Collar with Hames vs "breast strap"

[Unprovoked92]

Sorry if I'm using the wrong terminology...I'm sort of half way between pleasure driving and draft driving....

My current driving horse is a haflinger, we drive for fun (he is also my event horse), and compete once a year at a local fun show that offers a pleasure driving class. He is currently in typical "light horse" harness, but I'm looking to replace it with something nicer (and preferably not leather). My question is, what is better/more comfortable for the horse? Draft style harness with collar and hames or light horse harness with the "breast strap"? Does is depend on the horse's conformation? What type of driving they'll do? Personal preference only? Competition rules?

Thanks!


Oh, and I apologize if this has been brought up before, I tried to do a search for it, but couldn't find anything...might be my screwed up terminology....

[Thomas_1]

Yes

It depends on all of the above.

So tell us more specifally what you're doing and you'll get advice

[ambar]

Short answer: "it depends". :D Longer answer, with pictures, from a master:

http://204.101.242.56/pdf/BalancedDraught.pdf

Book: "Understanding Harness" by Barb Lee.

[Cartfall]

U92,

You actually have more choices these days. There are combination collars that are rather a cross between the tradition work collars and light harness breast straps.

google empathy collars, euro collars, those are just a few.

This question can find you as many opinions as whether blinders are good or bad, which bits to use, which breed is the best to drive, -----

Good luck

[red squirrel ridge]

ambar, thanks for the link, lots of interesting info !

[Unprovoked92]

Thomas,

Currently I'm driving in my arena and jumping field (rather flat) and I only compete in a local fun show, down the road I'd like to try combined driving with my haflinger but I'm not sure if that will ever work out (since I'm already competing in a riding sport that requires lots of equipment, I'm not sure when I'll be financially able to step out in to a driving sport that seems to require a lot of equipment!) I know I've seen collar set ups in combined driving in at least dressage, are they allowed in all 3 phases?
Conformation wise my haflinger is more of the "newer" style haflinger, not so "mini draft" and more baroque. The time we spend working on dressage helps with that too.

Here is a picture of us driving at the fun show this year

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30341180&l=7e7f911a06&id=123300675

I will be HAPPY to listen to any one's opinion on what they think my horse would do best in...like I said, I'm kind of in between driving worlds and I want to do whats in the best interest of my horse's comfort.


Ambar and Cartfall, thanks for the info/links. Looks like I have some homework to do!

[CatOnLap]

Hay, I know very little about driving but Ambar, the PDF file was great to help me understand. I just had to use the collar and hames provided for the draft horses I drove as a teen, and since they were pulling either a stoneboat or a hay cart ( both heavy loads with low trace attachments) the collar and hames, with the swingletree, were apparently, the right thing.

I do love the picture of your haffie in his cart with the pink accents. Very cute. I wonder if your breast strap is adjusted a bit low in the pictures though?

[Yip]

Very cute pony! You guys look great!

Yip