# Nylon Harness Suggestions? and Breast Collar vs Neck Collar



## BackInTheSaddleAgain

I know leather has a lot of benefits, but I've decided against it for now. I don't even know if I will like driving and don't want to drop money on leather until I'm completely sure. 

Can anyone point me in the direction of a good nylon harness to look at? I'm not sure what products and websites to trust when it comes to ordering draft tack. Links would be great







How much money would I be looking at spending? (just looking for a ballpark figure)

Also, if I decide I love it and purchase a leather harness down the road, I will definitely be getting a neck collar harness. 

But, for now, do you think a breast collar harness would suffice? It would just be for pulling a light 2-wheel training cart and nothing more. 

I know it's imperative to get the right measurements for a neck collar and since she has a lot of filling out to do, I would rather wait on a neck collar if I can. 

Thanks!


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## SpiritedLittleCopperSpots

Hi,

Check this place out, they are in Canada, but I have ordered many times from them. No problems, and they are exceptionally helpful and friendly!

Here is a link to a harness they have on sale right now for $149.00
Rons Horse Harness and Horse Tack Supply - Liberty Harness

But certainly look around at the other harnesses as well.....

Oh, and yes I think you should do just fine with a breast collar for driving your light cart. :wink:


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## smrobs

Oh, I'm sure she'll get along fine with the breast collar harness until she's close to finished bulking up. Neck collars, especially good quality leather ones, are expensive by themselves, let alone adding the cost of harness with it.

We usually get our leather neck-collar harnesses for our big critters from an Amish harness maker up in Kansas. That stuff looks incredible and lasts forever but it costs about $2500 or more for 2 full sets of standard draft size harness (enough for one team of 2 horses), without the collars. Each collar is an additional $85-$125, depending on size.


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## churumbeque

The nylon ones I have seen didn't look very adjustable. I would also worry that they wouldn't break in an accident.
What determines if you use a nck collar or a breast collar is a couple of things.
Most 2 wheel carts use a breast collar unless the single tree is an axle draft and it is lower by the axle. The heavier 4 wheelers which also have lower shafts use a neck collar


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## BackInTheSaddleAgain

Thank you, everyone! I'm soaking in every suggestion and word of advice. People who drive are few and far between out here, so I'm grabbing onto every piece of info I can get.


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## churumbeque

BackInTheSaddleAgain said:


> Thank you, everyone! I'm soaking in every suggestion and word of advice. People who drive are few and far between out here, so I'm grabbing onto every piece of info I can get.


I have been studying this for a few years trying to get the right turnout for my horses and I. It's amazing some of the things I have learned and all the different things to knwo for showing in carriage driving. I have even given some experts a few tips that they hadn't learned yet.


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## Reiterin

I have a nylon harness and it works well for what I use it for. (just driving around the arena and property.) however you will almost certainly need to burn extra holes in order to adjust the fit properly. (I had to with the one I got) and you Will most likely want to upgrade to a better harness eventually. but the nylon harness is good to just start out with. 

I agree with churumbeque about the use of a neck collar vs. breast collar. It really depends on the vehicle you're using as to which collar you'll want.


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## BackInTheSaddleAgain

Thank you 
Well, since I posted this, I've done a lot of research and I've decided to go with beta biothane, I'm ordering a Smucker's Pleasure Harness: Carriage Driving Essentials - Smuckers Synthetic Pleasure Harness


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## Left Hand Percherons

I feel you're always better off buying good tack. When the harness doesn't fit properly, it takes away from the enjoyment quickly. You can always get your money back if you decide to sell it. I would recommend getting the measurement off the bridle. If your filly has a very fine feminine head, she most likely will not fit in a standard draft bridle. They are sized more for gelding heads. Also order a set of heel chains. You can just connect them to the tugs making them long enough to drag things around the arena. Harrowing the arena and RP is a great job for her to start with.


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## BackInTheSaddleAgain

Ah! You answered an important question (heel chains... I wasn't sure what they were called) I want to have her pulling a small tire before I take her to a cart. Hopefully the site sells them.

You're so right about my mare. She's incredibly hard to fit for ANYTHING. I've taken every measurement possible and I emailed them to the harness dealer. If worse comes to worse, she attends the draft auction I'm going to next month and she can help fit my horse. I'm nervous about fitting, but the dealer has a good return policy and happy references. **crossing fingers** 


Left Hand Percherons said:


> I feel you're always better off buying good tack. When the harness doesn't fit properly, it takes away from the enjoyment quickly. You can always get your money back if you decide to sell it. I would recommend getting the measurement off the bridle. If your filly has a very fine feminine head, she most likely will not fit in a standard draft bridle. They are sized more for gelding heads. Also order a set of heel chains. You can just connect them to the tugs making them long enough to drag things around the arena. Harrowing the arena and RP is a great job for her to start with.


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## BackInTheSaddleAgain

Oh, boy. What am I looking at here? I feel lost again. I don't understand what's in the dropdown menu, or which one I want 0_o. This is hard to learn on my own.
https://www.mydrafthorse.com/cfwebs...ed1858b9d-3E8FCB52-BCD9-C46C-7FE5EA4365E8A6CE

or

https://www.mydrafthorse.com/cfwebs...ed1858b9d-3E8FCB52-BCD9-C46C-7FE5EA4365E8A6CE


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## churumbeque

BackInTheSaddleAgain said:


> Thank you
> Well, since I posted this, I've done a lot of research and I've decided to go with beta biothane, I'm ordering a Smucker's Pleasure Harness: Carriage Driving Essentials - Smuckers Synthetic Pleasure Harness


 Celine is great to work with and very knowledgeable.
I bought a beautiful leather harness from her and have a bit on order


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## BackInTheSaddleAgain

Oh, good! I keep hearing good things about her. That give me more confidence that I've made the right decision.


churumbeque said:


> Celine is great to work with and very knowledgeable.
> I bought a beautiful leather harness from her and have a bit on order


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## smrobs

I am unsure how to use or connect the first ones that you posted, the longer ones that are just chain.

However, I do know that you must have (I call them tugs) on your harness to use the one's with the D on the end. Let me find a decent picture of one of our harnesses. We use the leather tugs with the heel chain on the end instead of chain all the way down.









It's a little blurry but you can see where the tug is attached to the hame and then runs down to where the heel chain is hooked on the double tree.


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## BackInTheSaddleAgain

I love visuals. It makes all the difference! Thank you for your help again, smrobs


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## smrobs

Glad I could.


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## Ladytrails

BackintheSaddle, when I used my breast collar harness to start my horses, I also had an extra singletree that I attached to the tire or wood pallet that I dragged around. You can see the singletree in the picture that smbrobs showed with the traces (the tugging straps) connected to the heel chains, which are attached to the ends of the singletree. That keeps the chains spread out behind the horse, so that the horse doesn't step on them. The first time or two that I hitched up to a training load, I actually used baling twine to connect the traces and the singletree, tied it in a quick release knot and kept the long tails close to hand. I wanted to be able to give a quick yank and free the load we were dragging if we had a wreck and got tangled in the harness. You have to get really close to their back legs to connect up or release, and that was NOT a place I wanted to be if my horse started running or kicking out at the load! 

It's a lot of fun to drive, and if you've done ground work already, the training is easy. You'll enjoy it!


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