This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] In a message dated 01-01-05 11:51:23 EST, you write:
<< Oh yes, since I am new to harnessing, which is better... collar or breast plate? I would think that the collar would make a mess of his mane? My husband has driven ponies before and he wants to use a collar but I want a breastplate. Storm was harness broken a bit by the guy we bought him from, when he was a year old so he does know what a harness is already. >> Heres my take on collars, vs breast collars. You all know I live to drive. Singles, pairs and tandem, working on a unicorn and 4. We started out with training harness, nylon ( which I would never use again ) and then nice Smuckers. We now also have more Smuckers for the pair, and several Biothane marathon type harness. ( our Camptown marathon harness for 4, made by our Dave McWethy is awsome ! ) My favorite harness , and more importantly my Fjords favorite harness is my collar type. We dont use the large farm type collars, but the buggy style collars, slimmer, and with must lighter haymes. The ability of my horses to pull freely with this type of set up, not the breast collar type is remarkable. The angle of drought is better, and we can work better, quicker and turn better. The pull is off their whole front end, rather than shoving their chest out to pull forward. I cant explane it well, but there you go. It is easier to find pleasure type harness with the breast collars, but if I had to do it over again, everything would have collars. A good collar is expensive and not hard to fit, as some mentioned. Every collar maker will have their own instructions for measuring. Dont go buy something " off the rack " in inch's, as it will not fit as well as a custom one, and eventually you will go to a better fitting one. As these are slim, buggy type collars, we do not use pads, they are more for farm type hitch's and many times are used to fill in a poorly fitting collar, or worse, used to somehow complete a fram type " look " forcing you to always hitch with pads. A proper fitting collar does not ride any diff, with pads, and they can cause alot of sweating and bunching. The Recreational Driving List, at E-Groups has a very good group, dedicated to pleasure driving and the comfort of their horses. Check it out and read the archives on angle of draught, and collars. Lisa Pedersen * who paid 90.00 for a new russett collar at Martins auction, and found out it was worth 300.00 without haymes ! YIKES ! PS just reread your post about your Fjord " trained " at one years to drive. Ugg. Hope you let him grow up a bit, and also know that at one, he was not trained, but just started, and a bit too soon IMHO. Good to let him grow up like you are. Lisa
