These are a couple of pictures of what's called a "slip", a horsedrawn excavation tool. In the black and white pic, one man is digging a basement with one horse and a slip.
I own one. I'm about to go hook my girls to it.
Here's mine. I put these replacement handles on it. They don't fit quite right.
This part is called an evener or a doubletree. Each donkey hooks to one of the short bars, and the long bar hooks to the load.
Thusly.
I have never operated one of these. A slip. I have operated a two horse walking plow, which works on similar principles.
When you have to use both hands to steer the implement, you steer the team with the lines wrapped around your shoulders / neck / back.
I tweeted a little story about that process yesterday.
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