Headers do you always have one?

OK, don't go off the deep end and slam me to the ground for asking this.
I want to know if everyone always uses a header when they are driving? I know it's the best policy, and if your in a town or parade you need one. What if your at home and nobody is around to go with you, do you go alone? Also do you hitch up alone(I know another bad question). If so how do you do it?

Just curious, what is a header?

and me what is a header

A header is someone that holds the horses heads, while you get on and off the rig. It's someone that has a lead rope and controls the head while there is noone holding the lines.

oh right i never have one i tie the horse up when i,m harnessing and leave a lead rein fastened to his headcollar and saddle when i pull up i have him facing something like a fence, gate,lamppost etc jump off and tie him up

We never used headers on our teams. Many times, my Dad had to hitch up by himself or with us kids only (and we were too small to be headers). So on green teams, he would tie them to the side of the trailer while hitching/unhitching. As for him getting on or off, one of us kids was almost always with him so we would man the reins while he got on/off. All our older teams would stand like rocks until he told them to move.

I usually do when driving my Fell (mainly just when hitching/unhitching to his cart), but not with my minis.

If you are in competition my advise is ALWAYS use a header. A few years ago I had my Shetland mare showing in driving at Congress (our biggest show of the year) The trainer that I had drive her insisted he did not need a header. So I said okay. Well on the last lap part of her bridle came unhooked. He should have asked for a timeout and if he had a header they could have fixed it. Anyway they went to the center of the ring and went to back for the judge and she didnt want to back because the bridle was hanging off her head Again if he had a header when he went to the center of the ring they could have fixed it. She did place but not nearly as well as she would have if he had let me head for him.

Lesson learned for me!

I do not use a header when showing my horse. I am also able to get him hitched and unhitched with out help or tying him. When I show my minis I usually do use a header. At home I do not. To me it all depends on the horse.

we dont show, we race so its a bit different. on a daily basis most of my horses are trained to get hitched and unhitched without someone else. most are trained to stop when i say "Ho" and not move again until i say so. we always use someone else with our 2yr olds, and stud horses, but most everyone else is good. when it comes to racing we always have someone because they need to leave their stalls in numerical order and walk in a line to the track and get checked up before they post parade. some people do it with one person, but i dont like that at all because if the horse infront of you starts throwing themselves, you have no one to stop and uncheck your horse right away.