Breeching

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Ouburgia

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I'd understand a lot of driving topics more if I knew what Breeching meens..

Can anyone help me?
 
I can't really explain it.
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:DOH! they/it are/is straps that go around the butt. You can look it up though. Best Wishes on your searching,Amelia Lee
 
Ok. You have your cruppe strap, then the crupper strap that goes around the dock of the tail. there is a strap that goes over the hip area, through the crupper strap then back down. it the goes down and wraps around the buttocks. That made no sense so heres a pic!

A strap going across the rump with rings on either end attached to hold back straps - the whole strap is held up by a hip strap and works as keep the vehicle from running up on the horse. (from Chicicum Tack)

Now I can find a pic...
 
The breeching harness has a similar function as the chest harness piece, only in reverse.

The breast piece is around the chest and the breeching is around the rear end
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When pulling the cart the horse is able to use their chest harness to help with the pull, and the breeching aids the horse backing up.

I am just beginning to harness my horses and this is just my understanding.

There are a lot of experts out there.

In Ontario, Canada Lori Rafter does a lot of harness training and as well, John and Amelia Murray.

They are the people who can help
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Breeching/britching/britchen: The strap that goes horizontally around the rump to hold the cart back. Held up by the hip strap or straps, which run through the backstrap that connects to the crupper (tail piece) and the saddle. Rarely seen on U.S. show harnesses but required at American Driving Society events and a good idea all the time. Trust me, you use it! I've seen it in your photos.

Leia
 
I like your harness where did you get it??

For the record, although it may be the angle of the photo, your breeching does appear to be attached too far back...and the shafts a little too short??

"Breeches" is apparently an old English word pertaining to the buttocks, and it is round this part of the horse that the breeching goes, encircling the buttocks and acting as a brake for the vehicle which the horse applies by sitting back into the breeching (strap).

As Leia says, essential when driving, you rarely if ever see a horse driven in Europe without breeching.

The exception would be the Hackney's (some of them, anyway) and, sadly, the Miniature Horses.
 
the harness is an hackney harness made in 1938 in England.

I understand you think my shafts are to short, because I think youre shafts (american carts) are to long
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European driving and usa driving is very different I noticed

I see a lot of horses with the long shafts that I think: Aren't those shaft pricking (??) into the neck?

we use breeching as a brake. when you go back from canter to walk for example, breeching (the breeching?) holds the cart back, also if you go down hill
 
Oubergia, I live in England!!!

My shafts are pretty well standard, I can assure you.

But your cart is a Smart Cart??

Does it have the loops at the end of the shafts to prevent the shafts slipping out?

If so, that would account for them being so short.

No, is the answer to you question, the shafts do not stick into the horse if they are correctly adjusted, they stop at the shoulder, which is the correct place for them to be, as I have always understood it.

The modern carts are very different as they are geared to a different discipline, but I should not care to do pleasure driving day to day in a cart whose shafts stopped at the saddle.

Maybe it is just what you are used to??
 
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rabbitsfizz said:
The modern carts are very different as they are geared to a different discipline, but I should not care to do pleasure driving day to day in a cart whose shafts stopped at the saddle.Maybe it is just what you are used to??
The horses are quite fond of short marathon shafts, actually. Kody's used to the curved gig shafts of his Bellcrown now and although I have the straight wooden shafts of his Graber showcart correctly adjusted at the point of his shoulders it always takes him awhile to get used to moving into them again. Marathon shafts (the ones that end at the saddle in a loop) are much more comfortable for them and balance/float the same as a straight shaft.

Leia
 
I don't know what to call this cart. It's the most common cart here for shetlands and mini's. Mine is one of the first types. The newer ones have brakes and all.

It's also about the only cart you can get here without importing.

The shafts can't fall out. The reins that are used to hook them to the cart (don't know the name, sorry) aren't long enough for that.

There is also a kind of bow in the end, and stops for beeing sure the cart cant go to much forward when braking.

There where straight shafts on it when I bought it, but the were to small for my horse, so I bought bigger shafts..

Rabbitsfizz, sorry I didn't see you where from England, you don't have to shout about that.

I think its more easy for a horse to be driven whith short shaft so they can use there shoulders while pulling. Especially when you make a turn and they have to step over...
 
I have not had any experience of these shafts so I shall have to take your word on it!!

For the record, I was not shouting.

If I had been shouting we should not have needed the computer- you would have heard me!!!
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Here's our cart and you may be able to see the location of the shafts.

In Canada at shows there seems to never be any britching (Breeching) used.

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I have only started driving so half the time I need help adjusting my hookup.
 

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