Ninety-nine percent of the time, I dress like a homeless person—but when it’s time to dress up? Oh, there is nothing I love more. Especially when it involves one of my many Victorian costumes. So naturally, when the time came to buy a harness, did I choose simple black? Absolutely not. Dramatic and flashy, please!
The harness the boys came with was fine, but it was a bit of this and a bit of that. Since I work for Alberta Carriage Supply, I couldn’t stand the mismatched look—so I ordered the haute couture of harnesses.
The first question I asked myself was: “What do I ultimately want to do with my team?” This is an important question, because if you purchase a good-quality harness, you will likely have it for most of the horse’s life. Each harness provides slightly different support depending on its purpose. My goal (and dream) is to take the team on mountain trips and logging adventures alongside the Big Drafts, so I chose a collar-and-hames–style harness.
Why? Because it allows horses to pull heavy loads with maximum comfort and support. The collar and hames, with the tugs attached to the evener, create what is called a line of draft—a 90-degree angle that allows for optimal power and comfort. I also went with BioThane harness material: great in both winter and summer, easy to maintain, lighter than leather, and much easier on the wallet.
My first objective was to take a couple of quick measurements—girth and bridle—to confirm sizing. The team already had well-fitting collars, so no upgrades were needed there. How did I know the collars fit well? I can freely pass the fingers of a flat hand between the collar and the horse’s neck. They fit cleanly, not tight. The collar lays flat and does not rock on the wide spot of the neck. (A sloppy collar causes chafing.)
Knowing the collars were a correct fit confirmed the hame sizes I needed to order with the harness. Properly fitting hames are just as important, as they establish the point of draft—the point at which the tug attaches to the hame. The hames should have the correct curvature to conform to the groove of the collar. If the point of draft is incorrect, it can cause stress on the horse’s shoulders.
From there, it became all about personal taste. There are so many amazing options when ordering a harness; from the various harness BioThane colours, finish of BioThane, inlay colours, location of inlay colours, the amount of spotting, the location of spotting, padding, padding with color or padding with faux fur, just to name a few of the fun options.
I chose a Team Parade Harness with chrome hames, a matte black finish with heavy spotting, and a blue inlay on the bridle, breeching and on the tugs. I also wanted stainless steel hardware and swivel tug ends. I ordered two extras: back saddle pads and hame binders. (Hame binders allow you to tighten the hames without much hand strength—truly a lifesaver for anyone with arthritis or carpal tunnel.) I also bought some harness hooks for my little tack room to keep everything clean and organized.
Then came the waiting game—but not for long. It took just under two weeks to arrive. I got the delivery notice late after work and made Neil drive back to the shop to pick it up. (I live close to work—worth it!)
Now for the fun part: fitting the harness so it feels like a pair of comfy slippers on the boys. Fortunately, there are tons of adjustments. Adjust straps up, adjust straps down—repeat until everything sits exactly as it should, again ensuring the collar and hames are correct to maintain a proper line of draft. The first fitting takes a while, but once it’s done, it’s done.
Ted and Loki needed slightly different adjustments—Loki is taller and wider—but it all came together. And since I’m a bit of a “helicopter” horse owner, I had my mentor, Dale, come out for final approval. We got the thumbs-up.
One thing we struggled with was Ted’s bit. He came with a snaffle, and I tried switching him to a military bit, but he fought me every step of the way. I put him back in the snaffle, and he’s been much happier driving since.
Our first outing in the new harness—and as a newly formed team—was this past weekend. It was a safe space with lots of Master Teamsters and support to take that next step. Dale was kind enough to fix up a sleigh for us to drive. I was clearly the most nervous; I wanted everything to be perfect, even though there were many variables beyond my control. Sometimes, though, you just need to take the step and see.
It went great.
The boys met new people and horses, drove in a new location, pulled a new vehicle (pole and sleigh), encountered moving traffic, and hauled the sled down a gravel road—which made for a loud drive. The day was a huge success.
We had an amazing guest drive with us (the boys, Neil, and me). Jeni (a fellow Fjord owner) brought great support, fur blankets, and mulled wine. If it had been just a couple of degrees warmer, it would have been perfect.
Tiara Teamster, Cheri