# Brass or SS and more



## Christie (Mar 14, 2011)

Are there any tips or rules or customs/traditions as to whether you decide on Stainless Steel or Brass. Does the color of horse play in the decision? I know the metal hardware/accent on the harness and cart should match. I like the look of brass, but I know SS is less maintance. Any other considerations? This forum is making me more careful in all my decisions. That's a very good thing!




I'm hoping to purchase my training cart and possibly a harness soon for my B mini & Shetland. I bought and just arrived a used harness this week. It will be fine for some light work but only after I take to a harness shop for some big remodeling. The harness is very worn. Pictures sure don't show wear on leather very well.



I need my pony training cart to have a bench seat. I need to it be a everything cart for a while. Otherwise I would be getting another Heindl training cart.



My B mini will be going to a local trainer. My equipment will be going with the mini, the trainer prefers a bench seat and basket cart. I'm traveling to Millersburg, Ohio area tomorrow to visit some cart and harness shops. Probably just going to further educate myself but also prepared to buy or order if the right equipment is found.

When I sold my pony equipment a couple years ago ( after the ponies left), I had and sold a Lutke bitting rig. If only I knew I would need it again. I don't think I'll ever sell equipment again even if all the horses ever move on again.



The bitting rig now available at Lutke is beautiful but comes with a big price. I don't need one so nice to train one horse. I saw one that looks nice at Chimacum. Does anyone own the bitting rig? pros/cons?

So many decisions!





Christie


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## Jill (Mar 14, 2011)

I'm not sure how others decide, but I do consider the color of the horse. For warm toned horses, I prefer brass. For cool toned horses, I prefer silver. Same goes for the hardware / conchos on show halters


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## targetsmom (Mar 14, 2011)

I am sure there are more professional considerations, but I choose chrome/SS for the harness because it is easier to care for and all our minis are pintos. I think the silver color looks better with the white of the pintos, but that could be just me. My Graber cart has a silver (white) pinstripe and all carts have chrome hardware. And my show halters all have black or black/silver nosebands and chrome hardware too. I would say buy what you like...


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## hobbyhorse23 (Mar 14, 2011)

Christie said:


> Are there any tips or rules or customs/traditions as to whether you decide on Stainless Steel or Brass. Does the color of horse play in the decision? I know the metal hardware/accent on the harness and cart should match.


Brass is more traditional and dressy so generally if your horse can pull it off, that's what most people will choose for show. However there are horses (my silver buckskin Turbo is one of them) who look terrible in brass and for those you're definitely better off choosing stainless. I'll admit I did the happy dance when I realized he was going to be a silver-toned horse because I'd rather have to buy two completely new harnesses (show and CDE) than keep on cleaning brass!





Brass show harnesses really aren't bad to polish as there aren't very many buckles and a lot of the gold is piping but a full CDE harness is a nightmare to clean every weekend. Kody is one of those rarer horses that actually manages to look tacky in stainless, which I thought was practically impossible, so everything I've bought until now has been brass. He's just going to have to live though because there is no way I'm buying a brass pair harness. I'd spend so much time cleaning I'd never get any driving done!



Having to buy entire new harnesses that are identical to what I already have except for the fittings is totally worth it to me for the time saved in show prep.



Christie said:


> The bitting rig now available at Lutke is beautiful but comes with a big price. I don't need one so nice to train one horse. I saw one that looks nice at Chimacum. Does anyone own the bitting rig? pros/cons?


I generally will not buy a full bitting rig. To me that's an open bridle with check, side reins, surcingle, a backstrap and crupper, sometimes with additional stabilizer straps. That's an awful lot of equipment for one small horse! I don't like to strap my horse into a frame but rather teach him to find his own balance. I use a surcingle with backstrap (and am always on the lookout for a better one!), a set of homemade sliding sidereins and a regular open bridle without check and that's plenty for me. I'll move to long-lines as soon as feasible rather than constantly round-penning in fixed side reins. The cheap nylon surcingles work pretty well as long as you use them with a crupper to keep them from being pulled forward by the side reins.

Leia


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## RhineStone (Mar 14, 2011)

You don't need a bitting rig.

The most important thing about your turnout is that ALL the metals match, including your jewelry, buttons, etc. The harness should match the vehicle, or paint all the metals black (or brown with a russet harness). With all else being equal (which doesn't happen very often), a judge may pick a well-polished brass harness over a stainless one. But I do know of a stainless turnout that was a finalist for Concours D'Elegance at a show, so it can happen if done well (of course, the pony was a 25K awesome moving lg. pony, too.

It is a bit of a misnomer that stainless doesn't need to be polished at all. You can still get it to shine up more if you take some polish and a cloth over it. You just won't have to "scrub" it as much as brass.

Myrna


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## hobbyhorse23 (Mar 14, 2011)

RhineStone said:


> It is a bit of a misnomer that stainless doesn't need to be polished at all. You can still get it to shine up more if you take some polish and a cloth over it. You just won't have to "scrub" it as much as brass.


