Presumably not what you shed while trying to get harness that fits…
What are they?
[QUOTE=Risk-Averse Rider;6335790]
Presumably not what you shed while trying to get harness that fits…
What are they?[/QUOTE]
:lol::lol::lol: This is so funny !!:lol::lol::lol:
A tear drop is that piece of leather that starts at the poll and is attached to the crown piece, it then goes down in between the ears. There will be a piece of leather that the tear drop can slip into on the back side of the brow band. And that is a tear drop.
http://www.freedmanharness.com/catalog/equestrian/carriageharness.html
they are totally removable.
In a word…decoration.
:lol::lol::lol:
Thanks for the giggle.
I have one bridle with a tear drop right now and one without. I kinda like both looks. I think they are an optional decoration, though probably a must for the pleasure shows for turnout classes. They can look classy, i saw a lady have her initials on hers in brass, as well as on her blinders. That was a friedmans harness. I have nothing that fancy.
They were originally designed for pairs harness to obscure the horses’ white stars (facial markings) in order to make said pair more of a color match. They only worked if the animals had just stars, not blazes. As a addition they also were used to display owner’s initials (brass lettering), again, furthering the “matched look” for a pair. We have our farm initial (“A”) in lovely brass script on our pairs’ drops, although it does little to “match” our pair since they both have big white blazes. :lol:
They were never used on a single horse, nor should they be even today as there was no reason (ie: no mate in which to match). However, some people have no clue as to the origins, and think they look nice as decoration on a single.
…or they have a clue but like the look and choose to do as they wish. Tradition is great and I love the history behind such things, but it should be a choice, not a rule.
No, they seriously don’t have a clue. Sure, you can do whatever you want if you have a pair or multiples - your choice to use the drop or not. But use it on a single and it screams “clueless!!” to those of us who understand what certain pieces of harness represent, the reason for their use, and when they may…or may not/should not…be employed.
A drop is for a pair or multiples, used at the discretion/choice of the owner. It is not a single harness item, and thus shouldn’t be used for a single.
[QUOTE=gothedistance;6335855]
They were originally designed for pairs harness to obscure the horses’ white stars (facial markings) in order to make said pair more of a color match. They only worked if the animals had just stars, not blazes. As a addition they also were used to display owner’s initials (brass lettering), again, furthering the “matched look” for a pair. We have our farm initial (“A”) in lovely brass script on our pairs’ drops, although it does little to “match” our pair since they both have big white blazes. :lol:
They were never used on a single horse, nor should they be even today as there was no reason (ie: no mate in which to match). However, some people have no clue as to the origins, and think they look nice as decoration on a single.[/QUOTE]
I LOVE facts like this! Do you think I could get big enough tear drops to make Mr. Blondie & (bay) Prozac Pony match? 
Clueless here! My pairs and singles bridles all have teardrops on them. They help tame bushy Haflinger forelocks so I guess I’ll just mosey along in clueless fashion, even though I really am aware of the original purpose of teardrops. 
[QUOTE=Risk-Averse Rider;6336135]
I LOVE facts like this! Do you think I could get big enough tear drops to make Mr. Blondie & (bay) Prozac Pony match? :D[/QUOTE]
:lol::lol::lol:
Sure! Just find some Spanish harness, and you’re in business! With all the do-dads and danglies they use to pimp up their harness, you’d be lucky to even see the horses underneath! :lol::lol:
[QUOTE=gothedistance;6336434]
:lol::lol::lol:
Sure! Just find some Spanish harness, and you’re in business! With all the do-dads and danglies they use to pimp up their harness, you’d be lucky to even see the horses underneath! :lol::lol:[/QUOTE]
Just what I need - more pieces to try to fit!
Well i’ll blame clueless harness makers for my mistakes cause my single harness came with it’s teardrop brand new… 
It also has a matching tear drop on the false martingale. I think it looks classy, and helps hide some forelock, especially when forelock is bushy and my braiding talent is non-existent.
My mini’s harness had one too.
As did my Hunts.
All single harnesses.
Yup. The dumbing down of traditional use. So goes history…
But at least ya’ll are now aware of why the drop was created, and the original use. Can’t claim ignorance anymore! All ya can claim is personal style…or clueless harness makers!
Heck, I doubt whether anyone could tell if it fit or not. Have you ever seen the really ornate festive Spanish style harness? Dangling, flapping, silver encrusted leather everywhere… Amazing sight.
[QUOTE=gothedistance;6336833]
…or clueless harness makers! :D[/QUOTE]
Damn that ignorant Hunts!
