driving harness

[keely2682]

i have seen many different collars sported by horses on this forum

which is best?

what is good and bad about each?

please post pictures too

 

[JourneysEnd]

Are you talking about collars and hames ?

or breast collars ?

Either way it depends on your cart or carriage and what class you're showing in, Western, Country, or Please.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Either way it depends on your cart or carriage and what class you're showing in, Western, Country, or Please.

And whether you're showing AMHA/R, ADS, parades, draft exhibitions...all sorts of things! Collar and hames are only appropriate with a vehicle that has a low singletree (around the level of the hocks, not up above the shafts) and are the only appropriate choice for draft-type work where the horse is pulling against a heavy stationary load. Advantage: best possible distribution of load, correct ergonomic angle for heavy pulling, frees the shoulder. Disadvantages: Absolutely MUST be correctly fitted or can easily sore the horse. Not appropriate for a horizontal line of draft.

Breastcollars are correctly used with road carts, show carts and other vehicles with straight shafts and a horizontal line of draft. They work well for a vehicle that is going to be rolling easily across level ground. Disadvantage: Not good for pulling a lot of weight. If you use it with a lowered singletree a lot of pressure can be put on the neckstrap and cause discomfort.

There are quite a few options in between these days, at least for minis.

There's the Deep V collar from the Carriage House and similar models from Ozark and other vendors:

Depending on your horse's conformation they can be helpful. The advantage is they give more room for the windpipe, the disadvantage is that they may not be built to fit your particular horse properly and can actually sit lower on the front of the horse's shoulder than a straight breastcollar in some cases. I've seen it!

Camptown Harness and Chimacum Tack sell a Freedom Collar which works for both horizontal and lowered draft because it has a ring attachment for the trace instead of a sewn-in, set angle.

This collar is MUCH more shaped and clears the shoulder quite easily even on a horse with a very low windpipe like Kody. It is nicely padded for good weight distribution but the straps don't attach in such a way as to distribute the weight up the shoulder blade like a neck collar would. Used on anything but a horizontal draft vehicle it can put significant weight on the neck strap unless the horse has a very high neck set allowing the collar to sit tipped down already.

There's the French or Eurocollar, which is a combination of a neck collar and breastcollar.

Again, this works best on a horse with a high neck set like the Hackney it's pictured on. To me this collar is too bulky, too wide in front, and made of leather that is too hard. I don't like the way it covers the point of the shoulder on most horses but I do like the way it has a thick piece up along the shoulder and across the neck instead of thin straps.

Breeana Sheahan (Minihgal) uses a creation of Tanglewood Miniatures called the "Californian Soft Collar" (I've got one on the way, hope to have it by Happ's!) which is basically a Eurocollar but is customized for each horse and offers different angles of draft at your request. I feel this one is better because it's made of softer leather, doesn't cover the entire chest as the Eurocollar does, and is lighter overall. It improves the distribution of weight and the ergonomic angle of pull over a breastcollar without the bulk of a neck collar.

It really depends on what you want for your horse and how they are built. What works for one horse will not be comfortable for another. Can you tell us more about what you're pondering?

Leia

 

[JourneysEnd]

Leia,

I'm getting ready to order a team harness and I really like the looks of the freedom collar from Chimicum.

I'm looking at the Sport Team.

Sounds like you're happy with yours, right ?

Vickie

 

[kuelqhs]

Here are some more pics of the Sport Harness with the freedom collar from Chimicum. Not only will you love this collar but the bridle has ear cut outs for a better fit for those long hours driving.

If you order one tell them Deni sent you.

 

[JourneysEnd]

Thanks for the feedback.

I'll see Janie at the Glenrose show and we're going to measure the boys there.

I'll tell her you were bragging on her harness.

BTW, your baby looks gorgeous in that harness.

 

[kuelqhs]

Thanks for the feedback.

I'll see Janie at the Glenrose show and we're going to measure the boys there.

I'll tell her you were bragging on her harness.

BTW, your baby looks gorgeous in that harness.

Thanks, Jane and I are friends. We met at a show last year and she just fell in love with June Bug and asked if she could take pics of her in the Sport harness. Of corse I said YES!! I liked it so much I got one for June Bug with both the sport collar and the freedome collar, I show her in that harness with the sport collar and use the Freedome collar here on the farm. I'll be getting another sport harness later this year in a A size.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Just make sure you use the breeching at home!!

There's no point having a wonderful padded collar, curved crown, saddle with tree, and all that lovely stuff if you aren't going to use such a basic comfort item as the breeching. It's actually very dangerous not to with open tugs such as you have- there's nothing keeping the shafts from sliding right through the tug loops until the basket hits the horse's legs.

You've already got the footman's loops on the cart, it should be easy to attach the breeching.

That said, your mare is absolutely gorgeous and appears to be a beautiful mover.

It's no wonder Janie fell in love with her! Chimacum Tack used to be based here in WA two hours and a ferry ride from me so Janie and I spent a lot of time visiting. Boy I miss her and David at our local shows.

Please tell her Leia said "hi," will you?

And Vickie, yes, I'm very fond of my Camptown Harness. The pinto pair shown in Janie's ads are local to me and I know their driver is quite satisfied with her set of pair Freedom Collars. I think you'll be happy with them!

