Webbing Harness

[Miriam]

Can anyone tell me what (if anything) I can do with Rhi's webbing harness. When I took her out last week she came back with sore spots on her sides. At first we thought it was the cart but she has them today along with one on her chest. Looks like the harness its rubbing :( Is there anything I can get to cover the breast plate and girth at the side. I bought her a fluffy bit that goes under the saddle and thats fine.

[Lucy J]

i managed to get a fleecy (fake sheepskin) cover for a breast girth a few years back, or perhaps you could by a couple of girth sleeves, cut them and attach velcro to allow you to put them over the harness where it rubs?

[Zingy]

I use a prolite girth sleeve on Benjis breast collar - just makes him look a bit like a sumo wrestler. It's worked ok up to now, but then he's in a shetland sized harness and I guess you'd need something a little bigger for Rhi :D

[JaniceH]

Have a look at this website
http://www.polypads.sagesite.co.uk/driving.htm

Heres a pic:

[Miriam]

Janice thats great for the breast. I already have the one for under the saddle but can you see where the rollers come down the side of the horse. This is the bit that rubs

[Wally]

Which bit exactly is rubbing? The belly band or back band where the tugs are or the girth?

[Miriam]

either the belly band straps that come down her sides or the tug straps unsure. She has come back with rub marks (rubbing her skin off a little) on her sides.

[Esther.D]

I can only suggest checking the fit of everything, identifying the culprit and then either adjusting it or padding it. The possible causes I can think of straight off the top of my head are:

- Tugs slipping back off the saddle and rubbing - this would suggest the traces need tightening which would keep them where they should be.

- Tugs slipping forward off the saddle and rubbing - this would suggest the breeching needs tightening.

- Bellyband too tight (it shouldn't really be touching enough to rub) - this would mean either it is too short for her (or is adjusted too tight) or that the balance of the vehicle is a bit off and there is too much weight behind the axle which is tipping the shafts slightly upwards and putting pressure on the bellyband. As your vehicle doesn't have any balance adjustment (as far as I remember) the way to adjust this immediately is to either put something heavy in the front of the vehicle to compensate for the weight behind the axle (I have done this with a brick in the past if the balance is just slightly out), or carry a lighter groom
;) , or both avoid sitting back too far on the seat.

- Girth/saddle rubbing - in this instance all I think you can do is either change the offending parts of the harness or use padding to stop the rub. I know many people swear by polypads under the saddle and breast collar etc.....of course you do need to adjst the fit of the harness to allow for the extra thickness. Or just a short girth sleeve like you would use on a riding girth might do the trick - you could probably just cut down one of the mock sheepskin riding ones if necessary to fit a driving girth.

- Shafts causing pressure on the saddle - madam hasn't put on weight has she and caused the width of the shafts to be a bit tight, which then would squeeze the saddle closer into her sides?

Hope this has helped, sorry I am probably teaching you to suck eggs:D But I thought I would explain all the possible causes I could think of.

Good Luck.

[Miriam]

Your right it does not have a balancing adjuster. I'll try making sure we are all sitting forward of the cart rather than back just it case stitting back is causing it. It odes seem strange that it is only that last few weeks that I have noticed it rubbing against her. I'll check her weight again just in case. I'll also try loosening her girth a little as I had already loosened her tugs slightly. Failing that I'll pad it out even if it means getting something to cover the straps with on the inside.

have to admit I don't particularly like my shafts as they don't bend at the front but lie straight witha slight bend and since seeing the ones with the bent shafts have come to like those better.

[Esther.D]

Thinking about it afterwards....if the balance was out the bellyband would be more likely to rub under her belly than on the sides. It is still worth checking the balance anyway though.....you ought to me able to sit in the vehicle (with groom/passengers etc as usual) with someone holding the shafts up (without Rhi in them obviously!). The person holding the shafts should find they balance softly in the palm of the hand if held straight, if they have to hold them down to stop you all flipping over backwards then there is too much weight behind the axle, if they are very heavy in their hands then there is too much weight in front of the axle. That is the simplest way of checking balance:)

I have been thinking it over and I would suggest the problem either lies in the tugs coming off the saddle and rubbing (have you altered anything recently...either adjusted traces/breeching or changed grooms etc?), or a new pressure coming onto her sides eg from her gaining weight and the shafts being too close into her sides....the only other thing I can think of is that something has become stiff on the harness through sweat etc and needs a good wash, or something is wearing/come loose oin the saddle/girth.

It seems odd that it has suddenly started happening, so I would look into anything that could have changed recently on Rhi/harness/vehicle. Have you been doing more fast work recently? Is she sweating up more than before and causing it to rub? Is she clipped and so hasn't the hair to protect her?

Loads more ideas, I hope you get to the bottom of it:)

[Miriam]

Ok I'll give the balancing a try.

For some reason the tugs do come off the saddle I have noticed this but its always been like that. I tightened them up and then when I noticed her rubs slackened them off, but she still had the rubs. Have not changed my groom.

