What Are the Parts of a Pony Harness?

An equine harness is the apparatus that allows a horse or pony to pull a load, such as a passenger carriage, cart or plow. A harness can be broken down into a number of parts that may vary slightly based on the type of harness being used.

  1. What is a Pony Harness?

    • A pony or horse harness is gear that connects the animal to a load. With a harness, a pony can pull loads such as carriages, wagons, sleighs, carts or plows. Harnesses can be made from leather or synthetic materials such as nylon. Pony harnesses come in both single and double sets; the latter are for team driving. The parts of a pony harness vary slightly based on the type of harness, but there are some basic components according to Mini Horse and Pony Tack Guide.

    Driving Bridle

    • Worn on the pony's head, this has cheek and crown pieces like a regular riding bridle and some have a noseband. A driving bridle has two additional pieces called the blinkers and the checkrein or overcheck. Blinkers can be either square or round. They sit beside the eyes to keep the pony from seeing behind and around him, keeping him focused on the road ahead and the driver's commands. The checkrein connects to the bit, runs up the pony's face in between his ears, connecting to the water hook, on top of the saddle. This keeps the pony's head up and in place. If the bridle has a noseband, it keeps the pony's mouth closed, allowing more control. The bridle is hooked to the bit, which is in the pony's mouth. Some bridles have no bits; these are called hackamores.

    Breast Collar, Full Collar and Traces

    • This apparatus connects the pony to the cart or other load. A breast collar lies below the base of the neck, on the pony's chest. The traces connect the breast collar to the part of the cart called the singletree. Typically, a piece of leather covers the trace, helping to hold it to the singletree. An alternate to a breast collar is called a horse collar or "full collar. It fits around the neck and is ideal for heavier pulling. If a full collar is used, you will need hames, which are metal or wooden strips that take the force of the pull.

    Saddle

    • Different from a riding saddle, it should rest on the pony's back with the girth or bellyband tied firmly around the belly. On top of the saddle is the water hook, which has two rings on either side; the reins run through these rings. On either side of the saddle, there are shaft loops. The shaft runs through the shaft loops, connecting the cart to the horse's bridle on either side.

    Crupper

    • This piece goes around the pony's tail, connects to the saddle with "crupper straps" and helps keep the saddle from shifting.

    Breeching

    • These are the driver's brakes and go around the pony's hindquarters, held in place by loin straps. They attach to the cart through the breeching dee or footman's loop, a metal fitting on the cart shaft.

    Reins

    • These are long straps held by the driver to control and guide the pony.