Harness from American Cart & Harness

[lippalee]

I have been looking online at a harness from American Cart & Harness in Oregon. The harness is called Show Stopper Harness and sells for $279......I am not going to be showing but will be driving on trails in the forests of Connecticut....the saddle has great padding.....does anyone know about this company and their products?? Should I buy this harness??

: help - I get so confused......

 

[hobbyhorse23]

The harness you are talking about is at the bottom of this page, right? http://www.horsecart.com/harness.html

I live in WA and have dealt with this company before for several small items- they aren't much on communication but the items were shipped very promptly and were as advertised. I have not however bought harness or vehicles from them.

The harness looks fairly nice although the russet is usually used as the lining not the black. But as much as I hate to look a gift horse in the mouth, those prices make me very wary. Typically a good harness with that kind of outline should be more than $1,000...what corners did they cut to make it that cheap?! :new_shocked:

:

I would be asking very careful questions about how it is made, the stitching, the leather quality, etc. before I bought it. I'd also ask about their return and exchange policies just in case. Will they exchange parts until it fits? Do they leave anything off when they scale it down for the minis? A lot of nice harnesses that say they come in mini sizes actually don't- they send you a pared down version without the padding, the teardrop, all the things that made it such a nice harness. Ask for pictures of exactly what you'd be getting and send precise measurements. I notice for instance that their "mini show collar harness" comes with a 14" collar. Ponies wear 14" collars- most B minis use a 12 and A's use smaller than that.

:

That said, the harness does look nice. I commend you for wanting to make sure your horse is comfortable with a well-padded saddle when doing trail driving and hope you are happy with whatever you end up getting. If you want a mini harness that's great for trail driving, may I recommend the Camptown Sport harness? Those things are nearly indestructible, soft, comfortable, well-designed, and the saddle is both wide and padded with a spring tree.

Let us know how this turns out!

Leia

 

[Nichcole]

I bought several harnesses from them and have sent them all back . They were made in India (the said they were made in the USA)and were very poor quality . I'm had a couple friends that have had the same problems. They also charge a pretty large restocking fee if you return a harness

 

[disneyhorse]

I am going to say "stay away" if you are really looking for a good harness that will last. I have seen them and they are not up to snuff in my book. They don't fit well and will dye your horses russet and black!

Either spend a bit more for something better, or get something that maybe is less "fashionable" such as the work harnesses from Ozark or Mini Express in that price range. They will be bulkier but will fit better and last longer.

Andrea

 

[Nichcole]

I agree, my hands were black after I took my harness out of the box

They also have horrible customer service , they tried telling me thier harness were comparable to smuckers when I bought from them.

 

[susanne]

I bought the separate back saddle for $15 to use as a training surcingle, as I have yet to buy a harness and didn't want to pay a lot for something we would use for such a short time. I figured that for $15, I could pitch it if it turned out to be junk.

I don't think I'd want my horse to pull any weight while wearing this, but as a surcingle I certainly got my money's worth. It fits well and is well-padded, and I've seen no discoloring on my hands or on Mingus (but then, he's already russet...). I also bought a set of driving lines, whidh are okay, but I'm not thrilled by the buckles.

This allowed me to take my time deciding on a harness, and to save my money for it

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I have not bought from these people but all my harness to date with one exception has been "imported" leather- ie Indian or Pakistani- it has been basically all that I could afford.

I have to say that I have NEVER had anything break.

As soon as I get it home I air it out, check all the stitching etc and then give it a thorough clean with good old fashioned saddle soap, NO oil!!

Once I have got rid of the smell I use a good expensive leather preservative and then leave it to rest.

The set I have at the moment - well, somewhere I have three sets but I'm not sure where!!- I have used to do everything, including marathon work.

I also used tow sets of this on my Tandem, and it was good enough for the Queen of England (well, she never complained about it anyway!!) so I guess it is good enough for me.

It is good sound harness treated properly, and the padding is exemplary- far , far better than I have ever seen on any of the US harnesses that people have imported over here.

The only US harness I have seen (since I will not use "pads") that is equal is the really expensive stuff, worth every penny and what I shall go for when I can afford it.

