What Are Traces & Harnesses?

Traces and harnesses have been used since humans began pulling things. Even today, northern indigenous people will pull sleds with a simple rope trace attached between a harness and a sled. Traces and harnesses are used on a wide variety of domestic animals to pull vehicles and other loads. These animals include horses, mules, oxen, dogs, goats, reindeer and elephants. The most commonly used are horses.

  1. Fine

    • A fine harness is used for show animals, mostly horses. In a horse show, the animal will wear a harness made of well-polished, refined leather, with additions such as noseband plates, blinker decorations, face pieces, brass name plates, plumes, and coloured strap insets. They may pull a light cart.

    Racing or Carriage

    • Harnesses used in racing or pulling carriages, sulkies or sleds are heavier than show harnesses. For horses, there is a strap that runs across the horse's chest called a breast collar, which distributes the weight. The chain or leather traces connect them to load they are pulling. Dog harnesses are simpler in design and are usually made of nylon webbing.

    Heavy

    • Heavy pulling, whether of plows, logs or freight wagons and sleds, requires stronger, heavily-padded harnesses. Horses, sometimes connected in pairs, wear full collars and a back band. The chain traces run from the collar, through the back band and are often connected to a whippletree, which distributes the load. Dog freighting harnesses have wide chestbands and extra padding.