Good beginner harness

[HavingFun]

I need to buy a harness. I thought before I just go buy one I should see if anyone has an recommendations for me. I am looking for something easy to maintain yet comfortable for the horse. The most showing we would ever do is 4H.

I see them cheap on E-bay but I don't want to get something that's going to be super stiff.

Thank you!

 

[Jetiki]

I need to buy a harness. I thought before I just go buy one I should see if anyone has an recommendations for me. I am looking for something easy to maintain yet comfortable for the horse. The most showing we would ever do is 4H.

I see them cheap on E-bay but I don't want to get something that's going to be super stiff.

Thank you!

First of all when it comes to harness you get what you pay for. You need to know what you want your harness to do. You mentioned only showing in 4-h shows but you may change your mind later. If you buy one that can do other shows maybe not breed shows but open driving shows you won't have to rebuy the harness later. You need to know your personal preferences for Synthetic vs Leather and how much maintenance you want to have to do on your harness. I have synthetic because I don't like cleaning leather. That is my personal preference. Quality tack last a long time, the junk on ebay.. not so much. Most of it is junk unless its been purchased from a reputable place. Check the sale board here on LiL Beginnings. I think there are a couple of leather harnesses listed.

 

[HavingFun]

I think i would rather have synthetic. I don't mind paying for a better quality harness, I would rather do that then waste my money for junk.

 

[Jill]

All of my harnesses are synthetic and I love them. I have three that biothane (including a Lutke) and one that is betathane

I think they're good choices, though I know not everyone agrees. Some people say they do not like synthetic because it will not break in an accident, however, I have not seen a well made leather harness that I think would break, either, for a miniature horse (carry a knife).

 

[targetsmom]

Not all "beginner" harnesses come with it, but I recommend that you get one with breeching. It makes it easier for the horse to go down hills and to back the cart, because it acts like a brake. Plus if you ever want to do CDEs or other American Driving Society events it is required.

 

[HavingFun]

Not all "beginner" harnesses come with it, but I recommend that you get one with breeching. It makes it easier for the horse to go down hills and to back the cart, because it acts like a brake. Plus if you ever want to do CDEs or other American Driving Society events it is required.

Thank you for pointing that out! I would defintely want breeching, we have a lot of hills around here.

 

[susanne]

I'm ridiculous (I could stop right there and nobody would argue) when it comes to researching before I buy...but as I always say, paranoia has always served me well!

I keep coming back to these:

Ozark Carriage Harness: Not cheap, but value in the truest sense of the word. This will serve you well in any driving endeavor, show to CDE to recreational driving.

Ozark Pleasure Harness: An excellent starter harness at a great price. Too light for CDE and much trail driving, but you could always upgrade as you go.

Ron's Presidential Harness: To be frank, it's butt ugly...but from what I've seen, heard, and read, it's safe, sturdy and comfortable for the horse, and you won't find a better bang for the buck.

 

[RhineStone]

We love our Country Carriages synthetic harnesses (and we favor leather). What we really like is that they are styled with leather "features" so that from a distance you can hardly tell they are leather. You can see photos of them on our pair on our website. The harnesses are well constructed and fit well, too! Well worth their value.

Myrna

 

[JMS Miniatures]

Mini Express has the best harnesses and they are reasonable in price. You can get one for $300. IMO you can't beat a leather harness, I don't care so much for the fake stuff. Also you want to find yourself a nice bit as well. Most of the bits that come with the harnesses aren't at all cracked up to be. Just a good snaffle bit will cost you around $30.

www.miniexpress.com

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Ozark Pleasure Harness: An excellent starter harness at a great price. Too light for CDE and much trail driving, but you could always upgrade as you go.

I don't think it's too light for trail driving or CDE. It's not a show harness with razor-thin rolled straps that would break, it just doesn't have the double hanger-straps that the carriage harness does. I would certainly use it without hesitation.

