# Breaking to harness, want your experiences



## jimmy (Aug 26, 2009)

i,ve just broke a 7yr old mare and now in the process of breaking another of the same age,you will get loads of conflicting advice ,but its not rocket science,jus work at your own pace and what your comfortable with and yoou will be ok


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## Chuckleberry (Feb 4, 2011)

Thanks Jimmy. That's my plan


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## BackInTheSaddleAgain (Apr 20, 2009)

Hi  Just wondering if you have put the harness ON yet? Or are you starting from scratch?


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## Chuckleberry (Feb 4, 2011)

No, haven't got around to putting the harness on yet. Chucky needs ALLLL the basics first  I don't want to push it too fast, either.


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## BackInTheSaddleAgain (Apr 20, 2009)

I would start with having the harness draped over the hitching post by your horse. After the horse is disinterested in it, start jingling it around... make some noise with it so the horse gets used to it's sounds.

I can't say it's best for every horse, but some people tie empty milk jugs to their horses tails so they get used to having something behind them that makes some noise and also hits the back of their legs a bit.

You can also find a string of driving bells to put around the neck.

Do you have a surcingle? Definitely get one of you don't. It's a good transition to a full harness.


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## Chuckleberry (Feb 4, 2011)

Great idea, to get him used to the sounds of the harness. Thanks!


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## Islandmudpony (Feb 7, 2011)

Hey, I kinda built a home-made breastplate style harness for the Belgian colt I had a few years ago. I started ground-work with him as a 2 year old - we did alot of lunging, then ground-driving, then ground-driving with the harness on, then ground-driving with rope traces dragging on the ground behind him. Then we tied a wood spreader bar to the rope traces, and let him pull that around. His first project was pulling the chain link harrow around the sand riding ring. He did great, but I always free-lounged and lunged him first so he could blow off steam. I hear drafts are supposed to be docile, LOL!!!! This guy had more spunk than most of the warmbloods I've worked with.


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## Chuckleberry (Feb 4, 2011)

haha, yeah you certainly get some characters in every breed 
Chucky has actually never been lunged before. Does anyone have suggestions for how I can teach it to him?


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## Islandmudpony (Feb 7, 2011)

Yeah, for lunging, make sure you have a safe, enclosed area. You can start by just clipping the lead rope onto his halter, and using a dressage whip or lunge whip. Tell him "walk on", and if nothing happens, cluck and wave the whip at his butt. Start by having him just walk small circles around you. If he still doesn't go, touch his butt with the whip. It won't take long before he goes from just "walk on". You'll need to get him used to the idea of going on a bigger circle before you do any trot work - that's when I'd switch to using the longer lunge whip. But always, voice commands first, and keep your body position and attitude so that you're making his butt go foward. For slowing back down again, if just "whoa" doesn't work, assume a body position that opposes his shoulder more, and of course, lower or drop the whip. 

If it's still mud, I'm sure there are some good how-to vids on you-tube for lungeing and teaching a horse to lunge. Lungeing is really a great start for any kind of training, so good luck with it


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## slc (Jan 30, 2011)

I actually hung the harness in the stall, LOL. My little brumby was wild enough that he needed that. Terrified of blankets('The Cloak of Death and Despair'), never saddled, barely halter broke, unhandled for years...

I think the most difficult piece of harness for them to get used to is the breeching. I left that off for a while. The closed bridle was no problem. 

For first time harnessing, I had already spent a good long time, draping lead shanks, rags and such over his back, working up to a little bit of lightly letting the lead shank slap his legs or back or rump. Lots and lots and lots of that. If your horse has been trained to back away from spinning or twirling lead ropes, here's where that becomes a problem, LOL.

Once we got to where we could put on the breeching, I put the breast collar on, tied up the traces, and led my pony - a LOT. Lots and lots of walking. For a good long time. 

Then started longeing, with only the surcingle and a halter at first, gradually add in each piece of harness.

I think one thing a lot of people do is not let them canter in harness. I understand that logic, but what happens if the animal does start cantering, and all the components of the harness start moving differently and sounding different?

So my little guy also cantered on the longe line, with each piece of harness gradually added. And given his first reaction, I am very, very glad it didn't happen some day out on a driving trail while hitched!

After a long time of longeing at all 3 gaits with all the harness, I started ground driving.

I did not want to hitch the traces to anything and have a panic, so I held the traces behind one elbow so I could exert some traction on them, and the lines in my hands (I only know how to drive Hungarian style or two handed).

I first started longeing with the traces dangling down and two longe lines, so he was getting used to lines laying on his body while he was moving. Then I switched to walking to one side or behind my pony, and putting traction on the breast strap so he would feel how it feels to need to pull into the breast strap.

Then I had my little 'fake shafts' that we hitched up and he went with those.

Then we hitched. 

But we did quite a bit more before we felt ready for that. The cart was parked across his door and his hay was put on the cart. You want to eat, you get used to the cart. So never have we had any fear of the cart in general. 

We spent a good long time with my SO pulling the cart(yes he got a medal) and me walking the pony, first behind the cart, then on each side, then in front of it.

THEN we hitched. The pony was still rather startled when the shafts touched his side in a more fixed way. It just does not feel the same way the 'fake shafts' (training shafts) do. They can feel that there's weight to the cart and that the shafts are not just laying there.

So we spent a good long time, hitching, unhitching, coupled with lots of treats, chit chat and rewards.

So now we are up to today. And this spring, we'll start up again, as long as my health continues to hold. Hopefully will be driving outside within 2 months of spring, but if it takes my little wild man a bit longer I just do not care.

My goal is a pleasure drive at the local park, and some day, a pleasure driving outing with the driving club.

But I am in no hurry and whatever we can accomplish is fine. Pony is still our little world champion, and always will be.


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## Chuckleberry (Feb 4, 2011)

wow! That's fantastic, slc. Thanks so much for sharing. I hope things keep going well for you.


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## Ladytrails (Jul 28, 2010)

Islandmudpony gave great instructions on lunging. I'll add just one thing - for a driving horse, DO NOT let them turn toward you on the circle at your Whoa command. You want to teach them to stop in place, just like when you're in the buggy seat. Most of the people I see lunging on TV and so forth expect the horse to stop and face the person on the Whoa command. and then change direction. You will want to make sure that the Whoa is different from the "turn and go the other way" command for your future driving pony!


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## slc (Jan 30, 2011)

Well I don't want that. when I see those people longeing like that on tv, I scream, 'My eyes! My eyes!'


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## Remudamom (Feb 25, 2011)

Hi, I'm new here. I've got two driving ponies. Trained one myself, and did extensive groundwork on the other before sending her to the Amish for one month, then I took over again.

If you have any specific questions I'd be happy to help, and I've got pics of some of the training.


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## BackInTheSaddleAgain (Apr 20, 2009)

I love that tip on not letting the horse turn in while lunging! 
If you've any interest, here is a 12-part series I found yesterday that you can watch: Long Lines - Ground Driving | Horse Videos – Horse.com Video Library

I agree about even hanging the equipment near the horse. It can't hurt  I haven't gotten my harness in the mail yet, but I still hang the driving lines over her hitching post every day.

And, slc took the same exact steps I plan on taking leading up to the cart. Good advice


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