Help with my hook up

jeanniecogan · Jun 29, 2017

the breaching straps look really good to me. the breaching is a little high though, down one hole and if that doesn't work put it down on the other side too. yes it's that close.

i agree with Cayuse about the wrap straps.

you are doing great, and by the way , you can wrap the breaching straps once, or 5 times. no limit. i had a horrible time with that part.good luck, vey pretty little girl you have, and i love the flag.

KLJcowgirl · Jun 29, 2017

Thank you so much! I do think she's quite a purty girl... but I'm a bit biased

Side story (speaking of her looks)... One of the first drives I took with her hooked up to the cart, I had a dad and his kids pointing at her and jumping up and down yelling "It's Lil' Sebastian!" Oh that made my night! Much better than the usual "Look! A baby horse!" (Hoping someone else here enjoys Parks & Recreation...

)

Anyways... I'll fiddle with the breeching again tonight. Glad the hold backs look good, took me a while to get them how I wanted!

jventresca · Jun 30, 2017

Cayuse - You're correct. The strap is going through the footman's loop in photo #5. I don't have any photos of a wrap strap because I never use one. I think the description of how to buckle it was a good one. About 50 years ago, when I was learning to drive Shetland roadster ponies the harness had a wrap strap on it. I was taught to put the wrap strap through the tug from back to front, then wrap in front of the tug, then in back of the tug. I think as long as it is secure enough so the shafts don't flip up when you get in the cart, you're fine. I would caution about making the wrap strap too tight.

KLJcowgirl - In your second hitching photo I think the breeching is in a good spot. I don't like how close the ends of the shafts are to the tugs. I would move Miss May back in the cart a bit. When you do that the footman's loop will be in a better place. One thing to realize - Just because a cart builder puts any fitting in a certain spot doesn't mean that's the best place for it.

And, no, you don't need tug stops. I like them and usually put them on any carriage I have. They're a little extra insurance.

KLJcowgirl · Jun 30, 2017

I moved her farther back in the shafts yesterday, but I couldn't find a sweet spot with the tugs... Ugh. So she ended up too far back I think. She was pretty naughty last night so I'm thinking that she was finally telling me something was off haha. Or maybe she was just fresh after a couple weeks off...

Cayuse · Jun 30, 2017

I took a picture of my wrap straps this morning. I hope this helps. I don't have to use thimbles on the shaft ends or tug stops with my set up this way but I do use the breeching. I don't buckle it down tight, but I make sure the wrap itself is tight and that both sides of the horse have equal pressure when it is buckled down so the don't feel lopsided.