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lantairvlea — Pleasure Driving Harness I
Published: 2013-04-02 22:27:48 +0000 UTC; Views: 2629; Favourites: 79; Downloads: 20
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Description
Yet another harness tutorial. This one covers a pleasure driving breastcollar-style harness. The reason I use the term pleasure-driving is because this harness is not designed to pull heavy things. No draft work, just pulling a (relatively) light vehicle behind the horse.Questions, comments, and editing welcome!
Other Pages:
Draft Horse Working Harness:
Parade or Pulling Harness:
Related content
Comments: 28
You're welcome! I have one more of my harnesses after this one, then it's collecting images of various individual harnesses because they can't seem to build any two the exact same!
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Ahh, this is exactly what I needed now that I have driving ponies! As ever you are the mistress of the harness
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You don't see ponies in collars much, though I think they are made. I think it ends up looking like overkill.
Thankye! As you might guess there are a few more pages coming.
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Ah, okay, so what do they use instead? I assumed this kind of collar was the alternative to hames?
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O, sorry, getting killed by short-hand. Collar refers just collar-and-hames-style harnesses as the collar is essentially the giant pad that cusions the shoulders against the hames. BREASTcollar refers to the above style and is always kept as one word, never separated. Basically I was trying to say that the collar(and-hame) style harnesses look like overkill on a small pony, though I think they do make them that size. Breastcollars are much more common as small ponies aren't generally used for draft applications (anymore).
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Oh! Okay, cool 
That said, itty bitty hames on an itty bitty pony would admittedly be PRECIOUS omg.
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And because we need something for a size comparison: [link]
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Oh man, your tutorials are just so informative for me ^_^ Now, of course, questions! You said this setup is for a lighter cart, but is this style of collar also used for marathon and scurry driving or is a different style preferred? I only wonder about those two because even though the cart might be lighter, there is so much pulling action and speed involved.
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P.S. If you go to the American Driving Society website (assuming you're in the US) they should have a list of local driving clubs that you can comb through and possibly find some events close to you.
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I am American, so a good assumption ^_^ Sadly, the nearest driving club is about 2 hours away, but I will keep an eye out for events that might get closer ^_^ If all else fails, this will give me an idea when they visit local fairs and I could get more information then ^_^
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By "lighter" I'm essentially meaning not a giant wagon laden with heavy goods. In CDEs and other pleasure driving events breastcollar harnesses are the norm. Collar-and-hames harnesses are the norm for draft horses (because they traditionally pull heavy stuff) and I believe the four-in-hand FEI level of competition, but I could be wrong there. Marathon carriages and any cart (two-wheeled vehicle) are just fine for this style of harness even at speed and a lot of horses find it easier to pull when they're going faster anyway. I think part of the reason many in pleasure driving prefer it is the fact that they're much lighter and also less complicated than the collar-and-hames harness.
Thank you! We'll see how long it takes me to get the other pages done, but it'll get finished eventually.
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Oh thank goodness! I was so afraid I was drawing the breastcollar for all of my marathon pieces and screwing up o_O And it does seem like the breastcollar is a bit more adjustable than the collar-and-hames style, the latter seems like it needs to be a perfect fit and will only work for one horse, maybe 2 if lucky. Right now, I am researching the French/European style breastcollar now, although that looks like it might have the same problem as the collar-and-hames that it would be fitted precisely for only 1, maybe 2 horses if lucky 
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They do make adjustable collars that have a 3-inch size range and hames generally have some adjustability (proof when I took 30 minutes to figure out how they should sit on a harness we acquired a month ago) as well, but traditionally collars were one size and unless you had several horses with the same sized neck you had a collar for each horse. Of course going back to general application, collar-and-hames harnesses are often used when you are using teams or hitches to do heavy draft work so it's not like you wouldn't already have a harness for each horse and need a collar for each one as well. Hames can be swapped out on harnesses so if, say, your horse passed on or was sold and your new one had similar body size, but the neck was different you could get a new collar and set of hames for the next one. Still cheaper than acquiring a whole harness.
Any way you slice it, though having to adjust harnesses back and forth between multiple horses is a pain, even if it is just a breastcollar harness because not only do you have the breastcollar to adjust, but the turnback strap, belly band, crupper, and the breeching.
Basically they all can be adjusted, but you probably don't want to once it fits a specific horse.
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Oooooooh, ok this makes more sense as to why I'm not seeing more "adjustable friendly" harnesses, it would just take too much time and effort trying to adjust a single harness for potentially a lot of horses versus just having the harness you need for a specific horse always ready and available. The initial cost of buying custom harnesses for each horse might be high, but it seems like it would save a lot in time and energy later on.
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All harnesses come with some adjustibility, price is a reflection of quality and features not necessarily custom fit. Even inexpensive harness makers usually request measurements so they can get you the right size.
But yes, adjusting them is a pain. And even when you think you have it perfect sitting on the horse you put it to something and the breeching drops two inches and the turnback appears to lengthen or mirraid of other things! Harness fittin an art!
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Gah! Still learning so much more @_@ Man, I have a lot of reading to do >.< On the plus side, kind of panning from your other question, I did notice that a local horse riding teacher for English had a picture of some sleigh action going on not too long ago, so if I ever get back into riding lessons, I am going to ask her if she does driving on the side too and if she would be willing to teach ^_^
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Sounds promising. If you can get in with some mini people a lot of them drive (what else does someone do with a mini?) and might prove helpful.
Also it am be worth the drive to some of those events! My state club, ADCS, does events all over the state. I've volunteered a couple times and it's always a great experience. Also, even if you're not driving yet bring a member of the club may come with benefits like a newsletter with advertisements for events, lessons, clinics, and other such things that you may find useful.
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Hmmm, there might be a couple mini people around here actually, I will have to go bug them XD
Ooooh, I didn't think about volunteering to help out at events! I bet that could get me in, even just helping with cleaning or something silly like that could get me in! I was talking with a woman at work today too and she mentioned a nearby horse and handicap ability services that is always looking for volunteers, so I thought about checking that out just to at least get involved in the horse circles again, maybe they might know something about local drivers.
Thank you so much for discussing this with me, Cert! I know you have so much to do, but you have been thus far such an amazing help to me ^_^
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I find that even some dedicated riders aren't very aware of the driving community. You'd think that all horse circles would eventually intersect, but you'd be surprised how isolated people can be stuck in their own discipline or breed, or even both.
Good luck in your real-life driving endeavors!
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