Harness modification.

[Paulk]

Hey I was wondering if some one could tell me if a harness that was originally for a team of percherons that are 18.1 hands and 1800+ lbs would be able to be modified to fit a 15.3 hand 1200 lb mule and if its worth doing. There are a couple sets at a farm sale I’m going too and I think they will probably go pretty cheap, one of them is a show harness and the other a work harness. Forgive me if this is a foolish question but i am fairly new to draft equine and the harness I have is a leather and nylon that someone pieced together, not pretty but works.

[grey]

Partly depends on what style of harness they are. D-ring, no. Fore-tugs would be too long and it’s an undertaking to have them shortened. I don’t have experience with Yankee/hip britchen harness but I’m guessing it might be similar to Western/box britchen in size range and fit concern. It also depends on what size range the harness was designed for. There are a few different general size-ranges out there but it really varies by harnessmaker. If the horses that wore the harness were at the upper end of the intended size range, then it might fit your mules with little necessary alteration.

If the “show harness” is a for-real SHOW harness it will have a back pad/back band of a type that may not work with smaller equine. If the “show harness” is just a nicer parade type harness with the standard kidney-shaped back pad, then carry on.

Also, in my years of shopping second-hand harnesses, I have learned that just because it was used on 1800lb horses doesn’t mean it fit them! 😀 Short answer is that you’re just going to have to measure it.

Collars and hames obviously won’t fit.

Bridles probably won’t fit (depends on the style of bridle and what kind of head your mules have).

Traces could possibly be too long for your existing tongue(s); height/weight does not quite correlate to length of body so it is also possible that the traces could be identical to yours.

If it is a modern harness, britchen will likely be in the 56″-long range and your mules probably take the next size range down: 48″-ish. If it is a belly-backer type harness, having a too-long britchen makes the quarter straps more likely to chafe the belly near the britchen ring.

If there’s a keeper on the traces to corral the market strap and belly band billet, you’d have to drill those rivets out but that is a minor issue.

I guess the belly band could also be problematic, though I would think it could be made to work.

Measure your current traces, britchen and your mule’s bridle (from the bit on one side, up over the top of the head/poll/behind the ears, down to the bit on the other side). Measure your mule at the girth area, from the bottom edge of one trace, under the mule, up to the bottom edge of the other trace. Take those measurements with you to the sale. Flexible plastic seamstress’ tape measure is what I use to measure such things. Make sure you note where exactly you are measuring from so that you can measure the sale harnesses the same way. “End of ring”, “last link of chain”, “center of hame bolt”, “underside of strap” – that sort of thing.

If the traces will work and the britchen will work, if the belly band can be made to work, if you have your own hames and collars, if you get the bridle situation sorted out (keeping in mind that the hames, collar and bridle represents nearly half of the value of a work harness), then you just need a good quality hole punch to shrink everything else down. Cheap one won’t be able to stand up against harness leather.

[grey]

The hole punch that I use is a rotary one that is labeled “Made In Germany”, “Heritage Tools”, “Mt. Hope, OH”. I have been very happy with it and it was only about $20. I was going to bite the bullet and just get an Osbourne (about eighty bucks) but the guy at the shop talked me into trying this one. He let me take it for a test drive on a few stout pieces of leather and I was convinced. With any hole punch, remember to give a little half-rotation while you are squeezing the tool. Gives a much cleaner cut.

[j.l.holt]

To make any hole punch work like the high dollar ones, back up the lower anvil jaw with a scrap.This way you are cutting through the extra piece a little.cutting your intended piece cleanly.

[grey]

That is a good practice. In addition to making a cleaner hole, it saves wear and tear on the cutting edge of the punch, making it last longer.

However, the two flimsy hole punches that failed me in the past did so by skewing. The handles bent at the axle of the rotating punch head.

[j.l.holt]

Got no help for them,,,sorry.

[Does’ Leap]

@grey 40622 wrote:

D-ring, no. Fore-tugs would be too long and it’s an undertaking to have them shortened.

I respectfully disagree. I have modified several d-rings (most recently for an 1100 lb Canadian and have shortened the front tugs on all my harnesses. If you have a d-ring, let me know and I will post more details on modifying the front tug.

George

[Paulk]

Thanks for the info Grey. I at least have a little better understanding of how to measure. Funny you mention the seamstress tape as I just bought one a couple days ago to measure my mule to keep track of his weight gain. My harness is adjusted all of the way out and is still a little snug so I am reluctant to take measurements from it. The worst thing is knowing what proper fit is, as I am very green yet. I have done extensive research and have an idea but it is not the same as having experience. I had a chance to buy a new team harness with everything but the collars made from beta for $850 but I was scared that it wouldn’t fit when i got home.

I have been to several auctions and saw harness sell for half or less of new but if it cost me the other half to have it modified then I really don’t gain. I am all about saving money but I’m starting to think instead of buying equipment for him to pull maybe I should invest in a new harness?

I can buy a new harness with collars and hames from an Amish harness maker that is 30 miles away for about $700 I’m wondering if it would be worth the money to be able to take my mule there and have him measure and fit everything the way it should be. The knowledge I would gain and knowing it fits correctly maybe worth the extra money. I wish I had someone close that could teach me because everything I’m doing is pretty much trial and error. Luckily my mule is very patient and doesn’t get excited about much. Sometimes I wonder if he is laughing at me when I do something dumb!

[Paulk]

And thanks to the rest for any info also. Paulk

[j.l.holt]

This harness maker should measure and fit with out charging extra. You could see where he measures from and repeat for other horses. Sometimes you just got to pay alittle to learn.

[carl ny]

I if you measure his girth,center of chest to center of tail,and then headstall size(bit to bit,over the poll) it should be enought for the harness maker.Only other thing is the collar size so you get the right hames. JMHO

carl ny

[grey]

@Does’ Leap 40630 wrote:

I respectfully disagree. I have modified several d-rings (most recently for an 1100 lb Canadian and have shortened the front tugs on all my harnesses. If you have a d-ring, let me know and I will post more details on modifying the front tug.

George

Ohhhhh, I seem to remember that. Did you use rivets instead of sewing?

[Does’ Leap]

@grey 40636 wrote:

Ohhhhh, I seem to remember that. Did you use rivets instead of sewing?

The back of the front tug is either sewn into the D ring or it is riveted to a metal clip that goes around the D ring. If you have the clip type, you just need to grind off the rivets, cut the tug and re-set rivets. If it is sewn in, you can usually buy these clips from harness makers and repeat the aforementioned process.

George

[grey]

A clip and some rivets seem like something that an even slightly-handy person could do. I take back what I said about it being an “undertaking”. 😀 The clips… are they the same kind of clip that is often used at the hame bolt on a trace? The Aaron Martin catalog calls those “Concord Clips” : http://www.aaronmartin.com/product.php?cat_id=1230&catview=160&submit=View

[grey]

How did you make the rivet holes through the foretug? I know my rotary hole punch couldn’t handle that and I don’t think even my individual strike punches could do it. Did you drill them?

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