracking good lead team is one that pops to work at the drop of a hat. If your left horse feels that he won’t be left behind every time they start, he will begin to start with more energy also.
If your wheel team starts and works evenly, then rotate your wrist to put more contact on your lead lines than on your wheel lines. This will give a heavier check to the lead team than to the wheelers. If your right hand leader is too far forward it will be stronger on him than on any of the other three. When your leaders have backed off a bit, square up your wrist to give all four the same strength message.
We had a wheel horse who was ahead of his team mate for about eight years. My son hitched the team in the evening at our first Doc Hammill clinic and, in about three hundred yards of using the cadence, he was back even with his team mate. He still gets ahead once in a while, but I just increase the length of stroke for a couple seconds and he gets back where he should be.
Give this a try and let me know how this all works for you. Who knows, maybe we might turn this into an “Ask a Teamster” column in the future. I am going to forward this to Doc
NOTE: At this time some confusion existed as to whether Richard was driving two or four horses due to his reference to his “right lead” and “left lead” horses. As it turned out he was just driving two not four horses as he explains: “Yes, I only have a team of 2. Up here we refer to “lead” team even though they might be just 2. For clarity, my right leader is named Spike and the left, Doc. They came from a hitch that also worked as a unicorn or six up – so I have referred to them as lead even though I also use them only as a twosome.”
From Richard to Steve and Doc:
Guys:
Just in from feeding my herd with the team, having used your pressure/release technique.
WOW! Immediate results! Increased listening by the team, better cadence, rhythm, communication! Thank you so very much!
I’m sure I need coaching and much practice, but it sure made a difference. I found it challenging of course to match to their footfalls in a trot, but in a walk pace I could synchronize better. The team seemed to appreciate my new method, too!
I’m sure you’ll tell me there is more to this yet to learn and any guidance you can provide is eagerly applied.
Thank you both!
As Lynn said in his Fall editorial “Now we’re farming!”
Kind regards,
Richard
To Richard from Doc:
Richard,
Your report put a big smile on my face because I know how great you feel about the results, but even more so because I know how much better this will be for your horses.
Keep your questions coming as you progress.
With appreciation,
Doc
From Richard to Steve and Doc:
Dear Doc and Steve:
Three days of feeding my herd with the team and a session on my forecart today and I cannot thank you enough for your guidance and advice in response to my inquiry.
As Doc said, the horses are thanking you both as well!
I am finding I can now get into their rhythm and they with me. The technique does help I find, to get them into synchronicity with each other, too, if they are out of step. I very much like the leader messages that the massaging conveys – as you suggested it would.
I am less worried now about matching to their footfalls in a fast trot, and the length of my strokes are significantly shorter now – I’d estimate maybe an inch or two. I also don’t have to think about my hand actions quite as much as the first time.
On turning for home on the road along our Ranch this morning we all three got into a wonderful rhythm and cadence – and my left lead did not get into the bit the way he used to on knowing he was almost home.
He seemed much more accepting (and desirous) of my lead.
I am sure there is much more to learn about it yet.
With very much appreciation,
Richard
From Steve to Richard:
Keep at it Richard, the more you experience this, the more you will find out it really helps you and your horses work comfortably together. Your stroke will vary in length for each different situation you are in. When walking down a road and all is well the strokes can be as small as an almost unnoticeable flexing of your fingers. That’s what I think Doc was referring to when he said that you could not see the old masters as they performed the pressure-release method. Have fun with it!
Steve
From Richard to Steve and Doc:
Okay- today did not go well at all. My right lead took off on me and I could not get them under control. Took out a few fence posts and I am banged up.
I cannot pinpoint the cause, but I am replaying it all in my mind of course.
Richard
From Richard to Steve and Doc:
Gentlemen:
Replaying the events of yesterday has provided some insight:
1. I was not as much “in the moment” as I should have been. I was late for a meeting and likely conveyed some degree of tension to the team. I need to get into a pattern of ensuring I am “with the team” and not elsewhere in my mind.
2. The weather was horrible. Driving snow, wind and very cold. I should have listened to my intuition to not use the team yesterday. In my defense, the pressure release was going so well, I wanted to continue.
