trace ends

[blue80]

I am looking at purchasing some used harness from a gentleman in Colorado, he is offering some chromed trace ends as well. His quote from an email, “these trace ends are super nice for work, as they swivel and help keep a nice straight line, and keep the collar from tilting (cutting off the air supply)

Thoughts on this? (other than ‘use the d-ring’;)

Have pics of them but they wouldn’t load….

[jac]

Hi. Chrome wont last long in a work situation and will soon chip and peel leaving some sharp bits to be a real pain every time you hitch..Ok for a show wagon that only has to run round a ring a few times.. and Im curious to know how a swivel keeps a nice straight line ?? If the draft angle is correct and billets and trace carriers dont interfere then the line will be straight. Good luck with it. I hope it turnes out ok. Cheers
John

[Carl Russell]

Unless he is referring to the clip-ends by the hames. They do make ends that swivel allowing the trace to raise and lower behind the horse without changing the angle of the collar. Doesn’t mean the line of draft doesn’t change. Better ask for a picture.

Carl

[jac]

Hi Joel. You guys must get a better quality chrome than we can get over here.. and that wouldnt surprise me at all because most of the stuf we get in from the states is good.. I didnt realise you got clips at the hames.. its not an option we get over here either.. The swivels yes and I know what they are for but they dont keep the trace in a straight line. Appologies guys.
John

[grey]

There are definitely different qualities of chrome plating. I have some chrome-plated garbage that started rusting within the first year. The other real variable of course is chrome-plated what? If the base metal under the chrome is ferrous, a scratch in the chrome plating will allow the corrosion of the base metal.

I much prefer stainless hardware to chrome-plated anything, be it trace clips or heel swivels and chains.

[blue80]

Hopefullly this shows what I’m talking about, by the way they were chromed over 20 yrs ago.

Kevin

[Carl Russell]

That’s what I was referring to. These are clip ends for the hame bolts to go through. They are not so much designed to allow the traces to move during work, but to allow the harness to hang without bending the leather of the front trace where it is bolted to the hames. They will however allow the angle of the trace to move, but that really is not desirable.

Carl

p.s. Get a D-ring…. it will solve all probs:D

[jac]

This is where the intercontinental differences can cause probs in terminology. When I said about swivels I meant at the other end, and keeping a straight line, to my mind at least, means not breaking the line of draft.. which can never be anything else but straight.. And thats different to the draft angle.. though I try to keep that at an optimum angle to. Least thats how I see it and have tried to keep to that for 20yrs..thats how the misunderstanding over straight lines seem to have come about . Cheers
John

[grey]

As Carl said, those hame clip swivels are not intended to be helpful in any way while the harness is on the horse. It is to keep the traces from bending and kinking when you hang the harness up in the barn. When in use on the horse, the traces should be 90 degrees to the hames, so the swivel wouldn’t be helpful there.

I understand what the seller is telling you the clips are for, but it is a misconception.

[Author]

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