SAFE HARNESSING

Valleys and Rim Carriage Association Inc. Safe Harnessing. Single Horse Presented by Rex A Walker NCAS Level 1 Carriage Driving Coach

Safe Harnessing. Single Horse

Essential safety guide line: Start at front and work to back, check everything. Using a suitable halter and lead fasten horse securely or have assistant hold horse. Full Collar:   Turn the collar upside down and place it over the horses head being careful to clear the eyes as it passes them (take care halter buckle pin does not harm collar lining.). Turn the collar up the right way by holding it up to the top of the neck and rolling it in the same direction the mane falls.   or Breast collar: Place the breast-collar either over the head or undo the neck strap and place the breast-collar around the neck, attach neck strap. Adjust if necessary so the breast-collar is above the point of the shoulder. Place the harness pad or saddle on the horse fasten the girth up just firm, place the buckle pin in the strap but leave the billet end out of the loop.  Do belly band up on the last hole and leave billet end loose. Fit the back strap to the cantle loop on the saddle, back through the running loop and fasten buckle, put tail into breeching and adjust back strap. Place the Breeching straps in the breeching seat rings. Connect the traces to the tug buckles, put in centre hole if adjustment not known.  Slip onto the last loop of the backstrap billet and put billet back in loop 1. Put reins through terrets enough to reach bit and loose fasten to terret, then grip remaining rein into three sections and loop around backstrap. 2. Undo nose band on halter and move back down the neck.  Place winkers on horse and fasten throatlash, cavesson/noseband and curb chain if used.  Refasten halter. Fasten reins to bit. Safety rule CHECK all parts of harness are correct, from both sides Putting to For single horse, move vehicle up to horse letting the horse know you are coming, (horse can not see you) run shafts through tugs, quickly fasten traces and Breeching straps. Adjust traces so that the shaft ends are not forward of the point of the shoulder and the tugs stops are just behind the tugs when traces are tight.   Check and adjust height of breastcollar or clearance of full collar. Check Breeching so one hand can be passed between the horse and the seat of Breeching while traces are held tight. Safety rule    Now CHECK EVERYTHING all buckles, parts and adjustments from both sides. When all is ready take up reins and mount vehicle taking up correct position on box seat. When ready to take control indicate to assistant or groom to release horse 1 At this point hold horse for ½ a minute or so before moving off. (2) Notes: 1. Good idea to just give a nod or similar signal so horse does not take voice as a signal to move off. 2. Doing this helps prevent horse from developing the habit of rushing off immediately it is released. Taking out Safety guide:      Start at back and work to front, check everything Using a suitable halter and lead fasten horse securely or have assistant hold horse. Loop reins under backstrap Loosen belly band and buckle it into last hole Undo Breeching straps , pass billet end back through loop to keep from ground contact Disconnect traces and attach under backstrap billet Remove vehicle and put in safe place well away from horse. Unharness Nb      When removing harness wipe down with damp cloth to remove sweat and dirt. Take reins of bit and loop onto terrets. Undo curb chain, nose band and throatlash, remove winkers. (One hand on poll and other on nose). Remove reins. Remove traces Undo loin straps, remove seat of Breeching and loin strap. Undo backstrap (take care not to lose running loop) and remove crupper Undo girth and belly band and remove saddle. Remove collar or breast collar. Wipe sweat off horse.