[Ira]

Howdy Jason, If those rail cars are any indication, that is theft on a pretty large scale.
I’ve often wondered how wide spread it was. I saw a similar article several years about Thailand, I think it was.

[Ira]

Great picture.
Do you know if Mr. Barden has any plans/working drawings available for that cart?

[Ira]

@jenjudkins 2934 wrote:

Thanks, Ira. How do they think of these ways of measuring necks and collars and hames…all seems sort of arbitrary…though I’m sure steeped in tradition!?! Jennifer.

Your welcome:) I haven’t got a clue when everything became standardised. I do know that the harness styles that are common have been around for well over 100 years. I think the western style with belly backers is probably the newest design. And that is also over a hundred years old:D
Ira

[Ira]

@jenjudkins 2907 wrote:

OK, so it looks like I am looking for a 24 inch half sweeney collar….cool! Thanks, Neil!

So another question (or two)…When looking at hames for the collar….are there the same differences in shape in regard to the neck shape? Do you get 24 inch hames for a 24 inch collar?

Jennifer.

The rule of thumb is to have your hames 2 inches longer than the collar.
24in. collar needs 26in. hames.
Hames are measured from the bottom hame loop to the top adjustment notch in a straight line.

[Ira]

@jenjudkins 2917 wrote:

Ira, This is off the original topic…but I am curious. I looked at all my photos of the collar and the marks you refer to are more prominent on the left (3rd photo) compared to the right (2nd photo)…is this because this collar was worn by a horse in a team? And if so, is this a normal wear pattern?

Jennifer.

Yes that is normal wear, but I think that being able to see it better in that pic has more to do with lighting than any thing else. Does it show more wear on one side when you have it in your hands?

[Ira]

The Small Farmers Journal had an interesting article(in 2 parts) about Cuba’s transition back to animal power. Mostly oxen.
What I found most interesting was that they are the only country in the world that has a totally self sufficient food supply. All done with animal powered small farms:)

[Ira]

@Neil Dimmock 2910 wrote:

Hey look at the video!! and you’ll see the problems if you what to!! talk is just talk but video dont lie!~
Neil

I did, 3 times. Saw the same thing each time. The harness isn’t adjusted correctly.
Did you look at the pic that Dubba posted? (Thanks,Dubba,for posting that by the way) That is a pretty good depiction of how a Dring should look when properly adjusted. Compare it to the harness in the video.Then tell me what you think.

[Ira]

@Carl Russell 2906 wrote:

Additionally, to continue description of fitting the d-ring for the sake of conversation, the collar should fit the neck, and hames fit the collar so that the point of draft (where the trace meets the hame) should be 6-8 ” above the point of the shoulder.

Yes, I agree. If you look at Jennifer’s 3rd pic in her collar thread you see a good illustration of this. The tug marks on the collar are right above the point of the horses shoulder.

[Ira]

Thanks Carl, Point taken.

[Ira]

@Neil Dimmock 2888 wrote:

Well that was fun , if you pull down on the tug it will pull down on the collar. ie, like when the belly band is to short,

Okay, I’m following you there

if set up right the d ring is not a bad harness

I mostly agree with that statement

but it is so rarely set right that all the extra weight added to the pole makes it worse

What extra weight is added???Where is it coming from??

and a small adjustment out of whack and its adding weight,

What adjustment and where is the weight coming from????

and most that drive rarely have a collar or a bridle fit right so for them to figure out this contraption !!!!

I’m not sure what you mean by this statement??

Ira

[Ira]

@Neil Dimmock 2857 wrote:

some times you see what to when you think you have the best of something ,you miss the obvious, its just pulling from a differnt angle, pulling down on the tugs still puts weight on the collar, Like I said you cant avoid the weight with any harness!

Neil would you like to clarify that statement. The tugs/traces should pull the collar back into the shoulder. If they are pulling down something is out of adjustment.

[Ira]

If you can get a team in step with each other and stay that way the bounce will smooth out. But the Dring is basicly desighned for walking.

[Ira]

Nice photos, the second one clearly demonstrates that there is no tounge weight on the horses necks:D

[Ira]

Neil, There is a pic already in the Photo Gallery. It’s in working horses and titled Starting a new Era. It’s posted by Carl. A very good shot of how the Dring should be adjusted and hitched.

Carl, I hope you don’t mind my using your pic .

[Ira]

Neil, Glad you posted that. It clearly demonstrates the most common mistake that people make when using a Dring harness. It is hitched to loose. If they would drop one more link on each heel chain it would pick the neckyoke up and take the weight off the lazy straps and the top of the collar.

[Author]

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