Easy in the Harness

Another installment in the "driving rite of passage" group we have the Forecart. If you started out with draft horses or ponies of draft type, you probably drove, owned, or at the very least, considered a forecart.

White Horse Machine/Manufacturing is now based in Gap, PA. You can call them for a catalog or download it here: https://www.fabworksbywhm.com/history/

I&J Manufacturing, also in Pennsylvania, has a website at https://i-jmanufacturing.com

My Draft Horse Superstore in Ohio carries the ACS forecart made by Alberta Carriage Supply in Alberta, Canada. You can also buy them direct from the manufacturer if you live in Canada. Those addresses are: https://mydrafthorse.com and https://albertacarriagesupply.net

https://ackermansequipment.com offers used forecart sales and rentals of multiple brands in the USA.

Roberts Carriages Inc. in Quebec, Canada makes a line of forecarts alongside their other carts and carriages. https://voituresrobert.com/?lang=en

One of their distributirs in the United States for includes Frontier Equestrian. https://frontierequestrian.com/

Haste Draft Horses and Mules deals in Mid State's forecarts, which is the company that acquired the Pioneer Forecart line and is continuing the tradition.

https://drafthorsesandmulesforsale.com/product-category/homestead-equipment/

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I had a lovely chat with Phillippa Christie about bridle fit back in July. I hope to have more chats like this in the future, bringing additional perspectives to the podcast.

Phillippa Christie is a holistic equine practitioner, educator, and welfare advocate based in Ireland. The founder of Equine Partnership, she specialises in anatomy-based bit/bitless bridle fitting, positive reinforcement, and western riding. Phillippa serves as a Director of the Association of Professional Bit & Bridle Fitters and is registered a fitter with the Equine Fitter Council, lectures for the Bridle Fit Academy. She manages Tooreen Track Livery where she puts her passion for welfare-first horse care into daily practice.

Below is the image we discussed, the second throatlatch/collar with a carabiner connecting it to the ring for the gag runner on the bridle.

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In this episode I go through my steps of training from start to finish. This is the same outline that serves as the frame for my driving training course in development.

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This ties into Episode Nine: The Wisdom of A. L. D’Endrödy discussing how to better communicate with your driving animal. Increasing pressure is not always the answer!

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I want to start by thanking the Beginning Carriage Driving group on Facebook. I asked them about what their personal pet peeves and no-sale features are on harnesses and they did not disappoint. There were quite a few things that I already had planned to cover, but there were also some that I had not thought about and appreciated being able to add in to this episode.

This episode is geared to help you identify features of harnesses you might buy that will inhibit your ability to use it. Features that can do harm to your driving animal or make it difficult to use. I hope you find this useful and it prevents you from making costly mistakes as you get into driving.

What features do you put high on your "no-sale" list? Conversely, what are your favorite features that you must have on a harness?

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This is the start of an occasional series about Driving Rites of Passage. These are things that most drivers seem to experience as they dip their toes into driving. Many drivers have owned a Meadowbrook at some point in their driving life if they do pleasure driving.

Have you had experience with Meadowbrook carts? Do you love them or are glad they are now in your past? Let me know!

The Carriage Association of America has an article on the history of the Meadowbrook as well and I used it and other sources for the history of the vehicle: The Quirky History of the Meadowbrook

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This episode discusses the types and uses of check reins. It compliments the article and illustrations I shared in this post:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/check-reins-129285311

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What do you need to look for when selecting a vehicle for you and your driving animal? This discussion covers the important, basic points to consider for ensuring that you have a vehicle that is both functional and comfortable for you and your driving partner.

I have a brief article with illustrations discussing vehicle fit here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/107412296

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Picking the proper bit can be a big topic in driving. Selecting one that works well for your animal. While this is a topic best addressed with visuals, I make an attempt to discuss bit cheeks and mouthpieces in an introductory fashion to help give people a baseline understanding of how to talk about them and what to look for in one.

I have a post with illustrations on driving bit cheeks here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/basic-cheek-for-98729400

I have an article in-progress covering mouthpieces that should be finished this summer. I'll update this post with a link once it's finished!

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