Critique my set up. Proper fitting not show.

[palindromebaby]

Finally had a chance to get some pictures of my mare in her newly pieced together harness! Was a huge improvement from the last time we drove that resulted in my other post about shafts popping up. Please let me know what you see that could use adjusting. Yes the breeching on one side had rode up but I wanted to show the snapshot of exactly what it looked like when I hopped out of the cart and only removed the bridle and reins. Only issue we had this time was twice she shook her head when standing while I was chatting and her whole bridle came off!!! Not quite sure why that happened and not sure I want to tighten anything more. This little mare is such a trooper and bravely marched through leaves and sticks on the trail.

 

[user 44366]

It is all fitted as nicely as you can get it - breast plate could be raised by a hole. The "droopy" effect will happen because of the single strap design, both over the hip, and over the breast plate. Should not necessarily cause you any "trouble", but just a thing to know. There needs to be a strap rigged up under the belly line, "wrap straps" to hold the shaft down at the shaft loops - rough idea on this photo - do you know if you have that piece ??

 

[palindromebaby]

It is all fitted as nicely as you can get it - breast plate could be raised by a hole. The "droopy" effect will happen because of the single strap design, both over the hip, and over the breast plate. Should not necessarily cause you any "trouble", but just a thing to know. There needs to be a strap rigged up under the belly line, "wrap straps" to hold the shaft down at the shaft loops - rough idea on this photo - do you know if you have that piece ??

Thank you! This is our starter set up. I'm in it for 260 all together and have spare parts so will likely be upgrading as we go. There were some straps in that area that came on the second harness I bought to add missing pieces to the first but wasn't sure how they were supposed to go on. I have plans to get a new girth that has the straps that get attached to the second strap on the girth. The straps that came with this girth connect to a loop on the sides of the girth buckle. Was not something I had seen in other set up pictures so I did not attempt to attach them.

 

[user 44366]

You are welcome, and that sounds good! We do not use the "wrap strap" system, so I have no photos - but they can be found on line for certainty sake, of how to use them. A side note on the whole set-up - your line of draft is perfect!!! Not "good", or "almost" perfect, but PERFECT! That is a pretty key element with any harness use, but even more important when starting out. It is so easy to sour a horse to driving by having that wrong! You are on your way!!

 

[BSharpRanch]

One thing I would change for safety is you holdback straps. The snap should face the horse, not away.

When they face away from the horse they could become snapped to something else and create a wreck.

You also need either wrap straps at your girth to hold your shafts down. Without the wrap straps your cart could flip upwards and dump you off the back.

 

[palindromebaby]

One thing I would change for safety is you holdback straps. The snap should face the horse, not away.

When they face away from the horse they could become snapped to something else and create a wreck.

You also need either wrap straps at your girth to hold your shafts down. Without the wrap straps your cart could flip upwards and dump you off the back.

Can you please elaborate on how they are not facing the horse currently? I am not understanding. Yes wrap straps are on the list to to do but this is the second harness girth I have had that does not have what I would call normal wrap straps.

 

[BSharpRanch]

The openings should be against the horse to prevent something from getting accidentally snapped into them. (Anything is possible with horses).

 

[BSharpRanch]

You just need to change the snap so the the opening is near the horse. So just turn it 180°. You will probably have to reattach the holdbacks to do that.

Can you please elaborate on how they are not facing the horse currently? I am not understanding. Yes wrap straps are on the list to to do but this is the second harness girth I have had that does not have what I would call normal wrap straps.

 

[palindromebaby]

Makes sense now! Thanks!