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  Discussion on Connecting pony harness to cart
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Member:
mleeb

Posted on Monday, Mar 1, 2010 - 11:54 pm:

Ok, so I have a shetland pony, a cart, and harness. Not the harness with the collar, but the lighter version with the breast band.

I can't find anyone who can show me how to hook a single pony in light harness. Everyone around here drives a draft team instead.

I've managed to fit the harness to the pony, and break her to pulling a calf sled. Yesterday I moved up to the cart. Some adjustments will need to be made to the harness, but I'm trying to find a good set of instructions, preferably with a diagram, to show what part of the harness connects to what part of the cart, and how. I'm winging it right now. Yesterday I managed a working system, but I don't want to be flying by the seat of my pants on this, I'd much rather know for sure what I'm doing. I've googled, but it hasn't helped much yet.

Anyone got info that can help?
Member:
rtrotter

Posted on Tuesday, Mar 2, 2010 - 7:14 am:

Michelle,

I am assuming that you do not have a quickhitch harness or cart. then it would be a simple manner of hooking the cart to the harness, takes a few seconds.

If you are dealing with a short breast band and not a buxton( the buxton connects to the sides of the harness and to a ring on the bottom of the harness) then you should have two waterhooks( one on each side that the breast collar ends hook into (look up by the harness, on the outside of the shafts of the cart).

You should have some straps that wrap around the shaft. The tugs are where the cart shafts go through. You should have some straps, each side gets done the same way. Usually you wrap the shaft on the right side first ( snugly, but not to tight) wrap from underneath, one wrap in front of the tug, one wrap behind and if you have enough strap come to the front again and put in the buckle and keeper. Do both sides like this.

The shafts of the cart should not significantly stick out in front of your pony when hooked because that would limit the range for turning.

When you get done, both sides of the harness should be in the same holes, the harness should be snug but not overly tight and the cart should be positioned so the pony can turn.

If your harness has thimbles, another set of straps that fit over the front of the shafts, these should be adjusted to fit the pony and once adjusted the cart will always fit the pony.

Can you post a picture, so I know exactly what type of equipment you have. Then I can give you some more instructions?

Rachelle
Member:
mleeb

Posted on Tuesday, Mar 2, 2010 - 7:32 am:

I don't believe either is a quickhitch, but let's face it, I wouldn't know it if I was staring right at it. This is so different from a western saddle! Short breast band, yes. Doesn't sound like the buxton you describe.

Is a waterhook on the harness, or on the shafts? There's a square shaped "ring" on the shafts where I connect the harness, I don't know the name for ANYTHING so I apologize for the confusion.

Wrapping the strap forward and then behind! Wow! So that's why the darn thing is so long! I made three wraps with it to get it to fit.

I understand that the harness needs to pull, therefore the breast strap must eventually connect to the cart, and that the harness must brake, therefore the butt breaching must attach as well. The tiny details of how to do it all correctly are evading me.

I can post a picture, but it will be a day or two at least. Have to work for a living, darn...
Member:
mrose

Posted on Tuesday, Mar 2, 2010 - 10:27 am:

There are some excellent books with diagrams, wish I could remember the names. You might do a search through Stateline tack or one of the horse orientated book club sites. I saw one that had great pictures. Maybe some of the driving club web sites would have illustrations also.Search www.USEF.org perhaps for links. Of course, you're talking to an expert with Rachelle, but I know it's hard to visualize sometimes, at least it is for me. My mom taught me how to hook up harness and drive, but I'd be hard put now to tell someone else how to do it.
Member:
juliem

Posted on Tuesday, Mar 2, 2010 - 10:28 am:

Michelle, I have "Breaking A Horse To Harness" by Sallie Walrond. Good instructions and pictures. I got it on Amazon. I have another, but can't find it at the moment. The above book is also really good step by step training. I used it pretty faithfully to break my Shetland to drive. Have fun! Julie
Member:
juliem

Posted on Tuesday, Mar 2, 2010 - 10:51 am:

I'll try to upload a picture of my pony in harness. It's very different from Rachelle's description so I wonder if you have the same type harness and cart as I do. The traces extend from the breast collar to the singletree. The breeching (brakes) hook to the little loop part of the botton of the shaft.
Member:
paardex

Posted on Tuesday, Mar 2, 2010 - 11:12 am:

Fun to read!! I keep having visions of an entangled shetand on its back with all leashes and reins around its and your body Michelle!
The shetland I had as a child had a cart with shafts too an during summer got to fat to fit inbetween...
Hope to hear more and see pics!
Jos
Member:
mleeb

Posted on Tuesday, Mar 2, 2010 - 9:30 pm:

Julie - That's it! It's the same style. What hooks the braces to the singletree? A little hook? My harness just has slots cut into it, no hardware. When I finally decided to use twine on the ends I hoped like mad no one would drive by and see it! Also, there's another set of straps (name?) on either side of the saddle, which I believe are to keep the poles held down, and that's what I was mentioning in my earlier post that I wrapped them around the shafts about 3 times to make them short enought to be effective. Is that how it's supposed to be? Where do the shafts end - mid shoulder? I know mine are too long, but I want to know the ideal length before I cut them off. It was a homemade cart (garage sale find!) so no guarantees on proportions with it. It's perfect for training, cause I don't care what happens to it.

This is just like going back to school...

Jos, so sorry to dissapoint!! We didn't get tangled at all, but even as I was typing I thought it sounded like that was the way the story was going. I'm truly blessed with this little girl. She has more patience than the entire herd put together. She stood patiently throughout the entire process, never fidgeted once. My son gave up holding the lead rope and went back in the house and left her ground tied, and still nothing. I went out prepared for the worst, and got nothing but the best. Even had a successful drive down the road, got passed by a truck, and did some trotting. You'd swear we knew what we were doing! However, if she gains a pound, I'll need a new cart.
Member:
juliem

Posted on Tuesday, Mar 2, 2010 - 10:03 pm:

There are slots in the ends of my traces that slip over a sort of hook on each end of the singletree--the wooden crosspiece between the shafts of the cart. The straps on either side of the saddle should loop back on themselves through a buckle on each side (forming the loop)and then buckle together under the belly--just like the belly band (cinch/girth). The loop is what the ends of the shafts of the cart go through. This is the "tugs". My shafts end about mid shoulder as you can see, but what you can't see is that they curve outward so as not to poke her when she turns or has to sidepass to turn the cart in place. Also, you want the shafts to be close to parallel to the ground or a slight upward slant when the cart is weighted. You don't want a downward slant! How tall is your pony? Aren't they fun--I love this girl.
Member:
canter

Posted on Wednesday, Mar 3, 2010 - 7:11 am:

Julie, your little pony is as cute as a button in her harness. Would love to see a picture of your pony "all dressed up", Michelle.
Member:
mleeb

Posted on Wednesday, Mar 3, 2010 - 9:31 pm:

Ok, this is really helping. Now I know what tugs are and how to use them. Why didn't I just post here months ago and save myself a lot of time? You'd think I'd know better by now. I'm sure I've been hanging out here for 3 years now...

The cart sits at an angle just like yours does in the picture, so we're ok there. The shafts do curve outwards, but they are much too long and reach to mid neck, so I'm going to cut them back and grind them smooth.

Probably won't get a picture for another couple of days yet. Things keep arriving last minute on my calendar and messing up my evenings. Honey is about 38" tall, give or take. She's a fuzzy blond in the winter, and a sleek dappled chocolate in the summer. Very cute. Now I've done a search and realized I have no summer pictures of her.
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