How to Hook Up a Sulky Horse Harness

Years ago harnesses used to be much more elaborate for sulky horses, also known as standardbreds. Standardbreds are best known for racing with harness attached to sulkies for a mile. It was much more complicated years ago because the sulky, more modernly called a race bike, was attached to the shaft by a labrynth of leather. Now sulkies are easily attached to a harness with a quick hitch attachment. A quick hitch is a metal bar on the shaft of the sulky that slides into a trap on the harness that locks and attaches the two.

Things You'll Need

  • Grooming brushes
  • Hoof pick
  • Harness with a saddle pad and crupper attached
  • Buxton
  • Sulky
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Groom your horse on crossties in its stall. Brush out any dirt in the area where you will put the harness and bridle. Pick out the horse's hooves to clear out stones and other debris.

    • 2

      Put the buxton on around the horse's neck, and then slide the harness on the horse's back about a foot off of the withers. Lift the tail from underneath the tailbone with one hand and slide the crupper under the tail.

    • 3

      Pull the harness up just behind the withers. Pull the girth from the other side of the horse and begin to cinch the girth. Cinch the girth gradually to its proper tightness to as not irritate the horse. Once the harness is on, attach the buxton buckles on each side of the harness to metal attachments, and between the front legs to a loop on the girth.

    • 4

      Detach the crossties and bridle the horse, and then attach the lines from the harness to the bit of the bridle. Lead the horse out of the stall, stand it up still and square. Have another person bring up the race bike without touching the horse, and bring it down over the horse. Click the bars of the quick hitch on the bike into the quick hitch trap on the harness.

    • 5

      Walk the horse forward, with the sulky driver taking the lines and mounting into the sulky. The person helping, who is walking the horse forward, will check the horse's head up to the waterhook on the harness.