This message is from: Kathleen Spiegel <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> I have a few questions about harness. I have a Fjord that I will be driving this year and have decided to probably go with Camptown Harness Biothane for her but the question I have relate to the half of a mule team I also have. The other half is owned by someone else and we just went to talk to a local harness maker about a set of harness. He is an old timer, does beutiful work but as an artist, he makes his kind of harness. He uses what he calls a Yankee britchin which he claims pulls down on the butt of the horse rather than forward when the horse brakes a vehicle going downhill or to slow it down. He says he has made harness for fjord teams and I know he does some very large workhorses around here. The advantage to using a local one is he can fit these mules as he goes. The disadvantage is that his style appears to be different than the little bit I am familiar with. These are tall, more refined mules than the Belgian cross mules they use around here for the heavy wagons. They will mature out at 16+ hands - thoroughbred and Catalonian background - and will be more like carriage horses than heavy draft. They will be hitched to several antique buggies and probably a buckboard - nothing heavier. He can make the harnesses so they can also be used as a single with shafts. He also puts lots of spots on -( cleaning ugh) and claims the stainless steel is easier than the nickel or chrome to keep clean. He also recommends biothane for all tugs and lines but generally makes the rest of the harness from leather, with biothan interlayers at major stress points and where the bridle attaches to the bit - or he can go all synthetic . My questions- Is anyone familiar with this yankee britchin and has anyone on the list had harness made by this guy. Monte Piqued of Ucon Idaho ( North of Idaho Falls ). He is in his mid seventies and only accepts orders for a limited number of harness each year. I visited his shop and was impressed, but at this stage I am probably easily impressed since I do not know a whole lot. The owner of the other half of the team has experience with older workhorse and mule harness from her own fathers farming days, but we will want to show this pair too. Since this list has so many people with diverse experience, I couldn.t think of a better group to ask. I am open to any suggestions and opinions, and if you have any personal comments about this guy you can e-mail me privately if you do not want it to go to the whole list.
> Thanks in advance Kathy in Southern Idaho - We are anticipating a major snow dump tonight and tomorrow. The last real stuff we had was just after thanksgiving and it is still around at my house.
