The Parts of a Driving Harness

Using a horse to drive a carriage is a popular and varied sport that is performed by horses from miniature size all the way up to draft horses. While some carriage driving is undertaken for pleasure, other carriage driving enthusiasts will enter horse shows or perform in an arena before crowds. One thing that all carriage-driving activities have in common is the equipment they use.

  1. Bridle

    • The bridle contains a bit which goes between the horse's teeth, and cheek pieces and a crown piece like a riding bridle. Some riding and driving bridles may also have a noseband. Additionally, a driving bridle will have blinkers and a checkrein. Blinkers sit on the cheek pieces and only permit a horse to see what is directly ahead. The checkrein runs from the bit over the top of the horse's head and back to the top of the saddle to keep the horse's head up and prevent him from kicking hard.

    Reins or Driving Lines

    • Reins and driving lines are lengths of leather or nylon straps or rope that are attached to the bit. The driver holds the reins and uses them to guide and control the horse. Teams of horses frequently have their reins joined so that the driver only needs to hold one rein in each hand.

    Collar

    • A collar is a padded loop that allows the horse to push against the harness with its shoulders and chest. Variations include a full collar for heavy pulling or a breast collar for light pulling. The breast collar should lie just below the base of the neck on the horse's chest.

    Traces and Tugs

    • Traces are straps or chains used to connect the collar to the cart's singletree. One end of the traces are generally buckled to the collar. The other end of the trace may have an opening similar to a buttonhole, which can be slipped over the end of the singletree. Another piece of leather goes over the singletree to hold the trace in place. The traces should lie in line with the shafts of the cart. If they do not, you may adjust the shafts via a loop on the saddle.

    Saddle Girth and Belly Band

    • The Saddle should sit a couple of inches behind the horse's withers. The saddle, girth and belly band should be snug, but not too tight. The center hook of the saddle is known as a water hook. The checkrein attaches to this hook. On each side of the water hook are rings for the reins to pass through. Next to these are the loops that the cart shafts attach to. These are generally adjustable to fit the shaft. The saddle is held in place with a strap known as a crupper that wraps around the horse's tail.

    Breeching

    • The breeching are the horse's brakes. It allows a horse to lean back to slow the cart's momentum. Breeching goes around the horse's hindquarters and are held in place with a loin strap. The breaching strap should go through a metal ring and wrap around the shaft a few times. It should not fit tightly around the horse's hindquarters.