I also have a set of Indian nylon harness and that too is brilliant for the money.

So, do not dismiss this stuff out of hand, my oldest harness is now over 30 years old and still going strong, never broken, never mended.

 

[Chamomile]

My mom and I bought our first harnesses through these folks. And we HATED them! We spent more money taking them to the nearest saddle maker to have them adjusted and fixed to fit the horses. And they were still a problem. We have spent $1000's of dollars buying the wrong harness! I suggest, keep shopping. We finally bought one from Silver Penny Farm, and I LOVE it. I have been using it for the last 4 years as has my Mom, we train, drive for fun and show in them. They are awesome and still look brand new. Another good place to get a good quality harness is from Little Steppers, right here on the forum. Her harness is a very nice well made one and it fits!! I actually had a friend that also had the American Cart and Harness harness and while driving her stallion down the road, with her youg boy in the cart, the bridle broke and fell back, off the stallions head. Luckily this stallion was awesome and he stopped. He just stood there until she was able to get out and get up to his head. She lead him home and promptly threw away the harness. I called and emailed the company and told them of our problems and they were "shocked" as they had never had any complaints... yea right! They were not willing to return our money. Shocker! Anyway, this has turned into a sermon! I am very passionate about buying the right harness. After all our troubles, it is near and dear to my pocket book :bgrin

 

[Denisee]

We have bought harness from American and, like Chamomile, had to have it revamped to be able to use it...not happy with it at all.

The rest of our harnesses have come from PrimeDesign. We train, play and show in their harness and always get asked "where did you get your harness?".

Here is their harness page. PrimeDesign Harness

 

[susanne]

Denisee,

Which harness did you purchase from Prime Design?

I purchased their Shetland show halter and love it (and them), but I haven't talked to anyone who has their harness.

 

[Denisee]

Susanne,

We bought the PD Betathane harness a couple of years ago, an A size and the C size. Then last year, at a show, purchased their new Beta Show Harness.

They didn't have the show harness advertised so when I talked w/them yesterday to see why it wasn't on the website yet she said they would get it up. And I see it is! The show harness is beautiful.

They are great people to deal with! We have bought most of our tack from them.

Denisee

 

[KayJay Farm]

I think you can by quality at reasonable prices. We are adding leather, bio and beta harnesses to our website which will be around $200. Harnesses are made by an Amish man and are of the highest quality and fully customized to your horse's size and specifications in a harness. I'm still working on all the pictures for our website, www.kayjayfarm.com.

 

[Peggy Porter]

I have the betathane harness from Iowa Valley Carriage and just LOVE it. Reasonably priced, excellent quality, and fast delivery. Sandee is great to work with. Under $300, including shipping. Everyone comments on this harness. I highly recommend it.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Really like your cart, Peggy!!!

 

[Peggy Porter]

Thanks, Jane! It's from Pam at A Silver Penney Farm http://www.ccfdriving.atfreeweb.com/ I bought it based on a recommendation from someone on the yahoo groups, and have not been sorry! Lots of areas for customization, a quality product, great service, and a really reasonable price. Even shipping was not horrendous, as it comes in two large boxes and requires assembly. Only took me a few hours to put together. It has been through fields, streams, on trails, and in shows, and has held up quite wonderfully. Everyone comments on the "Cadillac ride". Those big springs really make a difference over the little coil ones on my first cart.

 

[FairytailGlennMinis]

Peggy, we have the exact same cart! I adore mine too! It rides like a dream! I got mine from Pequea though...I think he makes the carts sold through Silver Penny, Nikki's Pony Express and a couple other places. I am really thinking about getting a pair of the all steel wheels so I can go back to ADS driving.

As for the American Cart and Harness, we bought a harness from there for the riding program about 5 years ago and had two different parts break within a month. We then bought the work harness from Mini Express and that was MUCH better and is still in use.

-Amy

 

[hobbyhorse23]

I am really thinking about getting a pair of the all steel wheels so I can go back to ADS driving.

Amy, wooden wheels are perfectly acceptable for ADS and more appropriate with that cart than steel wheels.

Leia