3. After hitching I should have driven the team into our outdoor sand ring arena so to prepare and get reacquainted as a prep part to the days work rather than going straight into the work. I can also include an uphill pull first to help us both settle better.
4. For whatever reason I allowed the team to pick up a trot, on a downhill incline and should have insisted on a walking pace instead. I think the sled (with 1,400 pound bale) felt too slidy on the fresh snow. I should have come to a stop right away – several stops in fact.
5. I have in my minds eye that the chin strap chain on my right leader was not hooked up. He did not heed my pressure release tugs nor a full pull back.
6. Brain cramp: I did not call whoa early enough in the process. I fumbled with the lines to try to get a better grip and to them I’m sure this felt like permission to pick up a faster trot.
I also should only ever walk them in the area I was passing through. No trots until we are well out in the field. Prior advice I had from a local teamster was that it was good to allow a team to trot in the barn area.
7. In addition to sand ring turnabout what I could do is do baby steps from a start to ensure I am “in the moment” and that the team is listening to me first and foremost.
8. I could try a buck back rope on the right leader.
From Steve to Richard:
Richard,
Boy, a couple days away from the computer and it looks like I really missed something pretty big. Are you OK physically? Mentioning fences is a pretty tough ending.
Thanks for thinking it through so completely. I’ll see if I can be helpful with these comments.
You are right. Horses feel tension in us humans. If you have an option to provide care for the horses and not work them on days of hurry or tension it’s really better for everybody. An internal check to your own mental barometer is really the only check you have. Doc has told me a story about being so overwhelmed with life that he found his horses were really not getting his full patience and he avoided working with them for several weeks. I know that there are days when a certain horse in the training barn will push my buttons and get me working on emotion rather than rational thinking. Horses think rationally. When I’m not, I find a neutral end for the lesson and go put the horse away.
I’m going to assume that the weather system I had on Thursday would be the same one you were working your team in. Every horse that I worked on Thursday day was on edge – even before the weather changed. In the afternoon the snow was falling at about 2 inches per hour and I had my best team out to collect a load of firewood. We were working in a well-protected area from the wind, but the wind was moving the tree tops in swirling motions and really had some volume to it. My best team tried to leave me twice while I was loading the wood and I had to finally tie them to a tree to be safe. That’s a team that will ordinarily stand for an hour if asked to do so. When I got back to the training barn every horse that was outside was running in circles in their paddocks. Weather fronts, especially low pressure systems, really have a large effect on horses. Intuition is a voice to listen to very often when you are a horseman!!!
A warm-up routine is important for a young team. This is especially true if the job for the day will include high pressure work. (Heavy pulling, tight quarters, many start-stop series, etc). I do want to encourage a warm-up routine that is something that is repeated each time, because during that time you can pick up on body language that might put up red flags for today’s work. Believe me, I change my daily plan nearly every hour depending ON what their current body language is telling me.
Your thought about not trotting down hill is right on. I tell my students that they must have the forward momentum reduced to nearly stopping before taking a load down hill. During a trot your team would have been heavy on the forelegs rather than the hind legs, that makes for tough load holding. The breaching would feel like it’s going to pick up their hind end.
I think your thought about the chin chain is another indicator that maybe you were rushed or preoccupied during hitching. Develop a routine there, also.
Mostly don’t beat yourself up here. The fence probably did enough of that for you. Horses do forgive us if we have been fair to them before a mishap. Develop a couple routines, hitching and warm-up, and find a nice sunny calm day to go back at it. Get some experienced help if you can, but make sure that help is only a helper and not someone who will override your intuition. Go through a series of 1 step, 3 step, 5 step starts that will show your horse that soft quiet starts are the operation for the day. Read the Small Farmer’s Journal Ask a Teamster article called “Your first drive should be one step long” where you’ll have a chance to review the body language of a concerned or quiet horse (SFJ, Spring 2007).
Let me know how it goes.
Steve Wood
From Richard to Steve:
Hi Steve:
Thanks for your kind thoughts.
Maybe I need to get a barometer or emotionmeter (!) – it turns out that other folks hereabouts had challenges with their horses on or around the day I did, so clearly “something was in the air.” This is chinook country as Doc will confirm, and we get wide fluctuations in pressure systems which affect man and beast alike.
