Saddles and Harness

The same principles of expansion through force fuel the demand for football in America as it did during the pilgrim’s Westward expansion.  In fact, perhaps the reason football is so popular in America while it is trumped by sports such as soccer and baseball in other countries is its strong ties to American ideals.  During your standard football game, one team attempts to ‘take’ the other team’s land by pushing through their defenses.  This bears a remarkable similarity to the American settler’s desire to acquire all the land by pushing through the Native American peoples. 

In addition, there are some other similarities in the game, such as collar on an NFL player’s shoulder pads being called a horse collar.  Horses had a significant contribution to the westward expansion, as most all settlers rode on horses or in carriages pulled by horses and oxen. 

Characterized by their size and muscular build, draft horses are the giants of the equine world.  Though more intended for pulling, it is possible to ride a draft horse for a work related purpose or for simple enjoyment.  Here is a simple method for ensuring that you’re sitting straight and correct on your draft horse saddle:Ask a person on the ground to stand behind you.

1.) Are your shoulders at the same height?  (if not this indicates incorrect positioning)

2.) Is your seat in the center of the saddle with each seatbone the same distance from the middle? 

If both these conditions are met you should be sitting correctly.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING A HORSE BLANKET

1. Your correct size for the horse you are buying for.

2. Are the Straps leather or Nylon / Double or Single

3. Is the fabric a RIP STOP fabric

4. Do the straps have elastic for ease of movement

5 Is the blanket thick enough for the weather in your area to keep the horse warm on the coldest days.

6. Does it have padding in the wither area for comfort of your horse.

7. Does the blanket have pleats or fixed shoulder for the movement of your horse to move his shoulders.

8. Does the front of the blanket open with one or two straps at the chest or does it go over the head.

9. Does the blanket have a nice edge so that it doesn’t fray after a few usages.

10 Is the hardware on the blanket Stainless or easy to use or stay in place

This are all things you should look at when purchasing a blanket to know if it will meet your expectations for your horse. Some things may not matter to you, some will be a extra benefit when you start using the blanket on your horse.

Measuring for your horse a Turn Out Blanket / Stall Blanket
To measure for a blanket you will need a tape measure that is cloth type so you don’t spook your horse. I bring my horse in the barn on level ground and put my tape in the middle of the front legs, or the middle of the chest, around his shoulders and all the way back to the back to the middle of his tail. This is the measurement of the length of the body.
 Your blankets come in even sizes ex: 78 - 80 - 82- 84 …
Once you determine the size you are ready to purchase.  
Remember many factors may change, your horses body weight can change the shape of a horse’s body over a course of a few months / Increase in muscle mass / Also, just in the age of the horse the body changes shape with age. Here are some things to look for
1. Be sure he is standing comfortable and run your hands up and over the withers. Be sure that the blanket is over the withers loosely .
2. Slide your hands under the blanket at the horses shoulders. It should feel loose so that your horse can move his shoulders without rubbing his hair off.
3. Check the chest area so that it comes down to where the neck merges into the chest so that the blanket is on the chest and not the neck. Encourage him to lower is head, the blanket should not pinch or restrict his head from lowering it to graze or eat.
4. Check the belly straps so that you may slide your hands through without them being too tight. If they are more then 4-5 inches from his body they are too big and could pose a risk of danger or entanglement.  Make sure they are adjusted to fit your horse.
5. Check the rear straps on the hind legs. They should fit so that their is no chance of your horse getting his feet caught up in them, but loose enough so that they don’t cause rubbing. They are better to run them through each side so that they keep from rubbing the horse.
6. Slide your hands under the blanket at his hips and rump of your horse so that the blanket is not too snug.
7. Finally check the tail flap to be sure that it’s not too long, he needs to be able to lift his tail or it could cause a real mess.
Remember even a right size blanket can cause rubbing or chafe in certain areas. You can use sheep skin or a slick type material to help in those areas to help your horse stay comfortable in cold weather.
 

     There are more and more bits being developed for use on draft horses. Bits are available in 6″, 6.5″, and 7″.  Some bits have straight mouths and some have broken mouths.  Some are designed for driving, some for riding, and some for both riding and driving.

     Our favorite bit for draft horses is the Butterfly Bit. This bit is made of stainless steel and it has 3 large loops on each side of the mouthpiece. By choosing different loops you can adjust the amount of pressure applied to the mouth. They are used for riding and driving.

     There was a time when you were considered off your rocker if you wanted to ride your draft horse under saddle. To even consider riding your big draft in dressage was even more unthinkable. Today draft horses are used in all disciplines including dressage, all purpose, trail, jumping, western pleasure, etc.

     The willing nature and calm temperament makes the draft  horse ideal for all disciplines. They are actually very light on their feet. One of the very few companies making a true Draft Horse Dressage Saddle is Frontier Equestrian Inc. These saddles are made with a 10″ gullet which is the widest gullet made anywhere. These saddles are extremely wide and flat through the pommel as they are designed to fit draft horses with very flat withers - shaped like a 50 gallon barrel.

     There are two types of traces typically used to hook to your cart or carriage. Smaller carts like easy entry carts have single trees with small pegs or clips. These type of carts use traces with slots in the end called slotted traces. they go over the peg on each side of the single tree.

     The heavier carriages like vis-a-vis and people movers use traces with chains on the end. These chains are hooked over heavy stlle hooks mounted on each end of the singletree.

Hooking Harness to the carriage using traces is quite easy - just match the style of traces to the type of hookup on the carriage or cart.

All draft horse bits are not created equal.  Not all draft horses are the same size, so the width of the bit necessary has to be determined prior to purchase.  There are also different styles of draft horse bits such as snaffle and curb.

While researching the differences between various draft horse bits, the majority of articles stated at least once that the effect of any given bit on a horse’s mouth was solely dependent on the skill level of the rider.

Collars are something usually associated with dogs or cats, but a horse collar is an important part of a horse harness.  The most well-known type of horse collar for draft horses is called a breastcollar, but some research maintains that other types of horse collars provide more comfort to draft horses than the breastcollar type because they may allow less pressure to reach the airway during the performance of heavy work.

 A horse collar is not circular and not overly flexible.  The shape of any horse collar is meant to protect the breathing passages, enabling the horse to use its full strength to pull the load.

The collar is the most important part of the working horse harness. The collar transfers all of the weight of the carriage to the horse. A common high quality collar is the Brodhead

field collar. Made of leather by the Amish in Iowa these collars are the standard of the industry. They will last for years and if fitted properly they will keep your driving horse healthy and happy.

The easiest way to measure for a collar is to take a soft tape and measure according to the diagram above. Measure 2 or 3 times until you are satisfied that the measurement is correct.

Measuring your horse for a collar does not have to be a nerve-racking chore.