Chapter IX: Making Single Strap Track Harness

The single strap track harness owes its origin to the demand for a light, close-fitting, medium priced article for use on the trotting course. Originally the collar and traces only were made of single straps, the breeching and other parts being made in the usual manner. The superiority of this method of making the collar, however, soon became so apparent that the breechings and all other portions were made to correspond, and now few harness made up in other ways are used on the trotting tracks, while very many of this style can be seen upon trotters on the roads and pleasure drives, and so popular have they become that there are few sections of the country where they are not used to a greater or less extent.

Notwithstanding their being made up of single thickness of leather and in the plainest manner, the exercise of more than ordinary skill and attention is required to perfect them, as in their make-up they represent the minimum amount of weight, and yet must of necessity possess great strength. This result can be attained only by using leather of the best quality. Sides of uneven substance can not be employed to good advantage, owing to the fact that much of the strongest portion of the leather is necessarily wasted in reducing all the straps to a uniform thickness. Young steer-hides weighing about sixteen pounds to the side are the best: they not only give better satisfaction when made up, but they are more economical, owing to the small amount of waste incurred. But even with these sides only the backs should be used, as strength is the great end to be sought after.

Having selected a side possessing the requisite qualifications, cut from the strongest portion the traces and all other straps except those for the breast collar, breeching, and bridle. These can be cut from lighter sides, those weighing from ten to twelve pounds being the best. When the single strap harness were first manufactured the breast collar and breeching bodies were cut from regular weight stock, and the edges skived off from the underside, but experience has shown that lighter sides are much more suitable, the leather being more pliant and stronger in proportion to its weight, the strapping when made up sets closer to the horse, and the edges do not roll after being in use for a short time. This latter qualification is of the greatest importance, and should of itself cause the use of light leather.

When extra fine curried leather can not be procured, well tanned stock, treated as has been directed on page 55, will answer for all but the finest grades, as it will possess the requisite strength, and in many cases can be given a fine finish. Let the leather be what it may, however, the flesh side should be well cleaned off and worked down with a slicker, as the slightest roughness would detract from the appearance of the harness, while adding to the possibility of injury to the horse from chafing.

The most important parts of this harness are shown by the sectional drawings on page 125. I represents a section of the breast-collar, with trace attached. The trace, A, is of single thickness; the lap on the body is eleven inches long, cut as shown or to some other ornamental pattern. The ring to which the neck strap tug is attached is placed five inches from the end of the body; the trace is stitched on with from ten to fourteen stitches to the inch according to the grade of the harness. The neck strap tug is quite short, and is provided with a three eighth inch loop above the buckle, and a seven-eighth inch loop below. When made up to measure, the tug is often dispensed with, the neck strap being stitched to the ring, thus doing away with the buckles. In the finer grades the traces and bodies are neatly creased. The common qualities are in some instances made up without creasing, while in others the imitation stitch wheel is used for the purpose of ornamenting. The latest freak is to mark off in the same manner as though the layers were full length, and to lay up the ornaments in imitation of layers. The plain strap is, however, the most popular, looks the neatest, and is more easily kept clean.

A section of the breeching is shown by II, together with the breeching tug and buckle chape. The layer, A, is twelve inches long when made up. The end at the breeching ring is skived off so that the ring lap will be smooth and true. The tugs or braces, C, are most commonly rounded, but plain flat straps are also used; these are doubled and stitched, as they would neither be sufficiently strong nor keep their shape if of single thickness; the ring for securing the back tug is placed about eight inches from the breeching ring. The buckle chape, D, is provided with a loop over as well as below the buckle, though in cheap grades this may be omitted.

A half section of the neck strap is shown by III. This is cut of plain leather, the end is cut straight a distance of about six inches, above which there is a waved section five inches long, the remaining portion being straight, but a little wider at the center than at the top of the wave. There is no stitching to be done on this strap, but a crease is run around it near the edge.

A section of the outside belly band, or shaft girth, is shown by IV. The billet, A, is stitched to the body with the flesh side out, the buckle being laid under between the billet and the body, B, so that when the former is wrapped around the shaft, the grain side will be out. One end of the short belly band is shown by V. The buckle chape is stitched on far enough below end to allow the latter to act as a safe. The safety-strap, a most important feature of a harness of this kind, is shown by VI. It is in fact an extra back-band, cut in one piece and placed over the saddle, with the ends buckled into the shaft tug buckles or into extra shaft-tugs, the former, however, being the most convenient form of attachment. The holes, A, are cut sufficiently large to allow the rein terrets to pass through them. In some cases the safety-strap is made up of a single thickness of leather throughout, but in others a lining about twelve inches long is stitched on to strengthen the strap at the terret holes.

The whiffletree ends of the traces are lined for about one foot, or three or four inches more than the space occupied by the dart-holes. This is generally done by turning back the extra stock, the trace being cut the full length of the side. Three dart holes are cut in, about two inches apart, and the lined section, as well as the edges of the dart-holes, are stitched.

The bridle used is generally a half-inch flat strap with small square winkers and a full or half Kemble Jackson check. All the straps on the harness require to be neatly rounded on the edges, and blacked and finished on the flesh sides.

This harness is represented by Plate 1, engraved from a photograph of the celebrated trotting-mare Goldsmith Maid. The lengths and widths for cutting are given in table No. 1.