Headstalls for very small 'A' geldings

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

We recently purchased a new pairs harness for my husbands geldings and while it is a nice harness and has with only a couple of small adjustments been sized for them quite easily we do have an issue with the headstalls. The headstalls are just flat out to big. I have adjusted them to the smallest settings available but these geldings just have very small heads. In one case the bit actually hangs about an inch and a half lower than it should and the horse is forced to pick it up and hold it which means occasionally he trys to spit it out, not pretty. Anyway I'm hopeing someone here can give me ideas who can make headstalls that actually fit these 2 and hopefully look like they belong with the harness since this is to be his show turn out and not just a working set.

 

[shorthorsemom]

I had my harness custom made to fit. I had problems getting the ready made harness just right, especially the headstalls. I have a local amish harness maker close to me that will custom create headstalls, he will substitute parts if the first pass at custom fit isn't perfect, I went back for a different brow band and shorter side pieces and a different cavassan until I got everything just right. I have pieces to make mine with or without the blinkers and I had to have the blinkers set out just a tad so they didn't rub the eyelashes. It was well worth it. I had my first harness tweeked to fit and still wasn't happy with it... by the time I got it adjusted, it cost more than the whole custom bridle did from my new harness maker, so IMO it is better to start with custom ordered and measured headstall rather than try to make a too big headstall fit.. good luck and best wishes..

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

Thanks shorthorsemom, I agree with you about custom. I have tried lots of different headstalls on these 2 and even when they 'fit' they don't really fit. There is always something wrong, the blinders sit wrong or the browband doesn't leave enough space for the ears to be comfortable or... something. We do have a couple of headstalls we use with their single harnesses that are a tolerable fit but they aren't pretty and won't do to show in. This carriage harness is quite nice really and I expected to need to tweak it for the boys, in fact I've sent it off to a saddle maker to have a couple of straps shortened and such. There was just no way to order it in the right size (should have just gone with one made especially for them to begin with but $ prevented that...joke is on us if we end up paying more to make this one work tho.)

 

[shorthorsemom]

I am very fortunate to have a master harness amish craftsman within driving distance of my home. I don't know if he ships or not, but his price for a custom headstall was lower than having a couple of pieces made for the ill fitting headstall and I still wasn't happy with the first headstall even with the tweeking. My new headstall is awesome and he worked with me to keep adjusting until I had a perfect fit for my boy. No extra charges for substituting and readjusting either. On the other headstall, it just didn't fit right behind the ears and no matter how I worked with the blinkers, I just couldn't get them to sit right and I could pull the headstall off with just a tiny bit of pressure, it just didn't form to the head. My new one fits awesome. You just can't beat custom, however some custom headstalls can be quite pricy. One well named harness place would do custom, but the price of their headstall was higher than I paid for my entire harness including britching and reins and bridle etc. It was difficult to sell my old harness too, it was lovely and well made by a respectable outfit, but just didn't fit either of my minis to suit me. The person that bought it from me also moved that same harness along not long after she bought it. Some are just a bit odd on the fitting. best wishes!

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

Well after this onversation and your comments about having someone nearby (lucky you

) I got to thinking about the saddle maker who tweaked the harness itself and e-mailed him. We may perhaps be able to do something, I am sending him the headstalls, measurements and photos of the headstalls on the boys. He thinks without too much effort he can size them for us and if not perhaps use parts of them and build headstalls that both fit and match the harness. Thanks shorthorsemom for helping me think this thru.

 

[Sandee]

Yep, new harness, even one that has been "custom" ordered will often have to be "tweaked" (cut some off, make new holes, etc.). Just like people clothes the "average" size doesn't fit everyone.