How to Harness a Miniature Horse and Hook It to a Cart

Miniature horses cannot be ridden by an adult, however they are strong enough to pull a one or two seat mini horse cart. These little horses have great temperaments and want to please their owners, so adjusting them and training them to accept harnesses is not a difficult task. Making certain that the horse is comfortable in its harness and that the cart leads fit securely is very important to successfully harnessing your mini horse to a cart.

Things You'll Need

  • Halter and lead rope
  • Measuring tape
  • Driving harness and bridle
  • One or two seat mini horse cart and shafts
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Instructions

    • 1
      horse bit

      Put the halter on the horse and attach the lead rope. Lead the horse to a post and tie him with the rope. This will make measuring him easier. If necessary, have a second person available to keep the horse calm, since a skittish mini-horse may lead to faulty measurements. The driving harness consists of the driving bridle with bit, reins and blinkers, breast collar and traces, saddle, crupper and breeching (brakes).

    • 2

      Measure the horse for the bridle. Start the measurements from the mouth corner, along the cheek over the head behind the ears, and down the other cheek to the mouth corner. Adjust the straps in the bridle to conform to these measurements for a snug yet comfortable fit.

    • 3

      Measure the horse for the driving harness. Wrap the tape measure around the girth of the horse. This is the circumference of the harness. For best placement, measure the girth a few inches behind the withers to the middle of the horse̵7;s back. The length between the withers and harness varies slightly depending on how long a back the mini-horse has, so it is dependent on each individual horse.

    • 4

      Measure the mini-horse̵7;s length from where you measured the girth to where the tail joins the horse̵7;s body. This is called the dock and it is where the back of the harness saddle will rest.

    • 5

      Introduce the mini-horse to the different pieces of the driving harness slowly. Put the harness on the horse, including the bit and crupper that goes around the tail. Many horses do not like anything interfering with their tail so it is important to get the horse used to the foreign object before attaching the cart and shafts. Make sure the horse is relaxed and comfortable around the cart by leading him around it and allowing him to get used to it.

    • 6

      Place the cart shafts over the mini̵7;s back. Get him used to these shafts by putting them on and off several times before attaching them to the harness and the cart. Let the horse get used to having the cart behind him before hooking him up to it.

    • 7

      Attach the harness̵7; girth belt to the mini-horse. Let him get used to wearing it when it is tightened and the reins are placed over his back. Hook the shafts through the rings on the harness with the hooks attached to the shaft and allow the mini-horse to feel the weight of the cart behind him. Before anyone sits in the horse cart, attach the lead rope and lead the mini-horse around until he is comfortable towing the cart behind him and feels relaxed.