Coachman's Delight

[Minxiesmom]

I have been talking to Coachman's Delight about a Harness Saddle they have. I have been looking for a harness saddle with a sliding back band. My question for anyone is, do you have any experience with this company and their harness. I know they are good quality, but I have been looking for a little wider saddle with good gullet clearance. They are very expensive so I don't want to make a mistake.

Other company ideas would be appreciated. I know there has been discussion about this subject before, but wanting one in leather, kind of limits my options. I have used the sliding back band and really love the way it works.

Leia, I am kind of doing what said you did, putting my ideal harness together a little piece at a time.

I am doing the happy dance

because I just ordered my husband's Christmas present to me...a leather bitting rig!

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Andy at Coachman's Delight is, well, a delight, and his stuff for big horses is very nice. Unfortunately he hasn't brought any mini things to the National Drive so I don't know if his equipment for them is as nicely finished as the full-sized harness.

Normally for a comfortable, wide, sliding backband saddle I'd recommend Janie at Chimacum Tack but I know you already have stuff by her. I take it she wasn't able to make it in leather? Another vendor I'd recommend for SBB's would be Claudette at Country Carriages (be sure to order it with the waffle weave lining, otherwise I find the synthetic Yoni uses to be way too hard and uncomfortable) but again I don't know if she makes them in leather.

Your best bet might be to try Celine Rickards of Carriage Driving Essentials in CA. She doesn't have a lot of mini stuff on her website but she will custom order just about anything you want in any quality level of harness and I know she has awesome leather carriage harness for minis. I've seen it!

I bet she'd make you one with the gullet clearance you want, gig shaping and a sliding backband. Tell her I sent you; I've been giving her heck on an order and I want her to know at least she's getting some publicity out of her good customer service!

Leia

 

[Minxiesmom]

Leia,

Thanks for this info. I sent an email to Celine. We'll see how this ends up! The one from Andy was going to be $400 and that doesn't include a back band/crupper. That is probably a good price for the quality they are going to have. What are your feelings on the width for the saddle? I am wondering if 4" is too wide. I don't want the harness to overwhelm the horse, but I do want it to be comfortable.

I actually didn't deal with Chimacum Tack for my freedom collar, but with Marjean at Camptown. I do love the freedom collar and haven't had any issues with it bothering Max (little delicate flower that he is). I have a Lutke bitting rig that is biothane or betathane or whatever. It is very nice but Max developed skin issues with it, so that is why I have decided to just stay with leather.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Ah, okay. I thought I recalled that your show harness was a show harness from Chimacum so I figured you must have had problems with it. In that case, you may just want to talk to Marjean or Janie and see about the SBB from them. Their harness saddles are lined with sealed leather just like the FC is so if Max is okay with that, he'd be okay with the saddle. It's plenty wide (I don't recall exactly how wide but I can go measure mine this evening if you'd like), has good gullet clearance and is very comfortable indeed. Price is also much more reasonable than what you've been quoted!

Leia

 

[Minxiesmom]

Do you have a picture of Kody with that saddle on? If you have time to measure it, that would help me make a decision. I will go to Marjean's website and look at that saddle again! Do you have a bridle that has the shaped head piece (more ear room)? If so, which company is that one?

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Beavercreek CDE 2008, shown lightly padded for marathon.

Happ's VSE DT-T! in 2008, saddle shown unpadded I believe.

Closeup of saddle and thin pad from the ocean, 2008

A nice picture of Kody I couldn't resist from the ocean 2008. I miss driving my boy!

The Camptown/Chimacum bridle is the one with the shaped crownpiece but I'm not as fond of the aesthetics of the rest of it. Ozark Mountain starting doing cutback ear spaces on their bridles which are just enough to make it more comfortable for the horses and those bridles are VERY aesthetically pleasing!

Looks like my SBB saddle is 3.25" wide, the gullet is about 1.25" across and at least 1" deep. I'd personally like to see it just a tiny tad wider across the gullet but Kody seems very happy with his and you know he's the pickiest thing around

and has very prominent withers. It probably helps that the padding is quite soft and graduated so it's not like that's a hard saddle tree pressing into the spine. I only use a pad to keep it clean and encourage the saddle not to rotate backwards quite as much as it wants to with Kody's rib shape.

Leia

Edited to add: 4" is a standard saddle width for big horses, I think 3+" is more than enough for the little guys. Especially with a pad under it!

 

[Minxiesmom]

Thanks, Leia!

I appreciate seeing the pictures. I kind of thought the 4" saddle from Coachman's Delight sounded too big. I think yours looks good, and the one on Marjean's website is only $210. She calls it the "Wash and Wear" saddle. I hope that is the same as yours.

You bought some of these harnesses complete, didn't you? I just looked in the Ozark catalog and don't see anything about the cutback ear spaces. Is this something that you just found out about?

I am very sorry Kody has been laid up. I hope everything gets better so you can get back to driving soon!

 

[hobbyhorse23]

I think yours looks good, and the one on Marjean's website is only $210. She calls it the "Wash and Wear" saddle. I hope that is the same as yours.
You bought some of these harnesses complete, didn't you? I just looked in the Ozark catalog and don't see anything about the cutback ear spaces. Is this something that you just found out about?

The "Wash and Wear" is the big horse version I believe. This is the basic saddle you want: Camptown Mini Saddle You'll have to call her for the individual part price but I believe mine in brass from Janie was about $175 with open tugs and girth. Janie will price it down to the individual parts so you can get it as cheap as possible if you don't want the whole thing.

Lisa at Ozark hasn't gotten around to updating some of her harness listings but my understanding is most if not all of her bridles come with it now. She started doing it when I requested it for my custom show harness in 2008 and so many people liked it she made it standard. It's not the same shaped crownpiece as the Sport harness, but there is a cutback behind the ear to curve better around the base.

At this point I own a complete Ozark Mtn Carriage Harness, a complete Ozark Mtn Deluxe Rolled Leather Show harness, a complete Camptown Harness with some additional parts (like the SBB saddle) substituted in from Chimacum Tack and some various other parts from here and there. PM me your phone number and we can chat; my fingers are getting tired! Darn carpal tunnel. And the sad thing is that by 2011 I'll have to buy two completely new sets of show and CDE harness for the yearling who needs stainless steel!

All my stuff is in brass.

Then God help me when I try to drive them as a pair and tandem....Oy.

Leia