Instructions
Turn the collar upside down so that the widest part of the collar is on top. Slide the collar over the head and ears of the horse.
Turn the hame upside down and slide the hame over the head and ears of the horse. Adjust the hame until it fits snugly against the collar. Buckle the hame to the collar.
Slowly rotate the collar and attached hame 180 degrees. The narrow point of the collar should be snug against the top of the horse's neck and positioned right behind the head. Pull on the hame strap until it fits snugly against the horse's neck. Make sure that the horse's breathing and circulation aren't impaired.
Buckle the false martingale to the collar and hame strap.
Thread the traces around the underside of the abdomen right in front of the hind quarters. Connect both ends of the traces to the hame and tighten the ends until they fit snugly against the horse.
Buckle the free end of the back strap to the hame and run the length of the back strap down the spine of the horse. Slide the crupper at the end of the back strap over the tail of the horse. Attach the tugs to the back strap pad.
Run the girth under the abdomen of the horse directly behind the front quarters. Connect both ends to the false martingale.
Lay the trace over the top of the horse's back. Thread the free ends of the reins through the loops in the collar and tugs on the back strap pad. Make sure the rein with the buckle is positioned on the outside of each horse in the team when tethered.
Slide the bridle over the horse's head and ears and adjust the bit so it is in a snug, horizontal position in the horse's mouth. Secure the bottom of the harness by adjusting the buckle. Attach the reins to both sides of the bit.
Move the horse close to the item it will be pulling. Slide the connecting shafts through the harness tugs.
Slide the ends of the traces inside the belly band and connect them with the shafts. Attach one end of the breeching straps to the collar hame and the other end to the crupper.
Buckle the belly band around the horse's back and abdomen directly behind the front quarters. Adjust the shaft in the tugs to account for horse height.
How to Harness a Team of Horses
Two or more horses can be harnessed together to pull a variety of objects including carriages or farming equipment. Horse teams were the primary equipment used on farms before the invention of farming machinery. Harnessed horse teams are still used today due to their reliability and reduced costs in comparison to equipment prices and maintenance fees. Horse teams are often seen in communities that have not accepted modern innovation or areas where industrialization is not yet prevalent.