Back Straps And Belly Bands Are Not For Pulling Or Pushing.

[Bumpus]

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Back straps and belly bands are not for pulling or pushing.

It seams like a common practice now a days to see back straps and belly bands on most horses and mules tightened up so tight that it looks like people are afraid the animal is going to walk or jump out of the harness.

They should be left loose so the animal can move freely.

If a animal has to pull very hard they will have to be free to move up and down during the task.

When moving a load on the ground like a log or a plow, sled etc. all that is even needed is a collar, traces or tugs , a single tree, and hooking device.

If a animal is pushing hard and the belly band is to tight it can not breath properly because the lungs can not expand.

If an animal is pushing hard and the back strap is to tight there back is supporting part of the load as they lift there rear end to move forward.

Watch this video and notice how the back straps and belly bands are both left loose, and the horses are able to both get down low and and raise there hind ends freely, and that makes it easier for them to push into the collars more freely, and they can breath much easier.

An animal must be able to breath :confused: and not have to hold it’s breath because of restrictions,
or carry 500 pounds 😮 or more on it’s back every time it raises up to move forward.

Making it much easier on the Animal mentally and physically ! ! ! 🙂

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoCOewBy0tU

bumpus
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[LStone]

This is something to think about I will look for this harness adjustment on my next hitch. I have been conscious of the belly band and checking their heads but I think I may be carrying my back straps a little too tight. Goes to figure that it might also loosen up the horse and make them a little more relaxed in the harness too.

Thanks for the advice Bumpus

Larry

[grey]

The belly band is used to keep the collar and hames laying properly on the shoulder. In some situations (such as with a longer rope-and-pulley style hitch, or when crossing a ditch) the end of the horse’s traces get raised up high. If your belly band isn’t tight enough, raising the end of the traces causes the top of the collar to tip forward and the bottom of the collar to dig in. This gets the collar off the shoulder and also presses the bottom of the collar against the horse’s windpipe.

Keeping your belly band snug maintains that ideal 90 degree angle between the lay of the shoulder and the traces.

Keeping your belly band snug also prevents getting a hoof caught in it when they are kicking at their belly during bug season. It shouldn’t be cinched up tight like a western saddle on a bronc, but it should be snug, not hanging loose.

Edited to add: I just watched the video that was mentioned. 1.) The belly band should never be that loose 2.) It’s a terrible idea to stand in FRONT of horses, pulling on their bridles while they are trying their darnedest to pull a heavy load. If something were to give (and it happens), that guy would be flattened in about half a second. The horses are overmatched against their load. Why does the driver keep trying? He is just going to demoralize the horses. Not the best pulling video I’ve ever seen. Beautiful horses, though.

[grey]

Nah, I take it back. They aren’t outmatched. By the end of the first pull they still had more to give but they threw in the towel. After that, they were just out of synch and didn’t put their hearts into it.

A bit of weight on a horse’s back gives him better traction.

The traditional harnesses those horses were wearing were neat, but I don’t recommend leaving your belly band loose like that.

All the parts of the harness are there for a reason, and none of them should be loose.

[Bumpus]

@grey 11704 wrote:

The belly band is used to keep the collar and hames laying properly on the shoulder. In some situations (such as with a longer rope-and-pulley style hitch, or when crossing a ditch) the end of the horse’s traces get raised up high. If your belly band isn’t tight enough, raising the end of the traces causes the top of the collar to tip forward and the bottom of the collar to dig in. This gets the collar off the shoulder and also presses the bottom of the collar against the horse’s windpipe.

Keeping your belly band snug maintains that ideal 90 degree angle between the lay of the shoulder and the traces.

The proper angles for the traces ( tugs ) is controlled by a proper fitting collar, and the right fitting set of hames where adjustments are made to fit each horse individually. The angles of ( degrees) will also change with the length adjustments of chain used to hook to the single trees.

Horses and Mules push into their collars to move a load but should never with their back straps and belly bands which could never withstand the heavy pulling of stone boats, heavy logs, plowing etc.
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[Bumpus]

@grey 11715 wrote:

Nah, I take it back. They aren’t outmatched. By the end of the first pull they still had more to give but they threw in the towel. After that, they were just out of synch and didn’t put their hearts into it.

That video is not from the U.S.A. it was from overseas some where, and there rules for competition there are much different from the rules in the U.S.A.

Those are a good looking pair ( With desire and heart to pull ) but, cut their manes off, and dock their tails short, and you will find a pair that will not quit on you when called on to do reasonable work.

That was just one hook up to pull … with I believe 8 attempts and 7 successful moves up until the end with out rest. which was performed on a very heavy load. Even the last move of the load was of considerable length of distance. Not many horse will even come close to that.

@grey 11715 wrote:

A bit of weight on a horse’s back gives him better traction.

Never heard of that reasoning ( extra weight )
used for traction before. :confused:

Most people use shoes with large corks ( cleats ) on the toe
and heal of the shoe for extra traction.

Not more weight on the horses back. 😮
.

[TBigLug]

I think there is a definition problem here. “Tight” and “loose” are relative terms. To me, the girth on a saddle is “tight”. To me belly bands hanging down six inches below there stomach are “loose”. Belly bands and back pads should always be “snug”. I’ve seen four wrecks over the last two years caused by the horses stomping at flies, getting their feet over the belly bands, getting hung up and freaking out. Under no circumstances should they be loose. That is a HORRIBLE accident waiting to happen. Your market strap (strap that goes from back band through tug) should be adjusted so that while the horses are pulling it neither holds up nor pushes down on the tug. It only goes through the strap on the tug for a prevention of forward and back movement of the back band and belly band. Your belly band should be “snug” enough that it holds up the pole strap in line with the quarter straps and breeching for backing. If it’s too loose you’re asking for disaster. If it’s too tight, it’ll be uncomfortable for the horse. Lesson of the day, back bands and belly bans are for support.

