Instructions
Place a stake at the end of your first row if you are plowing ground that has no furrows from last year to follow. Line the stake up between the horses to make the first row straight, then follow your furrows for the remainder of the field.
Practice in a smaller field if you are unused to the plow. Don't use too small an area. A team of horses with the plow and driver can be up to 20 feet in length, much too large to turn in a small area. Use a piece of field at least 100 feet long, and practice a few rows and turning.
Hook the team to the plow, and step them forward until the traces are tight. Traces are the straps that run from the horses' harness to the plow.
Adjust your lines. Lines are the reins and run from the horses all the way back to you. You may want to have a tighter line on the horses during the day, and loosen them up later as they tire. The lines should be tied in a knot, run over your left shoulder, along the back of your neck, then down under your right arm. This way you can lean back into the lines to control the horses, but also just let them slide over your head if the horses are spooked and run, so you aren't tangled in the plow.
Set the team at the beginning of your first furrow. Point the plow at the stake you have driven at the opposite end of the field. Plow this first furrow keeping the plow pointed straight at the stake. When you reach it, stop the team. Pull out the stake, and make the turn to move to the next furrow.
Tip the plow to the right and let it ride on the plowshare, or the pointed edge of the plow blade. Turn the horses to the right and make a large circle to get them back around to the starting position. Stand the horses right at the edge of the first furrow. With the right horse walking in the furrow you are covering, you walk in the center of the new furrow you are making. The sod will turn up and lay against the sod from the first furrow as you go. Continue on, always turning the horses around to the right at the end of each furrow.
How to Plow With a Team
Traditional plowing didn't require monster sized tractors with super sized plows that can furrow two dozen rows at at time, it is a much simpler process. Time consuming but rewarding, plowing with a team involves plowing your field row by row, with you, the plow, and a teams of horses. The work is not easy and it takes some practice to get the system down right, not to mention the cooperation of a good team of horses.