Horse Collars

[gentlemanfarmer]

I am interested in learning to make horse collars but I can't find any info on the web about how to get started. I know the ultimate way would be to find a collar maker and learn first hand but that is not a possibility around here unless someone on here knows of someone in north Georgia. Are there any books that ya'll know of? I have found several harness making books online but I don't know if they go into detail about collars or not. Any help or suggestions ya'll could give me would be very much appreciated.

[gentlemanfarmer]

I can't believe how hard it is to find information on making collars. For it to be such an important part of the whole harness system, I would think there would be more out there.

[Ferg]

Never made one but I sure have put a bunch on draft horses. Quite specialized piece. I believe your best bet may be the AMISH. They may or may not be willing to guide you a little.

Try this site: http://traditionalcraftsblog.blogspot.com/2013/09/normal-0-false-false-false-en-gb-ja-x.html

Or this: http://horsenharness.com

This: https://www.mydrafthorse.com/cfwebstore/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_id=33

Another: http://www.chimacumtack.com/measure.html

ferg

Edited February 17, 2014 by 50 years leather

[gentlemanfarmer]

Thanks for the links. I had ran across a few of them already. Unfortunately there is only one Amish community within driving distance of me and the harness maker there doesn't do collars. I am thinking about buying a bunch of old collars and taking them apart to sort of reverse engineer them. That way I could make patterns and see how they are put together.

Edited February 17, 2014 by gentlemanfarmer

[awharness]

You need forms, and specialized stuffers. Some are "long straw" and there is a process in itself to grow, harvest and dry the straw to make it work. Check out shop talk, maybe Dan can hook you up with someone

[GrampaJoel]

Here's a short video. ->>

[barra]

Collar making is such a specialised and skilled craft. In fact it is a stand alone trade. If you do a google image search for horse collars you will find they are distinctly regional styles of collar. You may see closed top collars from England that have to be put on the horse upside down and then spun around on the horses neck. European collars are very, well European in appearance. US collars as maybe made by the Amish are different in style again. Having said that you will find a section in Paul Hadlucks book on Harness making dedicated to making a cart collar. This will not make you a collar maker but it does give a good overview. Ron Edwards has a small section on how to make a collar in one of his Bushcraft series of books - Bushcraft 7 I think. Ron's books are available via the Ramskull press. Of course the style of a Collar mentioned is very Australian in style but again is good for an overview.

Cheers.

Barra