Will check her weight and I did give the harness a quick check to see if there was anything frayed but could not see anything. Will check the stiffness. Hoping the shaft has not been bent in for any reason as I do know it has a tendency to move in over. Again not sure why.

We have been doing more fast work as we have stated going out on a Sunday with Shammy, Laura and Eddy. Sham although a mere 14.2hh (I believe) is a very fast walker and so Rhi needs to stretch out or trot to keep up and she has done more canter work.

She is clipped and the thought of not enough hair to protect her did go through my mind as she is clipped in this area, but she is not sweating up more if anything she is sweating less.

Keep the ideas coming :D

[Wally]

In a rush, sorry havn't read all posts....Are the shafts too narrow?

[Miriam]

Going to have a good look at them on Sunday just in case they have bent in as someone is coming to take a look at he cart of rme hopefully.

The next time I buy a cart are there any volunteers to go and have a look at it instead of me as I am so fed up with the carts I buy. I've only had two and they have had to have work done on them :mad:

Did place the saddle on her and the marks are above where the tugs lie and underneath the bottom part of the saddle where the stiching is ( You know the area before the thin straps that fix to the girth). I've checked the stiching and its fine. Felt for any rough patches and cant find any. Belly is fine no marks there.

Just a thought but could she maybe have sensitive skin as she does suffer sweet itch.

[JaniceH]

Just out of interest Miriam - what brands of cart have you used/been using?

[Esther.D]

The next time I buy a cart are there any volunteers to go and have a look at it instead of me as I am so fed up with the carts I buy. I've only had two and they have had to have work done on them

I'll come, I like cart hunting;) :D

I've seen one I fancy for the tandem actually, nice little light two wheeler with a backstep made for shetlands...Wally, you might have seen them - Sabrina de Lisle is selling them? She seems to have hit on a niche in the market, nice little light vehicles for exercise/club events that don't cost the earth and are primarily for small ponies. They are called 'driving bugs' and so far I have heard nothing but good about them.....so part of the house sale proceeds might be allocated;) :D

[Wally]

It's a funny old world innit? I am just in the process of ordering one of those Sabrina De Lisle back steps for Whiffy!

Could it be that she does have thin skin and if the saddle/pad is rolling or moving slighlty with the tugs it might be just nipping her at the end of the pad before the girth straps come off it?

[Esther.D]

Well let me know how it goes Wally.....the house sale isn't through for another few weeks or so (mortgage providers have been messing us about and making mistakes :mad: they got a very cross phone call from me yesterday and funnily enough it is now being processed urgently :D )

It is a funny old world isn't it? I take it you liked the look of them too then;)

Here is a pic if anyone else is interested:

http://www.just-for-sale.com/Sport.htm

Scroll down until you reach 'the driving bug'

[Miriam]

Originally posted by JaniceH
Just out of interest Miriam - what brands of cart have you used/been using?

Looks like home made as they were just to get the horse up and going as we did not know how either horses would have reacted to being broke in and I did not want anything too expensive. Looks like I'll have to go for the expensive brands :eek: Need to win the lottery

Esther you have seen my cart what is the diffrence between mine and the buggy with Pneumatic tyres as I was always told to keep away from those tyres (apart from mine are motorbike wheels and they are pneumatic)

[Esther.D]

The one Wally and I are thinking of getting has pneumatic tyres on tradition steel carriage wheels rather than car/motorbike wheels. Therefore it is permissible for competition at club level where car/motorbike wheels are not. There was some suggestion of them being made permissible for nationals but I don't know what happened about that. Basically you are told to keep away from car wheels because they are very heavy and motorbike wheels because they can buckle if going offroad as the spokes are too flimsy.

If you are after an expensive brand one look for second hand...there are loads of benningtons, bellcrowns etc for Rhi's size always going cheap in places like carriagelink or carriagesales on the web etc Some of them are only a year old but £1,000 cheaper than new!

I decided against an expensives one as we have nowhere undercover to keep it so it would be a waste to make a £2,000 vehicle stand out under a tarp all year round, whereas I can justify doing that to a £425 one:D

I started with home-made just like you Miriam, best way to start when you don't know if you and the horse will like it.

[Miriam]

Somewhere undercover is my problem too another reason I have kept off anything expensive. Got a lnk for a few sites that sell them second hand. Problem is finding them close to home so its easy to pick up and get to see them.

[Miriam]

Esther I have just weighed Rhi tonight and she has lost weight so that knocks the 'her gaining weight' out of the window :D

[Laetitia]

Just to put my oar in! Unusual place for a rub. Having read your posts carefully strikes me it may possibly be the balance of the vehicle. The shafts need to be floating in the tugs for perfect balance, and the tugs sitting centrally on the pad, as you no doubt know. This means that you may need to sit accordingly, not very comfortable I'll admit. Just a thought. L

[Miriam]

Thanks Latitia will try that when we go out. We may be sitting in different spots i.e. one sitting back whilst the other is forward on the seat. I know that will unbalance the cart.