Is the single jointed bit the root of all evil? Many people shy away from a bit that has been used successfully for generations. What’s bad, and not so bad about a single jointed bit?
Single Jointed (snaffle) Bit for Carriage Driving?
Neck Strap Pressure?
Breast collars are the most common style of harness for carriage drivers of all types these days. They’re light weight and easy to fit to just about any horse. However, lately there’s been some discussion about how much pressure is placed in the neck strap when your horse is pulling. Should you be concern?
Answers from ‘Ask Andy’
There are lots of great carriage driving and horse training questions on the Ask Andy page. I think it will be fun to answer some of those questions in video posts from time to time. Here’s the first installment! Subscribe to my YouTube Channel
What’s the Bucking Point?
When a horse or pony bucks in a carriage, it presents a potentially dangerous situation. If the horse is able to get his hind end high enough, he can kick the carriage, or worse yet, the people in the carriage. To safeguard against that, a bucking strap can be added to the harness. However, that […]
Breast Collar Design Flaw
This style breast collar has been showing up more and more as I travel the country. They seem especially prevalent in small pony and mini harness. They feature a ring where the trace tug is anchored to the breast collar. One assumes this is intended to accommodate varying lines of draft (line of weight bearing) […]
Blinders or Not?
It only takes a quick search on the internet to find all kinds of misguided theories on why driving horses wear blinders. The most common reason given is that they are used to keep the horse from being distracted. Speaking of distractions, the search will no doubt soon lead to a path that will have […]
Leather -vs- Synthetic Harness
The debate over leather versus synthetic harness has carried on since the first synthetic harnesses hit the market. In the beginning, there was no question, a leather harness was the way to go. Synthetic harnesses have come a long way in the 30 years, making the decision less cut and dry. I know you’d love […]
Collars and Turnout
I received an e-mail with a question about using a breast collar or a full collar for a Spider Phaeton. The answer isn’t always that straight forward. Here’s the question, and my reply. The Question: Andy, Hi there!! I’m a new driver and in training with my horse Red. We are planning on doing […]