Leia

 

[LazyRanch]

I have a betathane harness from Zimmerman, which was a great starter price. The choices I made were a padded, slight V-neck breast collar, breeching with padding, and double hangers on both breast collar and breeching - so those two straps hand straight, rather than pivot on one buckle. Also, get a saddle with a tree - you may find yourself doing a lot of trail driving and the tree'd saddle is easier on your horse's back.

I am a leather freak - all for tradition - BUT I love taking about 20 minutes to scrub my betathane, as opposed to an hour and a half strip cleaning and conditioning my leather harness - more drive time!

Also, I think investing in waffle pads at the saddle, and breast collar is good for the horse.

Last note: You may now say "only 4-H" but as anyone on this board can tell you, there is this bug. And when it bites you, it bites hard! Spend the money (my harness was $350, with all the additions), to get a quality harness. Likely you will be wanting to do different things with it - apart from 4-H.

Oh, and get a gullet strap.

 

[RhineStone]

Also, I think investing in waffle pads at the saddle, and breast collar is good for the horse.

The challenge with pads for the breastcollar is that sometimes they can make the whole set up so wide that the pad actually affects the horse's wind. Be careful not to get this too big.

Last note: You may now say "only 4-H" but as anyone on this board can tell you, there is this bug. And when it bites you, it bites hard! Spend the money to get a quality harness. Likely you will be wanting to do different things with it - apart from 4-H.

:yes

Can't tell you how many students I have had that wanted to "do it cheap" to start with, only to have to upgrade just a few years later, with money wasted. ("I told you so....") (Actually, my family resembles that remark quite a few years ago, with a cheap, used $50 harness that we used for about 1 year, or 2 shows....

) I also know of LOTS of people that just go out and buy a harness or cart and then get educated enough to learn that what they purchased won't work at all for their application. It's sad to have to tell them that their purchases just won't work or isn't safe. Talk with any good harness vendor, and they will have story upon story about people to whom they have sold a good harness after the buyer has been "took" purchasing a crap one.

You have to look at a purchase over a number of years. If you buy a $150 harness that is only going to be sufficient for a couple of years in 4-H, that is $75 a year or maybe $37 per show if you go to county fair and state (and it probably won't fit right anyway and will require additional money spent to get it to fit right). I have about $1000 in my mini show harness (that I also train in), and right now, Alax has been shown in 30 shows (including some of the best shows in the nation) since 2007. When I calculate that out, right now it has cost us $33 per show, and that cost will go down with each additional show we attend over the years, because that harness is going to last a LONG time and be appropriate for all the levels we show. In the mean time, the cost of that harness has gone up, so that also makes it worth more if I were to sell it.

Now, I'm not saying that you need to go out and spend $1000 on a harness, but you get the point about looking at a driving equipment as an investment, not a liability.

Myrna

 

[ironbessflint]

I'll second Myrna. I'm all for a good quality leather harness, but I LOVE my Country Carriages synthetic, and I've been very happy with how it fits the minis. Claudette is fabulous about swapping out pieces too, so you can get a perfect fit.

 

[lucky seven]

I am really interested in the ideas posted here. I had a list of companies that sell harnesses but they were deleated. I am trying to set up a training schedule for my boy now but need a harness first. I talked to Big D's about their harnesses. They say my B size mini is in their pony harness. There are so many options out there. Now to check out all the sites listed here.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I am really interested in the ideas posted here. I had a list of companies that sell harnesses but they were deleated. I am trying to set up a training schedule for my boy now but need a harness first. I talked to Big D's about their harnesses. They say my B size mini is in their pony harness. There are so many options out there. Now to check out all the sites listed here.

I have the Big D miniature. It was my first harness 8 years ago and I'm still enjoying it. The headstall is really nice. The only down side is the breeching is only a single strap. Also, Big D does not do parts--or they didn't used to. But the leather is very nice. I've used mine for showing in A shows.

 

[lucky seven]

Marsha thats nice to know. Is your harness for a A or B size mini? My guy is 36" at the withers.