# real harness!and a question



## crisco41 (Feb 18, 2013)

bought a harness when I picked up Jewel yesterday, I don't know anything about harnesses but guess it's a show harness and seems to be in great shape

I put the harness on Misty today and she did great. She had never been driven as far as I know with a bit,,and she accepted all pretty well.I figured the crouper might do us in but she did fine.Wish I had gotten a picture as she looked so cute in her headstall with blinders.

My question is....I think I figured out most of the parts and where they go.

I have 2 questions. The foam thing in the reins..where do they go. are they rein stoppers or something.

And the long part that is hooked on the breast strap..is that the traces? What do you do with them? I just tucked them up..but how does one hook them? Would be nice to know someone who drives.


----------



## shorthorsemom (Feb 18, 2013)

Traces hook to the cart on to the swing tree..they are long straps. Newbie here didn't realise you could hook up your cart safely without the traces. Seems like your shafts could pull right out of the tugs without traces hooked. Photos would help for better more informed comments. Have no idea what you are describing on the reins. Mine have nothing on them..


----------



## Rhondaalaska (Feb 18, 2013)

The long straps are the traces

I tuck mine through the back strap across Divas back if I have them on.

You don't need them to ground drive .

only hooking to the cart or pulling training

Where you hook a tire to them for weight

or have some one hold on to them for resistance

I don't know about the foam things my reins do not have them


----------



## hobbyhorse23 (Feb 21, 2013)

The foam things (usually rubber or leather) on the reins are probably rein stops, and they go just behind the buckles to keep a running martingale from getting caught on the buckles behind the bit and causing a wreck. If you don't have a running martingale (the forked leather part that goes from the girth up between her legs and through the breastcollar, ending in two rings,) then you don't need them and can safely remove them from the reins.

Leia


----------



## crisco41 (Mar 1, 2013)

thanks for all the explanations. I am a little dissapointed as it seems this is a show harness and it does not have the piece that goes around the rear..it only has the pioece you put the tail thru .This sounds like a dumb question even to me but Does that mean I can only go on relatively flat areas with out the cart pushing forward towards the horse? thanks again Lori


----------



## Reignmaker Miniatures (Mar 1, 2013)

Not a dumb question at all and yes, stick to flat areas and firm surfaces if you have no britchen but...check your harness, does the back band right in front of the crupper ( the piece you put the tail thru ) have a slot of some kind? If it does it is easy to add the britchen and you can find one at a lot of different places. Ozark mini tack comes to mind but pretty much anywhere they sell harnesses will have the parts. If not you might consider replacing the back band/crupper assembly as well as ordering a britchen. It should be relatively inexpensive to do so. Just match up colour and leather width and your harness will look like its always had the new piece(s).


----------



## Day lily (Mar 1, 2013)

I'm new to driving too, and had the same kind of questions, so don't feel bad, these forums are an excellent way to get answers. Our first harness purchase was a cheap nylon one and it didn't have the breeching ( the back straps) I found the cart would slide into the back of my miniature all the time on hills or just stopping. We ended up buying a new harness that came with breeching and it is awesome, the breeching is in fact your brakes so gives a more safe drive. You can buy it separately I have seen them for sale in Ozark Mountains catalog, I'm sure there are several other places too. Hope this helps.


----------



## Reignmaker Miniatures (Mar 1, 2013)

Day lily, while you are right that the breeching (britchen is just another term for it, seems to depend on area of the country to some extent which term is used) is your brakes, a properly adjusted harness will, on a flat surface, stop your cart from riding up on your horse. Show harnesses, as crisco41 noted,have no breeching at all. In the show ring other harness parts, most often I've seen wrap straps used but thimbles are also available and there may be others,are used to stop the cart.


----------



## rabbitsfizz (Mar 1, 2013)

You can, whilst you are looking for breeching, use false breeching, which is merely a strap bound across the shafts behind the horses rear (clear the rear end by a couple of inches so the horses haunch does not touch it when it extends) wrap it around the shaft so it will not move then take it over to the the side and do the same, then buckle it up (make sure the buckle is by the shaft) that will prevent the cart connecting with the horse in an emergency stop!


----------



## Supercilious (Mar 9, 2013)

crisco41 said:


> thanks for all the explanations. I am a little dissapointed as it seems this is a show harness and it does not have the piece that goes around the rear..it only has the pioece you put the tail thru .This sounds like a dumb question even to me but Does that mean I can only go on relatively flat areas with out the cart pushing forward towards the horse? thanks again Lori



Take a picture of her wearing the harness so we can see it. 8)


----------