True. But I never minded polishing silver on my Western saddle- I just can't stand how brass looks ratty mere hours after you finish it!





Leia


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## Christie (Mar 14, 2011)

Thank you everyone that replied! Such a wealth of info and freely given... Thank you, thank you!!! I'm probably going to go with brass but I'm still not sure. Thanks again!

Christie


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## Field-of-Dreams (Mar 14, 2011)

Christie said:


> The bitting rig now available at Lutke is beautiful but comes with a big price. I don't need one so nice to train one horse. I saw one that looks nice at Chimacum. Does anyone own the bitting rig? pros/cons?
> 
> Christie


I bought a bitting rig from them a few years ago, so I don't know if it changed or not, but the picture of the bitting rig on the website did NOT match what I received in the mail _at all_! I was so disappointed. I didn't return it because I kinda needed it then.... but I should have. I ended up selling it and getting one from Star Lake which DID match the pic. And it had all the rings and things the other one was missing. Plus the Chim one did NOT have any padding or gullet space- it was just a flat piece of leather. The Star Lake one is padded underneath with wither space.


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## Christie (Mar 14, 2011)

Yikes! Thank you for the heads up! and recommendation... I know training can be done without a bitting rig but I like one.



I miss you guys being in Pa!





Thanks again!

Christie

quote name='Field-of-Dreams' timestamp='1300152346' post='1355136']

I bought a bitting rig from them a few years ago, so I don't know if it changed or not, but the picture of the bitting rig on the website did NOT match what I received in the mail _at all_! I was so disappointed. I didn't return it because I kinda needed it then.... but I should have. I ended up selling it and getting one from Star Lake which DID match the pic. And it had all the rings and things the other one was missing. Plus the Chim one did NOT have any padding or gullet space- it was just a flat piece of leather. The Star Lake one is padded underneath with wither space.


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## Shari (Mar 14, 2011)

SS, Less maintaince....

I know Brass is pretty, looks good on other peoples turn outs. But I had my fill in years past cleaning that stuff.

I have the black leather bitting rig from Chimacum, it is really nice and the saddle is the best padded BR I have seen. It doesn't have a gullet on it though. Maggie has high withers and it doesn't bother her, But this one won't fit a mini larger than her. She is 33 1/2" tall.. Sorry for the flash glare.


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## Christie (Mar 15, 2011)

Thank you Shari! Those pictures are great!!!! It looks like maybe they have improved the bitting rig.... that's a good thing! One reason I was considering this one is they offer it in a size big enough for my oversize B mini.

I may be leaning toward SS too.. really the local level and recreational driving I'll be doing it only makes sense, I guess! I wish I didn't like the look of that brass...and as far as the 2 horses. I think one would look better in brass and the other SS...that doesn't help me.



Thanks again!

Christie


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## Jules (Feb 29, 2012)

hobbyhorse23 said:


> Brass is more traditional and dressy so generally if your horse can pull it off, that's what most people will choose for show. However there are horses (my silver buckskin Turbo is one of them) who look terrible in brass and for those you're definitely better off choosing stainless. I'll admit I did the happy dance when I realized he was going to be a silver-toned horse


I tried searching the forum for a thread detailing the colours that go well with either brass or stainless and this was as close as I came.

I am to-ing and fro-ing between brass and stainless steel for my upcoming harness purchase. I don't intend to show in the forseeable future, but I can be a bit finnicky (read:down-right obsessive) about things looking nice and balanced.





The horse in my avatar is the one who will be wearing the harness. he is Bl/Br I am a blonde and my jewellery is all white-gold as I don't really dig gold tones on myself, but that's not to say my pony needs to be denied should he look fetching in it





I don't mind cleaning and the harness I have chosen can have either brass of SS hardware. When I order my fancy cart, it will have burgandy wheels.

Throw some suggestions at me, I wish there was an app for dressing your horse up in different gear


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## paintponylvr (Feb 29, 2012)

Hi Christie - Glad to see you back!!

If you are still on the ponydriving yahoo groups list, Shirley Brand makes a wonderful bitting rig and prices were reasonable. Her website doesn't have it listed - bt you contact her and she'll give youthe prices. I copied a post from her below (If not alright, I will come back and remove it).

I didn't end up purchasing this as I went ahead and purchased a surcingle locally (mini size Weaver- no tree/padding) and made the extra parts I needed from recycled, braided haystring (backstrap, crupper, side reins, headstall and driving lines). The haystring harness held up well, solidly for 2 years of work and explosions on various ponies before I needed to redo my traces and back strap at which time I made the traces double layered (no pics yet). https://picasaweb.go...ngHorseGearTack#

Did you make it to Millersburg? Where all did you go?? E*DIT TO ADD -* I will be making another trip up there to pick up my re-furbished OLD sulky jog cart I left up there. I will be going probably in April (??) - not sure. I may also be purchasng another cart thru Fairview Country Sales.. Depends. I might not need any more for a while, LOL. When I return from TX, IA, IL trip I will have a "new" (used) Houghton show cart to show in..., plus have my Pioneer farm cart and a no name ez entry cart. Need to redo the nnEE cart wheels (Fairview will do that - when I pick up the other jog cart). *END EDIT*

**********

Her post on the list (A COPY!) = Nov 2010

$125.00 plus GST in Canada and shipping. You get: bridle, saddle, crupper, side reins, ground driving line, plus I have a few small snaffle bits in mini size 3.5" for $5.00 each. Made of webbing, felt, SS buckles, leather crupper.

