D-ring Harness Origins

[Claddagh Farms]

Yup…GW is up the road from me.
I just picked up a Mc/D new 4 culitvator & JD 2-way plow from a fella in Stetson who has a 4 person sleigh built at the prison. It’s too bug chewed to use for anything but a pattern, and he wanted way too much for it, or I would have picked it up as well….. I didn’t get a chance to look at his harness, but it probably was all belly backer…..

[Carl Russell]

Just came across this interesting pic….. showing a Boston-backer….. with a side strap ring…. and a belly band on the trace…. without a back pad….

Makes me want to speak with these men…… Nicely harnessed and conditioned animals…. I suspect they would be appreciative of the value of combining features..

Carl

[Simple Living]

Love the old photos Carl ! I see they had a burlap sack or something wrapping the pole back in the hock area as well. Must be some things never change. I do have a question about this type of set up. When stopping a load like this, what keeps the pole from rising in the front and having the yoke come up into the horses chin/mouth?

Gordon

[Jay]

My understanding is that that is the function of the belly band, to hold the pole strap or side backer from being able to rise too high. Jay

[chrisf.]

I know that around here in the past they usually would use a martingale that was only hooked into the belly band. That only had to hold the pole down.

[Carl Russell]

So I got caught up in the old photo archive again and found another good view of horses in D-ring circa 1901.You can see all four horses are fit pretty well, particularly the rear team. Double team on a long pole…

Anyway amongst all of the photos where straps are loose, or back straps missing there are a few like this to suggest that there must have been some knowledge that went along with the use of this harness style adaptation.

Carl

[Donn Hewes]

hi Carl, I would guess that pole was jointed. What do you think? These old photos are fun to look at. You can really strain your eyes trying to figure out just what is there. Rear yoke is up off the pole. It almost looks like two different tongues. That doesn’t make any sense. Unless the rear team is connected to the low pole with a bit of chain or something? great photos!

[Donn Hewes]

“makes me want to talk to these men” Carl, that is exactly what I was thinking. I am not sure we would come back. donn

[Carl Russell]

Donn, you are exactly right. The first section comes up short for the rear team, that’s why you can see the neck-yoke up high. The front section is attached underneath, hinged. On my iPad I can zoom in and the attachment can be seen just in front of the hind legs of the near hind horse. I don’t think it would swing both ways just up and down. I know that Scott Golden posted a pic a few years ago of four on bobsled that showed something similar. Seems to reason that if you had four, the load was probably pretty heavy, at least when full, so you’ld probably also want four to be able to sit into the britchen to hold it back.

I can hardly make it back from just looking at these pictures….. 😯

Carl

[Author]

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