Samson Harness?

[j_maki]

Our harness that came with our team is starting to show its age and we are looking at purchasing a new set of harness. Very little up here in the way of harness makers. Samson seems to be one of the closet to us. Anyone have a d-ring harness from Samson harness? What did you think of the quality of the material and workmanship? Is there anything you didn’t like or something that you think should be done a little different?

Thanks
Jeremy

[Does’ Leap]

I have never used Samsom but I have received their catalogs and they seem pricey. Before committing to Sampson it would be worth getting a quote from Zimmerman’s Harness – highly recommended. (717)354-5667. I also suggest looking into the length of the front tug (via the search on the forum) which harness makers generally make too long. I think mine is 22″ for a 17 h horse.

George

[Livewater Farm]

I have used Sampsom good workmanship and quality leather and hardware
you get what you pay for with leather
lesser quality leather will not hold up
you do not want split leather in harness it is weaker full grain leather from backs for all important parts no belly leather wear pads on all contact surfaces and lots of keepers

you can expect to pay twice as much for good leather harness than you would for bio or nylon
in my mind money spent on leather is $$$$ well spent
some of my harnesses are over 60+ year sold and still solid
with proper care should last 2+ lifetimes
just my opinion
Bill

[j_maki]

Yeah they do seem pricey at over 2000 for the set without hames. But they are the closest shop to me that I know of, I live just northeast of Winnipeg Manitoba. I will call Zimmermans and get a quote from them for harness plus shipping(which usually makes things unreasonably priced as well). I am open to other harness makers so if anyone wants to share there contacts please post them. We have been to so many auctions around here advertising harnesses only to find them all to be really dried
out and cracked on the buckles. We would be ahead if we just bought a new harness right away instead of wasting countless days trying to find a deal on a used set harness.

[grey]

You will usually be miles ahead to buy new leather harness, versus buying that old stuff at auction. Seldom will a second-hand harness turn out to be a good investment. I’m not saying the good deals aren’t out there; just that they are few and far between.

I go to Samson for all my leather harness needs. I have a bio parade harness for special occasions but anytime I expect my horses to really sweat, I dress them in leather from Samson.

Some upgrades to consider: rolled britchen body, rolled bellyband, wear leathers inside all hardware, stainless or brass hardware (no rust to eat your leather).

I have to clarify that I do not have a D-ring harness so I cannot speak to that specifically. I usea Western belly-backer harness.

[j_maki]

Grey

Could you explain what you mean by rolled?

Also what are wear leathers for hardware?

Thanks

[Will Stephens]

I had very god luck with Midwest Leather for my d-ring harness. They were very careful to follow my measurements. Made some recommendations to me (it was my first time ordering a draft harness). I got bio-thane. They are in Utah and I am in Massachusetts and everything workout out well and pricing was good. I have chunk Canadian. 14.2 but 1100-1200 lbs when in shape (which he is not currently and it ain’t nobody’s fault but my own darn-it!)

[Brad Johnson]

I thought I would add my one and a half cents to this thread on harness. I used leather for a number of years on a farm in Maine, and I really like it for harness. However, one winter I broke a tug and our local harness shop was closed for vacation, so I ordered an inexpensive nylon harness. That was 10 years ago and that harness is still in use at the farm in Maine. I now log full time with a team and use biothane d-ring harness exclusively. I will never go back to leather, for a number of reasons. First, it requires absolutely no daily care at all – no cleaning, oiling, nothing. Leather is wonderful stuff but it takes commitment to keep it in good condition. Second, biothane is light to put on and take off, and when you do it almost every day that matters. Also, you can hang it up soaking wet and when it freezes overnight it is still functional in the morning. Third, biothane is easy to adjust, punch holes, and stitch with no special tools beyond a speedy stitcher, propane torch, and large nail. And, biothane is way cheaper to buy if you want to purchase new harness. I have no issues with rubbing or chafing, which is a common complaint with nylon and biothane harness.

I would second the comment above about carefully measuring what length you want on your front tugs, particularly if you are buying from an Amish shop – they don’t use d-ring and almost always make them too long. However, this is easy to adjust with the tools mentioned above.
-Brad

[grey]

Rolled britchen, AKA folded britchen. A way of constructing the britchen body so the edges of the piece are not cut leather but folded. Helps prevent chafing.

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[grey]

Wear leathers save a lot of wear and tear on straps. They ride between the strap and the hardware. The kind with the loop is particularly nice. If you spring for the chafes that go behind buckles, that can add a lot to the lifespan of your harness as well.

I imagine that different climates age leather differently. Here, I don’t really worry about oiling or cleaning my harness much. The rain usually does the cleaning for me. Maybe once a year I’ll clean it up and use a cheap natural bristle paintbrush (“chip brush”) to apply oil where it looks dry.

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BTW, both of those images are from Samson’s catalog.

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