Harness and cart selection

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albahurst

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My stallion is now in performance training and I would love to have suggestions on what you folks would suggest for harness and cart colors. My boy, Lotso, is a chestnut sabino with one partial blue eye and of course, the other is brown. I have thought about a natural brown for the cart and harness- but then I also think black is very elegant. And, what about accent colors? I really want something striking!! This photo is of him as a yearling, but he is still as great as ever
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What do you suggest?

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Thanks-Peggy

Alba Hurst Miniature Horse Ranch

www.albahurst.com
 
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Black goes with every horse and your boy would look striking with a black cart and harness. I am very traditional (as are a lot of driving judges) and love brass accents and gold pinstriping although hunter green would look wonderful with your horse's colouring. He IS a very handsome boy by the way!
 
I also like more "traditional" when purchasing show equipment, because it will always fit even if fads change. Carts and harnesses last forever and can really hold resale value, so best to invest in something that can go the distance.

I really prefer black harness, the russet harnesses are more for CDE type driving and not really for the show ring. I just don't like how brown harness looks and I think a lot of judges don't either.

As for carts, I had advice to go with black that had gold AND silver pinstriping. It was the best thing I ever did. The gold and silver pinstriping goes with any harness hardware, so you can get brass or chrome, and it goes with any color you are wearing. Very versatile. If I ever get the option to buy another brand new cart, that is the colors I will go with.

Good luck whatever you choose...

Andrea
 
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As for carts, I had advice to go with black that had gold AND silver pinstriping. It was the best thing I ever did. The gold and silver pinstriping goes with any harness hardware, so you can get brass or chrome, and it goes with any color you are wearing. Very versatile. If I ever get the option to buy another brand new cart, that is the colors I will go with.Andrea
That is a wonderful idea Andrea! I am going to keep that in mind for future.
 
Cool Peggy!!! Another Incognito son will be driving! I can't wait to see him. Who is training him?
 
Hey- thanks for great suggestions! I think the gold/silver idea with black is a great one! Perhaps a bit of green or blue accent, too! I appreciate the insight on cart colors.

Lotso is at Bar NS Ranch in TX with Lisa Barnes. I can't wait to see him driving! Should be fun!

Peggy
 
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I saw the most impressive cart this weekend- It was black with brass accents but the trim was red with gold edging. Man, it sure caught my eye in the aisle! The immediate impression was "Imperial." I thought Russia, I thought China, I thought of powerful and intimidating and rich and impressive. And yet it was still understated and from a distance was only a nice black cart. Something like that would look GREAT with a wild sabino like you've got!
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Brass is a pain in the rump to keep clean but sure does look good with most horses. Yours could go either way...for your sake, go with stainless/chrome if you value your pre-show time! *LOL*

Leia
 
Just an FYI--

Although most everyone in the breed show ring uses black harness, there is nothing more elegant than a really NICE russet harness, under proper circumstances!

QUALITY russet harness requires better leather than black, as it is not 'dyed' in the same manner as black-imperfections in the leather can not be hidden w/ russet, as they might w/ black dye. Russet (not "brown") harness is proper with a NATURAL wood finish vehicle WITH BROWN/RUSSET accents---meaning shaft wraps, trace loops, and often, seat covering. With a natural wood finish vehicle w/ black accents (as above), or a painted vehicle, you would use black harness. Metal trim, of course, should 'match' the metal on your harness.

You don't see russet harness much because most vehicles are painted, or 'routinely' have black accents. There is no particular connection between CDEs and russet harness--you might as often see a russet harness w/ a properly turned out vehicle in a pleasure show as a CDE.

For a good pictoral resource of turnouts, try viewing some Mischka driving calendars. They have some of the BEST driving photos, of all kinds of driving turnouts!

If you want color, remember that conservatively, there are only about three 'colors' that are considered really proper--Hunter green, dark(near-navy) blue, and deep maroon--in light horse driving. Hunter looks quite nice w/ red-based horses, as does navy blue--maroon,not so much. Black is the 'universally-proper' color, but of course, there are beaucoups of them! Of course you can vary the pinstriping, but the most versatile is probably going to be either silver or gold--or, I suppose, both.

Generally, understated elegance is apt to be most widely appreciated by judges, IMO-from someone who has done some judging.

Margo
 

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