Members mbnaegle Posted June 2 Members Report Posted June 2 I'd like to learn more about selecting, rigging, building, and anything else about harnessing animals (mainly interested in Draft Horses) to farming implements and similar working applications. Everything from terminology and placement to all the different straps, to when different layouts are used, on up to how to construct the harness, select and train animals for it's use, the differences between pulling a plow, a log, a wagon, etc. Everything from technical over to practical application sides. I know it's a broad subject. Mostly educational for me, though It is a dream of mine to one day farm some acreage and use a horse or two for some of it (>20HP vintage tractors for the rest). My interest stems mostly from historical preservation, but also keeping trades and skills active and useful in the world, out of spite if necessary. I've got a moldboard plow and a couple cultivators that are on my list of things to restore, and I've saved a lot of hardware from Dad's leatherworking days. I like finding pictures and videos of this stuff, but always wonder how much of it has to be a certain way, how much varied based on region culture or the harness manufacturer, how much is a matter of opinion or working with what you have, and in general I just want to understand the wisdom and logic of this stuff. I like finding hardcopy books, but any information would be good to have. Quote
Members Hildebrand Posted June 2 Members Report Posted June 2 Go to Small Farmers Journal, Lynn Miller has several books on exactly what you are looking for. Todd Quote
Members mbnaegle Posted June 2 Author Members Report Posted June 2 1 hour ago, Hildebrand said: Go to Small Farmers Journal, Lynn Miller has several books on exactly what you are looking for. Todd Thanks, I had forgotten about them (good to see they are still around too!). My grandparents used to subscribeand I've got a stack of old issues I've been meaning to thumb through. Would be a good subscription to re-up! Better than Netflix! Quote
Members mbnaegle Posted June 2 Author Members Report Posted June 2 I see at least 3 Lynn Miller books I'll need to get: Art of Working Horses, Training Workhorses Training Teamsters, and Horse Drawn Tillage Tools. I've seen stories (some true, some fiction) of using general riding horses for draft work as the owners had no other option either due to financial limitations, or simply being cut-off from civilization out on the frontier, but like most animal husbandry if done incorrectly I'm sure it can lead to harming the animals, which is one reason I want to study about doing things right. I think like most history, the better you understand it, the better you'll understand modern times. If you want to understand modern ag equipment, it helps to understand the old dated machines. If you want to understand THOSE machines, it helps to understand the draft animal implements, and so on. Quote
MikeRock Posted June 3 Report Posted June 3 TitleMaking Harness: A Step-by-step Guide AuthorsLewis G. Martin, Daniel Shelton Preston PublisherDaniel S. Preston, 2005 ISBN0975397206, 9780975397206 Length464 pages Quote
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