harness advice

[Jared Ashley]

Hi, i am looking for some advice on what type of harness/collar i should get for my haflinger. she is well trained in pleasure driving, and i have a nice pleasure harness with a breast plate. but, i would like to start using her to haul firewood for us and the pleasure harness seems a little lite for her pulling the sleigh. so, i would like to get a harness/collar that would work for all of her jobs. i have some experience with pleasure driving but not the logging aspect. any advice and info is greatly appreciated.
thanks, jared

[Rick Alger]

I’m surprised nobody answered, so I’ll toss out what I did when I started out. I had a stout saddle horse I decided to put to work. I got a well worn collar and matching hames for very little from my farrier. He helped me make sure they fit. I made rope tugs and braided in side chains from a skidder at the ends for heel chains. I made a new whiffle tree from a maple branch and some ancient hardware. The only thing I bought was a crupper and spider from Meader’s. This harness worked well for years until I got the team and a forecart and needed brichen.

[Mac]

My first piece of advice would be to go to either a farm or horse sale, and buy you some good used stuff. Measure your horse for a collar and then go from there. Good used gear is fairly cheap, and if you want new stuff, you might consider nylon harness. My neighbor has had the same set for 10 years and hasn’t replaced a thing. That could be an option.
You see, I started out much like Rick, with an old set of harness and patched and fanangled around till I could use it. I’ve worked a team going on 10 years and just now got a matching set of harness (still not new). I guess the point I’m trying to make is this: you can get it all at once and be into it for a lot of money, or get it bits and pieces at a time for less. Just my two cents worth.
Mac

[near horse]

Hey Mac,

My horses barley match – so the matching harness would be lost on them!

[Mac]

@near horse 23965 wrote:

My horses barley match – so the matching harness would be lost on them!

Sounds like my team! The one is 5 and dapple gray and the other is about 20 and flea-bit and light gray. My better half has always said that I cannot own anything new or a matching pair of anything. Nor can I have harness that is not patched with wire or rope.
Mac

[Author]

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