How to Assemble a Horse Harness

A horse harness is not needed to ride a horse on a saddle. But if you need to hook a horse up to a wagon, sled or anything else you need it to pull, you will need to attach a harness. The animal will need the support and distribution of weight that the harness will give them when it is wrapped across its chest and shoulder.

Things You'll Need

  • Horse harness Horse
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place the collar or breast plate around the neck and over the shoulders.

    • 2

      Fasten the hames to the collar. The hames are made of wood or leather.

    • 3

      Attach the traces, the leather straps that go on either side of the horse, to the hames. If you're using the breast plate instead of the collar, the traces are attached directly to the breastband.

    • 4

      Attach the saddle to the back with straps that go around the belly and under the tail. The saddle is not the same as a regular riding saddle, but is basically a thin support that runs the length of the back. The strap under the tail is called a crupper.

    • 5

      Run the reins from the head through rings that come off the saddle and hames. This is used to guide the horse from the vehicle.

    • 6

      Attach the poles from the vehicle to the loops that come out of the straps at the back of the saddle.