D-Ring Harness Parts

[Does’ Leap]

I would like to get a handle on the proper names for d-ring harness parts. I’ll take a stab going from left to right looking at the picture. Please correct or add at will.

front side straps: connects to single yoke
lazy strap: holds up front side strap
front tug: goes from hame to d-ring
belly band: goes from d-ring under belly. Keeps front tugs at proper angle to hames
jack saddle?: extends up from the d-ring and supports weight of harness and pole
back pad: large leather portion of jack saddle that rests on whithers
??: extends from d-ring to britchen
??: goes from hames through jack saddle to britchen
rear tug: extends from d-ring to implement
britchen: on croup of horse, provides hold-back on wheeled implements and sleds

George

[LStone]

I’ll give it a shot George.

Your Jack saddle is my market strap. I always thought the terms Jack Saddle and back pad were interchangeable.

rear side strap: extends from d-ring to britchen
back straps: goes from hames through jack saddle to britchen

Don’t know exactly what the croup is on a horse but besides that, yes the britchen is around the back side of the horse between tail and knees held up by the hip drops providing hold back. The crupper is from the spider over the top, back under and around the dock of the tail.

hope I helped you out here.

Larry

[Mark Cowdrey]

It looks like the britchen on this harness is what I know as a “basket britchen” as opposed to a “hip drop”. There is an adjustable strap that goes from one “britchen ring”(?) up over the rump to the other. There is also a strap on each side from the “spider” to the britchen strap that goes around behind the horse. You can just see one in the picture. There are leather “keepers” on these straps to help hold the first strap I mentioned (“rump strap?? I am totally making this up) in place. I will try to get a picture up if no one beats me to it.

On a side note, my father-in-law is a painter. He saw the post card I have of the photo George posted of Les driving the greys on his arch cart and liked it. So he painted a picture of it and gave it to me for Christmas this year. It is hanging in our font hall. Pretty cool, I think. I posted a photo (of a picture of a photo??) in the gallery under “Other”.
Mark

[Carl Russell]

Mark Cowdrey;24978 wrote:

It looks like the britchen on this harness is what I know as a “basket britchen” as opposed to a “hip drop”. ….

I believe Les uses the “Hip Drop” Britchen. From the angle of that pic it is hard to tell.

This is a “Basket Britchen”

Carl

[Does’ Leap]

Thanks for the replies. I use a “hip drop” britchen as well. Carl, great picture. You have written about horses lifting the load and the importance of strong front end as ballast. You can really see that in the picture.

George

[Jay]

While hitching today I was reminded of the rule of thumb I use when hitching with D ring harness.
When the last (fourth) tug is hitched, I want the top of the pole to be just about 1 hand span below where it passes by the D ring. When I have tightened the pole strap on the nigh (left) side of the nigh horse, I want the pole to be a little less than my hand-span blow the bottom of the D-ring.
As the pole strap is tightened one should be able to watch the pole rise. If it doesn’t, the hitch is probably too loose. Jay

[Author]

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