Saddles and Harness

     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.

 I have been riding since I was 3 years old and mostly Western.  I have to honestly say that I have switched to the Australian Stock Saddle. I ride out on the trails and the Aussie really helps with the weight on my horse. It is only half the weight of my Western saddle. I feel like it helps my horse move in the shoulders freely with no restriction on his back like the western saddle does. It also is a shorter saddle in length (front to back) and I know with all of the padding of the Australian Stock Saddles that it has to be more comfortable on my short back horse by his kidney area too.
      The fenders are narrower then the western fender so it make it easier on my knees and ankles. I feel like it moves with me so much freer then the western saddle, especially on long rides on the trail.

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.

Cashel Company has continue to improve upon perfection.  As we all know there are  many types and brands of fly masks on the market today. Cashel has proven to be the best on our ranch. The masks from Cashel have the PVC that is a durable choice for a fly mask. Withstands all of the rubbing that our standard horses do and also our big draft horses as well. I use the one with the ears when I know the nats are bad in certain times of the year. I use the
wonderful “long nose” type for my horses the have white blazes to keep the snout from getting sun burns. I have had one of my draft horses get a severe sunburn which has left a scare and bare spot  on his nose. Now, that I have found the perfect solution with the Cashel “Long Nose ” mask I  don’t ever have to worry about any of this happening to any of my horses in the any longer. I also have the regular standard horse type for the easy keepers in my pastures. I have a friend with Missouri Mules and they use the “Mule mask by Cashel and love them. They have the longer head and big ears protected by the Cashel Mule model. I have found too, that the velcro is more durable with the Cashel Fly Mask than some I have used in the past.
      I have used fly mask protection on my horses for many years which has helped with eye problems, sun damaging problems and many others and do highly recommend Cashel’s brand over any of the others.

     Saddles with no trees have been around for a few years now. They are available from 6 or 8 makers and they are all very similar in design and construction. Treeless Saddles typically have a small insert in the cantle and the pommel to allow the saddle to keep it’s shape and to give it support.

    Since treeless saddles conform to the shape of the horse’s back and the pressure from the saddle is widely distributed the treeless saddles are ideal for use on most draft horses.

These saddles allow you to feel the horse better.  They also keep the rider very secure in the seat.    They also come in a variety of colors and some are made in leather and others are made of synthetic materials more suitable for endurance events where the saddle will get wet.           

     The western saddle for the draft horse is designed differently than a western saddle for a regular sized horse. Light horses use a saddle with a 6.5 to 7 inch gullet on average. many different tree styles are available in these sizes such as wade, western pleasure, roping, etc.

     The tree types available for draft size trees is much more limited. The key features designed into Draft Horse Western Saddles are a much wider gullet and flatter angles to the bars. The biggest comcern is gullet width. many draft horses are not only very wide but also very flat through the wither area. Typical gullet widths used on these type of horses is 9 inch and 10 inch gullets. While there are several companies that produce so-called draft saddles with 8 inch gullets the saddles of this size are really nothing more than a wide tree version of typical western saddle. There are 2 or 3 companies that produce western saddles with 9 inch and 10 inch gullets and to truly have a good fit these are the size that is needed.

     Harness and bridles are available in many different materials but the new synthetic materials are becoming very popular. The choice is Biothane or Beta. Beta is the closest thing to leather in the tack marketplace. The main attributes are the extreme strength and soft to the hand touch. It has a flat matte finish which looks like leather.

     The biothane is just as strong but has a very shiny finish which is most popular for tack that is used for parades and show harness. The beauty of both materials is that they are much stronger than leather and require almost no maintenance. To clean simply hose off - it will not absorb moisture or dirt and it will not rot or mildew. Tack made with these space age materials will last a lifetime.

     Bits for draft horses are in very limited supply. Typically draft horses use 6″, 6.5″, and 7″ mouthpieces on their bits. There are only a handfull of stores that sell these type of bits. In the old days the only choices were O-ring snaffle bits and the large carriage bits such as Liverpool bits.

     Today there are many more varieties of Draft Horse Bits to choose from. They are now available in D-ring snaffle, western curb bits, Tom Thumb bits, Butterfly bits, and many variation of these styles. This expansion in the selection of bits for draft horses has been fueled by the rise in popularity of riding these large draft horses.