[TBigLug]

Oh yeah, and as to the pulling team, they are very small horses pulling a very heavy load. I’d be damn proud of them. Regardless of what country you are in though, the laws of physics remain the same. You should never stand in front of a team of horses pulling a heavy load. You’re one broken evener away from a very bad day. Bad things can happen in a second. I can seak from experience. When I was pulling my geldings over in Ovid last year I broke a hook on my eveners. Had anyone been standing in front of them, they’d have been dead. No doubt about it.

[Bumpus]

@Joel 11737 wrote:

You really think docking tails & cutting manes are going to make them work better?

NO !

Looks are deceiving even with people.

An animal is what it is no mater how old or young, color, size shape, mixed or matched, as a team or single.

They can only do what they can do, and they can do not more.
But they can do less.

Those horses I would pay high dollar for because
they haven’t been ruined yet.

OH … by the way the man on the right side doing the hollering was killing the ability of the horse beside him by coming up along side him of him.

If he would have stayed in behind the horse
he would have performed much better.

When he hollered In the rear he was a driving force … but when he came up toward the front of the horse he stopped pushing in the collar and moved to the other side toward the other horse.
.

[grey]

There is no substitue for a properly-fitting collar and hames. However. It is still possible for a properly-fitting collar and hames to be mis-aligned on the horse’s shoulder when the point of hitch is raised up high either because of terrain or because you are using a longer rope-and-pulley type of evening hitch. I have tried to find a photo that will illustrate this but haven’t found one yet (if anyone has one to post, it would be helpful). I know that I’ve seen a couple on this site in the last month or so, but I can’t remember where.

When the belly band is doing its job in the aforementioned situation, you will see the tugs bend at the belly band. Or, in the case of a sidebacker harness, you will see the short section of tug between the hames and the big side ring will be roughly 90 degrees to the angle of shoulder (and, by extension, the hames which lay parallel with the shoulder). The tugs that extend from the big side ring back to the evener will be at a different angle… sometimes even so drastically that the tug will be parallel with the *ground*. Yet, due to the action of the belly band, the collar still lies efficiently on the length of the shoulder and doesn’t try to rock forward.

[CharlyBonifaz]

That video is not from the U.S.A. it was from overseas some where, and there rules for competition there are much different from the rules in the U.S.A.

not a clue about the rules but the video was taken in Germany; Bad Kötzting is in Bavaria (Bavarian Forest)

[CharlyBonifaz]

and there rules for competition there are much different from the rules in the U.S.A.

the rules:
6 different classes:
1. Haflinger+Norwegian Fjord
2. Haflinger+Norwegian Fjord Teams
3. Draft Horse light (under 1650pounds/ 750kg)
4. Draft Horse medium (1650-1870pounds/ 750-850kg)
5. Draft Horse heavy (above 1870pounds/ 850kg)
6. Draft Horse Teams
draft distance: about 44 yards (within 2 minutes), on your first try you have to pass 11 yards in 30sec, otherwise you’re out
weight is added with every inning; the amount will be determined by the judges depending on soilconditions; if within 2 minutes you haven’t managed to pass the 44 yards you’re out; the winner is, whoever pulls the furthest in the last inning in 2 minutes
single horses – single drivers; horse teams – 2 drivers at most
no whip allowed, not even decorative on the harness; while pulling, horses may only be encouraged by voice; pushing at the harness or touching your horse while it’s pulling means you’re out, too

winner in this contest: 3340 pounds of horsepower pulled 3762 pounds

[grey]

Well, I stumbled across one image that shows the belly band in action.

Even if this wasn’t a D-ring harness, you would still see the tugs bend at the belly band. The collar (and hames) lies against the shoulder. The tugs leave the collar at a right-angle. The belly band and the back pad are adjusted to anchor that tug in a position that holds the angle. Then, from the belly band back to the point of hitch, the tugs may be at whatever angle is required.

If your point of hitch is low to the ground (walking plow, stoneboat, etc.), the adjustment of belly band and back pad is not as cruical. Still, for safety’s sake, you don’t ever want them “loose” and I certainly would never leave them so loose as to have them hanging down six inches, as it appears to be in the video.

[CharlyBonifaz]

The belly band and the back pad are adjusted to anchor that tug in a position that holds the angle. Then, from the belly band back to the point of hitch, the tugs may be at whatever angle is required.

please explain the theory behind that, too obvious probably to understand

over here everybody stresses the importance of those tugs running straight back down, from the harness to your point of hitch, no bend is wanted
to accomplish this, most tugs can be attached varably at the hames, so they are easily adjusted….half an inch up/down at the hames keeps it from being pulled up or down under a load
sometimes horses will be harnessed with a bend upwards, exactly opposite to what your picture shows; theory behind that: the backpad can pick up some strain and the load can be “lifted” little ways, making heavy weights easier to get going

very curious and not very strong in physics 😉
elke

[grey]

Not sure I understand… you move your tugs up and down on the hames according to the height of your hitch point?

The tug should always be centered over the “draft” of the horse’s shoulder. There is one spot on the horse’s shoulder that is above the point of the shoulder (the bone) where the muscle is broad and flat. The widest part of the collar should ride there, and the tugs should attach to the hames there also.

[Author]

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