Leia

 

[evedex]

We put the freedom collar on this weekend and I was very impressed with how much movement of the shoulder this allowed. I know that Erick was very happy with it (photos were posted in a thread by Dream).

To really understand collars and angles of draft, etc, there is an excellent book written by Barb Lee, an ex-harness maker and a very innovative lady. The book, is only $18 and I think it is a must read for all drivers. It is clearly written, not too wordy and with lots of photos and illustrations.

Understanding Harness Balanced Draft - Breast Collars - Neck Collars by Barb Lee <http://www.wildhorsebooks.com/harness.htm>

 

[keely2682]

i drive my favorite mare for 3-10 miles per day for most of the spring/summer

i typically drive in heavy footing and at a solid trot and canter

i like my sulky by double diamond to drive trail

i show this mare at nationals in chariot

(as well as cp and roadster for which she has a custom lutke)

i would like to have a collar for tippy for both my conditioning tail drives and national chariot classes

where i am currently using my miniexpress patent harness

which i can add a collar to or buy a new harness

i will post pictures of tippy so you can see her conformation

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Not that I want to give away my cool costume idea

, but if I ever go to Nationals I plan to enter single horse chariot and I was going to do so using my Californian Soft Collar for a more authentic look. I figured a soft wide leather collar, head and saddle plumes in our colors, open bridle, no check, and a few authentic-looking touches would make for a VERY cool costume!

If you're using a sulky to trail drive a full neck collar is NOT appropriate and would likely sore your mare. Being used with horizontal draft will most likely place the pressure on the wrong area of the collar and make it tip. You could get a Eurocollar but it wouldn't really match your needs. I'd say a FC is your best bet for trail driving in deep footing and would look daring for chariot too. The Soft Collars take awhile to get (I sent my measurements back in November and will be lucky to get it by June, and that was a RUSH order!

) but would also work nicely.

Leia

 

[keely2682]

definately no check!

some of those poor horses in the class with checks and martingales done up tight

i felt so bad for them

my mare had her head free

is the whole harness worth buying from them?

i have so many harnesses, i don't need another

but tippy deserves the best OH!

 

[JourneysEnd]

I emailed Janie and told her to look at the thread as it's become a testamonial to the sport harness.

She can help you with type of harness and replacement parts.

I have 2 miniexpress patent harness and they're beautiful, BUT the back saddle is flat.

I use a star lake harness with a proper saddle to do trail, adt, etc.

Now I'm going to get the sport harness from Chimicum because there are just too many little differences in it that end up making a BIG difference to your horse.

BTW, side checks adjusted properly are fine. They keep a horse from putting it's nose on the ground and yet don't interfere with true collection.

 

[keely2682]

i have no objection to properly adjusted checks used in cp/ pleasure/ roadster classes

my objection in chariot is that the horses are pulling heavy, clunky vehicles with their heads held up

the drivers expect the horses to stretch out and run while holding them in a position that makes that difficult

 

[hobbyhorse23]

It does seem to me that a chariot would be a very hard vehicle to balance properly and some of them I've seen in pictures don't have the shafts/singletrees arranged very well either. Mine will have a lowered singletree so the horse's pull is helping (if anything) to lift the shafts a little instead of pulling them down even more heavily on his back. I will also use my Sport Harness so I know the weight is distributed as well as possible over his saddle.

Yes Keely, I do consider the entire harness worth purchasing. It's that good!

Aesthetically the bridle is perhaps not what I'd want most but it's very comfortable for the horse and you can't beat the rest of it. Heck, change things up so it's got things your other harnesses don't. Call it your trail driving harness and go for open tugs and a sliding backband! I bet Tippy would love it.

Leia

 

[kuelqhs]

I emailed Janie and told her to look at the thread as it's become a testamonial to the sport harness.

Thats so funny, I did too! ha ha

hobbyhorse23 Thanks for thinking so much of my mare. She is our first home bred, home raised baby to show. She did very well her first year (2007) looking foward to her showing again this year. She is a western country pleasure horse. If you would like to know more about here she has her own webpage on my site www.kuelqhs.com her name is Kuel June Bug.

Also just a note, the reason the breeching wasn't on there is the loops on the cart on to far fowared to hook the breeching so for the pics we just left it off, thought that would look better then just having the breeching on not hooked up. But yes we do use it on our carts, that cart in the picture wasn't mine, even though I already do what you sugested, thanks for saying it anyway since other people read these they need to know it needs to be used.

 

[kuelqhs]

Speaking of Charoit harness Janie and I are designning one right now, this one will be a team Charoit harness but she will have single harness aswell. I will be using this harness at AMHR Nationals this year.

 

[keely2682]

i had a cde cart maker design and build my chariot last year

it was well balanced- i even marked an area to stand to keep the balance correct

but it still did a number on my horse's back, as did the one i borrowed from lutke after mine broke

i bet my during and post nationals horsey chiropracter bill was over $500!!

not to mention my poor mare was worn out for her other classes OH!

 

[ClickMini]

Hi Keely!

You know I am a big Tippy fan! She would look mahvelous in a Camptown Harness! Here is Ally in her Camptown with Freedom Collar:

You can see she loves it so much she got happy feet! LOL!!!

 

[keely2682]

what pad do u use w this harness??

love that cart too !