Art of the Hitch: Pair A Dice Carriages

Episode 4: Harness

Welcome back to another rendition of Art of the Hitch. This week, we’re talking about harness—specifically draft horse harness—and the different styles and purposes behind each type.

Draft horse harness is a beautifully efficient system designed to translate a horse’s strength into controlled, useful work. While all harnesses share the same basic purpose—allowing a horse to pull safely and comfortably—the finer details vary depending on tradition, workload, and the specific demands of draft performance.

A typical harness includes the collar or breastpiece, hames, traces or tugs, saddle/backpad, britchen, bellyband, lines, and various supporting straps that distribute weight and allow clear communication between driver and horse. Proper fit is essential; a well-adjusted harness prevents pressure points and enables the horse to pull smoothly from the chest and shoulders without unnecessary strain.

In the past, harness was almost exclusively made of leather. Today, it is most commonly built from Biothane, a thermoplastic-coated webbing made by covering strong polyester webbing with PVC or polyurethane. Biothane offers the look of leather with far greater practicality—it’s durable, waterproof, easy to clean, extremely strong, and much lighter, making it more user-friendly to handle and throw over large horses.

One of the most common and effective styles of draft harness is the collar-and-hames harness, widely used in agricultural work, logging, carriage operations, and competitive draft hitches. A padded collar fits around the horse’s shoulders and neck, distributing the load evenly as the horse leans into the pull. The metal hames fasten to the collar and serve as the attachment point for the traces or tugs, making this design both powerful and comfortable for sustained, heavy work.

Within the collar-and-hames family is a variation known as the yankee britchen harness. Instead of using a traditional britchen that sits horizontally across the hindquarters, the yankee britchen uses angled straps running forward toward the saddle or backpad. This design helps keep the harness centered and prevents shifting while the horse navigates hills, backs a load, or works in tight spaces. It also provides more precise braking by distributing pressure evenly across the hindquarters, making it ideal for rugged western terrain and demanding working conditions.

Another option is the breast collar harness, often used in lighter carriage driving where the demands are not as intense. Instead of a full draft collar, this style uses a wide, padded breast strap that rests across the chest. It is lighter, simpler, and easier to fit, though it does not offer the same long-duration pulling efficiency as a full collar-and-hames. Breast collars are popular for pleasure driving, lighter commercial carriage work, and for smaller horses that do not require maximum draft power.

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At Pair A Dice Carriages, harness isn’t just functional equipment—it’s a reflection of our presentation, our teamwork, and the pride behind every horse we put to work. All of our harness is made by N&A Harness, an Amish company based in Millersburg, Ohio, renowned for its craftsmanship. Each set is fitted with care so our horses can work comfortably and confidently, whether they’re pulling a wedding carriage or guiding our stagecoach through a rodeo with crowds roaring around them. A well-balanced harness allows the team to move freely, work evenly, and operate as a unified unit.

For all of our work, we use the classic collar-and-hames harness, specifically a three-drop farm and parade style for all of our street work. The padded collars allow each horse to lean in and pull efficiently—especially important when we hook all six horses to the stagecoach or spend long days on the street. The hames and traces tie the system together, giving the team stability and power across pavement, gravel, or soft footing. This setup provides the sustained, controlled pull our operation requires while maintaining the polished, traditional look people recognize from Pair A Dice Carriages.

We also pay close attention to the individualized adjustments that make our hitches work smoothly and safely. Our quality harness features clean, polished lines and hardware that highlight each horse’s natural presence—an important detail when they’re in front of guests or cameras. Everything is adjusted to offer clear communication and balanced support, ensuring that each position in the hitch can perform its role precisely. Because every horse on our crew is built a little differently, we tailor fit and pressure points to keep each one comfortable through long workdays and a busy event season.

In everything we do, our harness reflects one of our core beliefs: function first, beauty always, and the horse’s comfort and safety above all. Whether we’re hitching up for a quiet evening ride or a high-energy public event, properly fitted harness is one of the key elements that keeps our teams safe, stylish, and performing at their absolute best.