Reason:

I do not like to use my harness for other than driving, (other than the bridle I used to introduce Missy to blinders when she was ready) a biting rig lets you do a tack up, tail crupper, back saddle, bridle, lines, side reins, you can lunge in it, let them get use to seeing whip, other animals, the travoise, the stone boat, trees, birds flying up, cats and dogs walking around, there are no blinders on the bridle.

Lets you get your ponies started and not have to use your harness until your almost ready to "put to" and thus it will stay clean and last longer and not get wrecked.

The side reins allow you to do round pen type of work with the nose tipped in, teaching them to bend and round the back, building the right back mussels.....I don't use my harness for this type of training and if your pony is getting really very stupid as we know so many can while in training, your harness is not all scratched up.

I work Missy three days a week (in the biting rig 20 to 45 min.)and I drive her 2 days a week right now. Our thoughts; if you can't get 'it' in the round pen or on the long lines, you will not get it in the cart. Everything was taught to her on the ground in a biting rig from day one, LONG before we ever introduced the harness.

Photo enclosed. Missy's brow band is leather as it was off of one of Eric's Arab bridles and it has his initials on it..has meaning for me & Missy.....Yours would be webbing.




www.thebrandfarm.ca

Shirley

www.thebrandfarm.ca

www.intheparkpetphotography.smugmug.com


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## paintponylvr (Feb 29, 2012)

as to brass vs SS, i prefer SS. Most of my harness/equppment and what I currently wear and look to wear in the future is black and luckily SS goes with all of my ponies/minis.

I got my fill of caring for brass when both my hubby and I were active duty. PIA, LOL. I DO commend those that both have and take the time to care for their brass - it's absolutely beautiful, but I'm just past that point.

Black horses, to me, look great in SS, some look good in brass as well, some don't. Brown horses ?? My silver dapples - both light and dark - all look good in SS. Even the ones who have "brown" coats as several people have pointed out to me! My "blue" and "pink" ones also look good in SS (after body clipping).


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## MiLo Minis (Feb 29, 2012)

I'm not sure why you would HAVE to purchase a bitting rig to train one horse. You will need a harness for sure so go ahead and buy that and use parts of it for a ' bitting rig'. The options on a bitting rig make it really handy for a variety of sizes but when you only have one horse the options available on a harness are usually plenty for one horse.


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## Dynamic Equines (Feb 29, 2012)

I think the type of hardware depends on what you are planning on doing. What ever you chose if you show all your hardware should match on your cart and harness

Brass is the traditional choice especially in the pleasure driving shows.

Stainless is used for alot of the CDE type driving.

For an everyday work harness I would go with stainless and biothane.

For me personally I love the look of a polished brass and leather harness.


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## hobbyhorse23 (Mar 1, 2012)

Paula, Christie was posting back in March 2011.



She's not back as far as I know, Jules just brought up an old post. (Jules, don't be afraid to start a new one when you have a question! It gets kinda confusing having old ones reappear and there's nothing wrong with a new take on things.)

For a black horse and a person who prefers silver-tone metals, I see no reason you couldn't go with SS. Some black horses look good in brass as well but they almost all look good in silver so if that's your preference, go with it. You can always get a nice leather harness with SS and have the best of both worlds!

BTW Paula, I see you have a wonderful set of sliding side reins pictured on your album labeled as "balancing side reins." Please feel free to post pictures of your horses wearing those the next time the subject of sliding side reins comes up! You've got some great examples.

Leia


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## Katiean (Mar 1, 2012)

I really did not think about it when I ordered my harness. I was just lucky that the show cart and haeness came with SS.


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## Jules (Mar 1, 2012)

hobbyhorse23 said:


> Paula, Christie was posting back in March 2011.
> 
> 
> 
> She's not back as far as I know, Jules just brought up an old post. (Jules, don't be afraid to start a new one when you have a


Ooops sorry for confusion, just didn't know whether to start a new discussion or comment on a similar one.

Uh oh, now expect a flood of new posts asking daggy questions from me


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## hobbyhorse23 (Mar 1, 2012)

Jules said:


> Ooops sorry for confusion, just didn't know whether to start a new discussion or comment on a similar one.Uh oh, now expect a flood of new posts asking daggy questions from me


Sounds good to me! I think it's wonderful that you've so clearly gone back and read old threads, you'll learn a lot that way.

Leia


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