My team and I have had a “time out” – both because I have been very busy, and I’ve been visiting with myself some more on how to avoid a similar occurrence. I am not injured (other than ego and pride perhaps).
Like you, I see value in the 1, 3, 5 step start out technique. I will just have to add that to my routine.
I think you are correct in your observation that the weight of the bale sled, in the conditions that day, must have felt like a big push on the brichen and they trotted to literally get out of the way of the weight. What I may try is keeping the bale dragging on the ground rather than winching it fully up/clear, thereby creating some frictional drag, at least until on level ground.
Soon too, for spring, we change from the winter sled runners to wheels, so this will change the feel to the horses too.
Richard
From Doc to Richard:
Hello Richard,
Greetings from Montana.
I’m wondering if you would be willing to update me on your work with pressure/release, rhythmic driving with your horses and give me your perspectives from longer experience with it.
With appreciation,
Doc
From Richard to Doc:
Hello!
Delighted to hear from you.
Snow here again this week and I fear our hay season will be a poor one.
Taking a leaf from teachers college, and by way of responding to your question, I reinforced my learning of pressure release driving in two ways:
- We have had a volunteer worker from Sweden here for a month. I passed along, as best that I was able, your techniques (your being both you and Steve). The volunteer drives a single horse back home and was keen to work with my team and learn a new technique. I deepened my learning by coaching someone else and observed how the team responded to another pair of hands.
- I have taken a summer contract job at a national historic ranch site near here with 3 teams of Percherons and 2 excellent teamsters – and it has made for fascinating discussions and driving sessions to listen to their views, display pressure release and refine driving skills.
We will hold a chore horse competition in September for which I am already practicing with my team.
I remain deeply grateful to you and Steve for your guidance and interest.
Richard
From Richard to Doc:
Hi Doc:
I contracted my wagon at a major horse show jumping event for 3 days this past weekend where there were other teamsters with their teams. I also drove another team than mine recently at another location. I used discussion opportunities and driving the other team to “test” whether pressure release was being used by others.
My experience is that while reaction might be “Oh sure, I know what that is!” on deepening the conversation, it’s clear the level of understanding is not deep.
It is my observation, as I expect you too have experienced, that pressure release is, neither commonly understood, nor commonly practiced. Equally, I sensed some reluctance to embrace what may be perceived as new techniques – derived, I sense, from, “I’m alright with how I have been driving,” and dare I say it, a bit of ego involved – “I know what I’m doing and have always done it this way.”
I also have seen lots of evidence that your 10 tips to avoid a wreck are not known by all (“Ten Common Wrecks with Driving Horses,” Ask a Teamster, SFJ, Fall 2006). I notice snaps in use on lines, snaps turned out, and lines not being sat on (a personal favorite safety technique of mine from your good guidance) so I am finding lots of opportunity to engage in dialogue and comparative techniques, and I hope, robust learning for us both!
Many teamsters seem to employ a degree of skepticism to learning and change which is unfortunate.
Alternately, I have encountered some teamsters eager to learn new harnessing and driving techniques for the benefit of themselves and their horses. This seems to be a function of appetite to learn, a clean slate of not having to unlearn prior habits, and teamsters that put the well being of the horses as a priority.
Hope this overview is of some help.
Kind regards, (my goodness, it’s dry here!)
Richard
From Steve and Doc:
Thank you, Richard, for sharing your experiences and observations so openly and candidly.
It is our hope that by sharing your experiences and our comments in this way, we might help others to improve the quality of their interactions with horses and create experiences that are safer, kinder, gentler and more comfortable and successful for humans and horses alike.
Stay safe and enjoy your horses and mules everyone,
Steve Wood and Doc Hammill
Steve Wood is a horseman, driving instructor, and trainer of driving horses from Elk River, Minnesota.
Doc Hammill lives on a ranch in Montana. He and his partner Cathy Greatorex help people learn about gentle/natural horsemanship and driving and working horses in harness – through writing, workshops, demonstrations, lectures, and his horsemanship video series. www.DocHammill.com