Best leather harness?

[GwynethYogi]

I am in search of a good quality leather harness. I would use it for the dressage and cones portion of CDEs and for local mini shows. I would prefer to spend not much more than $1000.

I was thinking of getting this harness: http://www.drivingessentials.com/harness_essential_plus.php

Does anyone use this? Or are there better options?

Thanks!

 

[diamond c]

I got my team harness from double tt mini tack and have been very happy wiyh its fit anc constuction.

 

[CZP1]

I have the harness from them. It is beautiful!

 

[happy appy]

My team harness came from them too! I like the deep v breast collar and side checks and the rein guides.

 

[Scottishlass]

Does the blinders and overcheck remove from the Double TT harness? Looking to do pleasure and possible ADT with it.

 

[shorthorsemom]

Center square harness in Leola Pa. Beautiful, custom, has all the bells and whistles and a better fit saddle too. Well under 1000$.



amish made so they do not have a webpage, no sunday calls and sometimes you have to leave a message and they will call you back.. Harness is crafted individually according to your measurements. Mine has v shape to breast plate, doesn't show in the photo I attached. You can have him leave off the side check if you want. Any fit fixes were done for free on my harness when I needed something tweeked, I just exchanged the parts. No cookie cutter harness here. Takes time to get the order completed, but for me was well worth the wait. I had two sets of cheek pieces made so I can use the bridle with blinkers or no blinkers. He sold me a dangle fob to attach to the buckle for when the blinders are not in use so I didn't have a buckle just hanging there. As far as the side check, I can remove but the stainless loops the side check runs through is part of my harness. The strap running from the breast collar to my saddle should be shorter so it is angled properly and if you blow up my photo you can see the stainless loops the side check runs through. He also makes this harness in russett and you can get brass fittings too. The black leather he uses is not stiff. Strong, but not stiff. He makes and repairs many of the harnesses for big name CDE folks around here.

 

[Scottishlass]

Center square harness in Leola Pa. Beautiful, custom, has all the bells and whistles and a better fit saddle too. Well under 1000$.

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amish made so they do not have a webpage, no sunday calls and sometimes you have to leave a message and they will call you back.. Harness is crafted individually according to your measurements. Mine has v shape to breast plate, doesn't show in the photo I attached. You can have him leave off the side check if you want. Any fit fixes were done for free on my harness when I needed something tweeked, I just exchanged the parts. No cookie cutter harness here. Takes time to get the order completed, but for me was well worth the wait. I had two sets of cheek pieces made so I can use the bridle with blinkers or no blinkers. He sold me a dangle fob to attach to the buckle for when the blinders are not in use so I didn't have a buckle just hanging there. As far as the side check, I can remove but the stainless loops the side check runs through is part of my harness. The strap running from the breast collar to my saddle should be shorter so it is angled properly and if you blow up my photo you can see the stainless loops the side check runs through. He also makes this harness in russett and you can get brass fittings too. The black leather he uses is not stiff. Strong, but not stiff. He makes and repairs many of the harnesses for big name CDE folks around here.

Thank you! That is a really nice looking harness. While I am new to driving, I am also a firm believer in them learn to drive with out blinders first. You just never know what can present it's self in the future. Is there some wither relief in the saddle? That is important to me also, huge tree not needed, but I don't care for the completely flat saddles with out wither relief.

Thanks for sharing

Love your cart shafts, The look like they would give a little more shoulder movement then the straight ones. What kind of cart is that?

 

[shorthorsemom]

My saddle is not flat, it has a nicely supported tree. It does not hit the withers whatsoever and has the tapered padding (better fit). My boy makes that saddle look flat because he has so much extra padding over his shoulder. haha.... My boy is chubby fat and I would wish my saddle would sit straighter upright and the length of the strap between the saddle and the breast plate strap is not ideal but was needed to accomodate the shape of my boy. My cart is the aerocrown made by bellcrown. Cost a mint. It is awesome and I saved forever for it and very often feel guilty owning it when I don't have time to drive right now, but for comfort and fit it is an awesome ride.

The suspension is great and it rides nice... the shafts can be hard to adjust quickly, so not ideal if you have two or more horses using the same cart and want to adjust more than just occasionally. I like how I can get in and out quickly and the wheels ride real nice and don't sink in . My cart can also be purchased with the closed end shafts. Oh, and the harness shop can also make that saddle with a sliding back band for not much more money for those serious competetors that have a sliding back band and use closed shaft loops. I am still somewhat new to driving... and no time to drive, but I always have been a firm believer in saving and buying good safe equipment and not cheaper in price and quality. I had a jar on the table I put pocket money in for over two years to help me save for that cart. If I got money for christmas or birthday, it went in the jar. LOL. Occasionally I feel guilty and list my cart and harness for sale... and then I remember how long it took me to save, and I take it back off of the sale board... My boy is chubby and short legged and funny looking, but we understand eachother and I love him and he loves me.

I have two sets of that harness. One almost new with the steel fittings, one older type made by the same harness maker that has brass fittings and the lesser quality box cheek pieces on the bridle. The box fittings are nice but the other harness has a few more perks. My boy drives without blinkers. He gets very freaky if he cannot see what is making noises as he was attacked by a dog in his past and had a runaway situation. If he can see, deer do not scare him, if he is in blinkers and the cat suddenly makes a noise behind him he will startle badly. I got the blinker parts for my other boy and they share the harnesses. My other boy only line drives though.

Here is another photo taken from the back so you can see the back band, crupper and how the saddle has clearance on his back. hope this helps. click on the photo and you can blow it up to see closer.