Many things that originally had a purpose have become a matter of style. Buttons on jacket sleeves were originally put there to keep soldiers from using their sleeves to wipe their noses. Should the advent of kleenex mean cuff buttons are wrong and those who wear them clueless?
On the other hand…I love history and tradition, and I always love knowing the original meaning behind various and sundry items. I may pick and choose which ones I follow, but I never tire of hearing the stories.
You wouldn’t be channeling Thomas1, would you? :winkgrin:
I’m not clueless, I also knew the historic reason as to why tear drops were used and I show a single pony with a tear drop on his bridle, as do many very knowledgeable competitors who show singles (including the king of turnout John Greenall)… also as a judge I would never look poorly on a single turnout with a tear drop on the bridle.
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Good gawd, no!!! He was MEAN! :eek: Vicious and nasty. I was so happy to see him disappear.
I guess where I’m coming from is being totally into the tradition, and years of writing and research on carriages and driving. But…in this day and age, whatever floats your boat is what plays out to the audience, whether historically correct or ad-libbed. To stay in business Hunts, et al, have to cater to what people want - as in the customer is always right. They will be happy to sell you a russet harness with nickel hardwear, but I’m sure they don’t ask what vehicle you will use with it, nor do they really care. As for John, I know he knows what the traditional use of a drop is. If he wants to employ artistic license with his harness, that’s for him to decide… and anyone else on this board.
But, when one looks back at the original question, one would expect the answer to come first from the traditional use viewpoint - why a particular piece of harness evolved, and when it was used. Anything after that is modern interpretation. Like the bearing rein.
If this doesn’t do it for you, I don’t know what will
:lol::lol::lol: Nope. Sorry! One horse at a show doesn’t trump decades of true tradition. Neither does a dozen. I’m suuuuuch a tough cookie, aren’t I!!
Being a 35+ year CAA member AND Northern Virginia and Chester County (PA) foxhunter for even longer…I would probably shatter into a million pieces if I ever broke tradition in either of those two time-honored, tightly structured and regulated pastimes. :D:D:D
Not to be confrontational, Im honestly interested in the answer
We too are long time CAA and ADS members and I can honestly say that while I had heard of the use of the facepiece to cover up face markings.
I have never seen anything written or heard people talk about a facepiece being inappropriate on a single horse harness
So you piqued my curiosity and I had to look up in some of our older books, for what was said about the use of the facepiece
When we started driving in the 70’s, single harness has been sold with facepieces, not only by the Amish but also by such makers as Bill Morong, Greg Hunt, and David Freedman. Our harness (once we bought a “good” one) was made by Russ Fagan who used patterns from the early 1900’s, and we had to tell him NOT to give us the facepiece when we had a new harness made recently. Our first set had one which I stopped using since it “bounced” on the horses face and I didint like it.
So, doing a bit of further research tonight I found an illustration in the front of Francis Underhills book - pub 1897 Driving Horse-Drawn Carriages for Pleasure - that shows a single turnout clearly with a facepiece.
Further, in Francis Ware’s 1903 publication Driving there are several clear photos from presumably the late 1800’s which show a ladies phaeton class with horses carrying facepieces, a meadowbrook turnout with facepiece (and horse cranked up with overcheck). Also in his description of Gig turnout he states the harness is almost identical with light brougham turnout: square or D shaped blinkers, gig bit, bridoon, French or short bearing rein, facepiece, flowers, etc
In Sallie Walrond’s 1974 Encyclopedia of Driving the drawing of Details of Single Harness includes Face Drop
Tom Ryder’s On the Box Seat 1969 describes the Face Drop as "a purely decorative piece of leather, covered with patent leather in the case of black harness, and is attached to the center buckle on the crown-piece so that it will hang straight down the horse’s face passing under the brow-band and ending about one inch below it.
Charlie Kellogg in the 1978 Driving the Horse in Harness shows illustrations of the parts of single harness bridles as including facepieces in 4 seperate drawings and several photos in the book show horses driven single with a facepiece on their bridle
The last place I looked tonight was in the CAA turnout pamphlets, edited by Tom Ryder. #1 Meadowbrook turnout shows a facepiece as part of the bridle and in fact shows a full view of specifically just the facepiece to more fully describe it. In #6 Ladies turnouts, a photo shows a wicker phaeton with single horse, clearly with a facepiece.
I really enjoy and appreciate old traditions and where they came from as well as how they evolve, so I’d love to see where your info came from describing the use of facepieces for ONLY multiple hitches.
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