driving harness

[jbrat]

i believe someone on a post last year padded one that way

I'd love to see it! If anyone has any pictures of pad modifactions, please share

Or if you can find the old thread I've done a few searches but haven't found anything yet.

Thanks

 

[susanne]

I've thought as I've read through this thread that someone (perhaps one of our wonderful harness retailers/members) should make a saddle pad with a built-in gullet. It seems that all of the existing pads that I have seen are only sufficient for saddles with gullets.

It would need to be a thicker, denser pad so that the saddle didn't simply squish it down and defeat the purpose, but it seems the gator pad material would hold up. It could also be wider than the saddle to prevent the "rocking saddle syndrome" that Leia mentioned.

While buying a better harness is obviously the ideal solution, a pad such as this could make some of these less than desirable saddles much more comfortable for the horse.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Keely's right, someone here did that and I'd think it would at least be an improvement if you could find a way to attach the two pads so they didn't slide down the harness away from each other and out of position. I don't know where the picture was, sorry.

I feel a bit sheepish though and reminded that pictures can be misleading. If the first harness is a Chimacum, disregard everything I said about the padding being too deep compared to its width as it's clearly only the photo angle making it look that way. I do pad mine but only to be completely safe and to keep the saddle itself a bit cleaner as all the sweat/dirt/scurf goes on the pad instead of having to be scrubbed off the leather.

Leia

 

[keely2682]

i resigned myself to ordering a complete new sport harness

if i just drove "nicely" around a ring, as most mini people do, i wouldn't bother

but since i drive many hard trail miles and with less desireable vehicles....

other than the sliding backband and freedom collar are there any other modifications i should request?

i'm tempted to request an open bridle...

 

[JourneysEnd]

Found a good pictue of a sliding back band. Now I understand how it works.

[

 

[hobbyhorse23]

That's a good clear illustration of a nice design Vickie, thanks! I'm just curious where the heck the tugs are.

I'd wonder if that's a pairs harness but sliding backbands shouldn't be used with poles or even four-wheelers with independent (non-fixed) shafts....Hmm.

Leia

Edited to add: Keely, go for it! The only problem I've found with open bridles is that once a certain kind of horse gets used to wearing them (say, Kody

) they start objecting to being put back in blinkers! I finally gave up on driving Kody in an open bridle not because he didn't like it or deal well with it but because he became such a brat when his blinkered show bridle went on. It was just easier to keep him in blinkers all the time so he didn't realize there was another way to do things. Sort of like driving with a check. *LOL*

 

[keely2682]

my horses have no problem going to a check and martingale to show

(i always drive with their heads free at home)

but then again i keep them loose enough

 

[jbrat]

Does any one have the pleasure harness or the basic harness from chimacum tack or Camptown?

If possible could I see a picture of the saddle? To see what the gullet (if there is one) and the padding is like. The pictures on the web site show the harness on the horse so I can't tell how the saddle is made.

Thanks

 

[keely2682]

unfortunately thats the case with most sites

thats why i was hoping that many of us would post harness profiles

we could use this post to assess the different saddles

 

[JourneysEnd]

The camptown saddle which I believe is the same as the Chimicum Sport

Regular sport collar

Freedom collar

These are all off the Camptown site

 

[LGahr]

Dear Brat.....

Why don't you just bite the bullet and order the darn sport harness--you know that is

what you want. I know I would be tired of waiting if I were you!

 

[jbrat]

Dear Mother Brat,

But It doesn't have a sliding back band ~ By the time I'm done it will be a complete custom harness. Good thing Janie at Chimacum is so nice to work with.

Do you think I over analyze alittle?????

This would be a great topic though at the 4-H mini clinic and if one of the kids could make a poster and describe uses and pros and cons of the harness styles??? Huummm, thinking too much better go to bed ~ nite all!!

 

[JourneysEnd]

Do you think I over analyze alittle?????

OH! OH! OH!

I couldn't find a mini harness with the sliding back band, but it won't do for me as I'm planning on a team and 4 wheeled vehicle.

 

[JourneysEnd]

Bumping to the top for harness question.

 

[Shari]

I really like the saddle Zilco makes for their harnesses. Here is Info on the Zilco Saddle. Oh.. and they do sell the sliding back band saddles too.

http://www.advancedequine.com/product_info...products_id=207

Would have to take a picture of the underside of my Zilco.

Zilco sliding back band ..

http://www.advancedequine.com/product_info...products_id=526

I use a Camptown Freedom Breast collar and the rest is a Zilco harness.

Hope..some day to get Maggie one of those California soft collars and harnesses made by Tanglewood.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Shari, Zilco does not and will not make a mini-sized sliding backband saddle.

Leia

 

[Shari]

Didn't say they did.. just that they did sell a sliding back band. If you looked at the link it would tell you.

Is why I put the link there..for others to find out.