Hobbies And Interests
Instructions
Have someone assist you with the harnessing and hitching process. It is better to have an extra pair of eyes and hands to ensure the utmost safety.
Put the collar on the horse first. The collar should be placed over the horse's head upside down, allowing the widest part of the collar to slip over the eyes and ears more easily. Once it is on, rotate the collar so that the narrow portion sits on the top of the neck.
Place the hamess on the collar securely. Harnesses are fitted metal pieces secured to the collar, and are ultimately responsible for pulling the carriage. Hamesses are held in place by a leather hamess strap, which should be buckled at the base of the collar. They must be buckled on the tightest possible notch to prevent slippage, causing them to fit snugly within the collar's designated grooves. The traces are attached to the hamess and should be looped so that the remaining length does not drag on the ground.
Put on the saddle and breeching. The saddle should fit just behind the horse's withers, or shoulders, and is fastened by a belly band. Fasten the belly band so that it is not too tight. Attached to the saddle are the crupper and breeching. The crupper is the leather band connecting the saddle to the crupper dock. The crupper dock loops underneath the tail and buckles to the crupper. The breeching fits the hind end of the horse and will be connected to the hold-backs in later steps.
Unloop the traces and pass them through the designated slots on each side of the saddle. Take the remaining length and lay over the horse's back until it is time to fasten to the carriage.
Bridle the horse. A halter may be left on underneath the bridle if desired. While standing on the horse's left side, use your right hand to pass the head piece over the horse's nose. With your left hand, slip the bit into the horse's mouth. Then raise the rest of the head piece in place over the horse's ears. Adjust the forelocks as need, and buckle the throat latch in place underneath. Thread the reins through the rein turrets on the hamess on the collar, as well as through rings on the saddle. Make sure the reins are attached to the bridle before beginning to hook the horse to the carriage. Loop extra reins up over the rein turrets to prevent the horse falling to the ground.
Back the horse into position a few feet in front of the carriage. Then, walk the carriage the rest of the way up to the horse. You or your assistant need to be at the horse's head, while the other gently brings the carriage shafts down by the horse's sides. The shafts of the carriage will go through openings on the saddle called shaft loops or tugs. The breeching will be fastened to hold-backs, or leather straps with buckles, on each side of the shaft. Take the traces and fasten each side to the appropriate locations onto the carriage. You or your assistant must have a hold of the reins at all times during this step to prevent runaway accidents if a horse becomes spooked.
Board the carriage with reins and driving whip in hand, while your assistant remains at the horse's head. Never allow passengers to board before the driver is securely in place.