| Author | Message | ||
     Fiona Powell Member Username: Fionap Post Number: 291 Registered: 03-2007 |
Hello, Ivy, my tuppence-worth is - I suggest you measure your cob in the relevant places and phone around some established carriage driving suppliers to see what they say. Any good supplier will be happy to discuss your cob's proportions and will take the trouble to ask what you want to do - pleasure driving, showing, long-distance, indoor/outdoor driving trials and also ask what kind of carriage you have - four or two-wheeler, etc. There are plenty of people who will sell you improbably cheap harness but you need a good quality set that you and your horse are safe using. A webbing or synthetic set (which is fine if well designed and fitted correctly) might be under £300... but is more likely to be £500-£600 for a cob (new). Sallie Walrond, writer of many driving excellent books, recommends buying new or better harness piece by piece, having it made by your local harness maker (assuming you have a set to start with!). A similar approach might be to contact a knowledgeable supplier like Jack-in-a-box, Rene Schoop, Clare Wigmore of Carriagelink, who also sells Ideal Equestrian harness (there's a nice second-hand leather set for £400!), Tabe Annema, Zilco Europe (look there for stockists), Plas Equestrian are just a few. They will usually adjust a harness or combine different sizes to make sure it fits your cob. (Rene is too modest to mention he has uncoated synthetic harness available from £197.) Any good harness maker or supplier will take the trouble to visit you and fit the harness to your horse and carriage correctly if you are local. If you can't find someone local, some of the above named suppliers will advise. It may take a few attempts to get the perfect fit but it's worth doing and will save you money in the long term! Go to an established and recognised instructor or ask the secretary of a local driving club (find the nearest on this site) to recommend someone. Your life - and your horse's - depends on using good quality harness. It might be worth buying a basic set but upgrading the breast harness and traces by paying a little more. If you google some of the names I've mentioned you can phone them and chat - you can learn a lot, I have found! Internet research and a few phone calls will save you time and money and is more likely to give you a long-lasting satisfactory solution. (I have used or know people who use harness supplied by all the names mentioned and this is not an exclusive list, of course.) Happy harness hunting! | ||
| Rene Schoop Member Username: Rene Post Number: 160 Registered: 11-2010 |
Ask Airedale which country the leather and makers are from?...That would tell you a lot! | ||
| Ivy Gamblin Member Username: Afearedrustles1997 Post Number: 1 Registered: 02-2014 |
Hi all, I'm new to this forum so bear with me  I was wondering if anyone here has any experience with Airedale harnesses. I've seen them advertised on dragon driving at what seem like reasonable prices but I wasn't sure about the quality. There doesn't seem to be much about them out there and I've never seen any used ones up for sale, which seems a little suspect. This is the harness I was interested for my cob: http://www.dragondriving.co.uk/harnessforsale-51018.html |