Editing Horse tack (section)

== Harness ==
{{Main|Horse harness}}
A [[horse harness]] is a set of devices and straps that attaches a horse to a [[cart]], [[carriage]], [[sledge]] or any other load.  There are two main styles of harnesses - [[breaststrap]] and [[Horse collar|collar and hames]] style.  These differ in how the weight of the load is attached.  Most Harnesses are made from leather, which is the traditional material for harnesses, though some designs are now made of nylon webbing or synthetic biothane.

A breaststrap harness has a wide leather strap going horizontally across the horses' breast, attached to the [[trace (tack)|traces]] and then to the load.  This is used only for lighter loads.  A collar and hames harness has a [[horse collar|collar]] around the horses' neck with wood or metal [[horse collar|hames]] in the collar. The traces attach from the hames to the load.  This type of harness is needed for [[Draft horse|heavy draft]] work.

Both types will also have a [[bridle]] and [[rein]]s.  A harness that is used to support shafts, such as on a cart pulled by a single horse, will also have a ''saddle'' attached to the harness to help the horse support the shafts and ''breeching'' to brake the forward motion of the vehicle, especially when stopping or moving downhill. Horses guiding vehicles by means of a pole, such as two-horse teams pulling a [[wagon]], a hay-mower, or a [[Wagon|dray]], will have ''pole-straps'' attached to the lower part of the horse collar.
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