Swingle trees and sliding backstraps

[sabreig]

I'm just getting back into driving after an 8 year break and have bought a nice lightweight balanced trap but it does'nt have a swingle tree. I made a comment about having one fitted and finding someone to do it as my harness is a breast harness and the people who were selling said that they used it with a breast harness and it was no problem. I asked if it had a sliding backstrap and they said they were'nt sure. Am I right in thinking that if you don't have a swingle tree you need a sliding backstrap and also do you prefer to have both a swingle tree and a sliding breast strap or either/or. Also has anyone on here ever fitted a swingle tree? Any thoughts appreciated.

[Alfies-slave]

Hi, welcome back to driving!

You need a sliding back band with a 2 wheeler, you use a fixed one with a 4 wheeler. Lots of sliding back bands don't slide. If it is a sliding back band you will be able to pull it back and fourth through the top of the saddle. CHEAP (ie silicone) furniture polish squirted on it will free it up as it is one of the most slippery things known to man. It will not wreck your leather or synthetic.

A swingle tree helps the horse but you don't NEED one. The advantage of a swingle is that it lowers the line of draft. They should be located lower down so the traces slope downwards away from he horse. This makes it easier for them to pull. The swingle makes the harness kinder on the shoulders as it moves in time with the horses shoulder movements. This helps avoid shoulder injury and stiffness, especialy if you are drivig off road which is more jarring. The whole arrangement makes things much better and less wearing for the horse.

Anyone who can weld will be able to make you a swingle, they don't have to be anything grand, a piece of box section with pigtails on the end bolted on should do just fine. If you want me to post some pictures of swingles for reference, just let me know!

[sabreig]

Thanks so much for the info, thats really appreciated. That tip will be very handy regarding the silacone, my harness for my other pony who I used to drive 8 years ago had a lot more use so the sliding was fine, but my pony that I shall be driving now has a newer ones I I will make sure it is definetly sliding.
Any info on the swingle tree would be good, my pony although in her 20's, she's like a spring chicken but getting older so anything that will help her and make life easier for her is good so I will get a swingle tree on there. So it should go lower than the shafts. How do I know how long the swingle tree should be and also can I attach it with a 'U' bolt? Any pictures greatly appreciated to give me an idea of how it should be fitted.
thanks ever so much for your help.

[sabreig]

Just bringing this back up to see if anyone has any useful photos?