I've been intending to buy a surcingle, for all the reasons you describe. They look like they'd be a real help, but I'll bet I'll have the same trouble as ecurbh with the lines. I ain't exactly the most coordinated person in the world. You make it look so easy!
You just hold one in each hand, like reins... It only gets complicated if you're also trying to take a picture ;~D - or if they manage to get turned around anyway despite your best efforts, like she had done to ecurbh there. Then you just have to start over. But she learned to just stand there till he worked it out, and that's good experience too.
:~D
Hmm, sounds like we all need a training session in Oct 2007 ;-)