opinions on backband quick disconnnect please?

[buck22]

I took a lesson today with a person I respect and noticed they don’t use one, they’re directly threaded and stay threaded all the time. They put on their saddle and breeching as one unit. I asked and they said it was for safety that they don’t use one.

The person who taught me to drive initially - I also have tremendous respect for - taught me to use a quick disconnect to the saddle. They said its handy to get a horse out quickly. So, since thats what I learned first, thats what I currently do.

I googled around briefly and see that opinions go either way on whether to use one or not.

I’d love to hear others thoughts and the reasons pro or con. And for those that don’t use a quick disconnect, do you thread the backband each time you harness? or leave the breeching and saddle permanently threaded?

While I currently have a scissor snap on mine, I was contemplating upgrading to this, but I’m curious to hear thoughts either way.

Thanks!

[49_er]

Well, I use one. But my reason is that I disconnect the backband and breeching to take off and put on. Keeps the harness more manageable to hang in smaller pieces…and easier to put on, at least for me.

[horsegeeks]

We use a quick disconnect. It saved us a lot of grief when we had to get a young horse out of a wrecked cart. One snap and two buckles and she was out.

We’ve also found it convenient to have the breeching and kicking straps separate from the harness saddle when harnessing. (Far fewer straps to get tangled).

I do believe you have to be very careful of the quality of the device you use to release any piece of equipment.

I’d never seen the quick disconnects in the breed show world … except on training harnesses. Then they are usually simple snaps. When I was showing the backband was kept threaded. But we did not use breeching in the Pleasure and Park/Fine Harness driving divisions and any adjustments were simple to do.

[Aelfleah_Farm]

On my pleasure harness, the backband is kept threaded. Looks neater, smother line. I don’t use any quick releases anywhere on my pleasure/dressage harness. The traces are not quick release, and the hold backs are wrapped on the shafts. If we wrecked in that harness it would take a knife to free us. Not pleasant to think of but very traditional.

On my marathon harness, the backband is a quick release. But them I have quick releases on my traces and holdbacks too. If there is ever a problem (wreck), all of the releases would free the horse very very quickly.

[CDE_Driver]

[QUOTE=Aelfleah Farm;5261891]
On my pleasure harness, the backband is kept threaded. Looks neater, smother line. I don’t use any quick releases anywhere on my pleasure/dressage harness. The traces are not quick release, and the hold backs are wrapped on the shafts. If we wrecked in that harness it would take a knife to free us. Not pleasant to think of but very traditional.

On my marathon harness, the backband is a quick release. But them I have quick releases on my traces and holdbacks too. If there is ever a problem (wreck), all of the releases would free the horse very very quickly.[/QUOTE]

I use this same set up. My dressage harness has no quick releases or shackles but my marathon harness has that same snap from Carriage Driving Essentials and I have shackles on my hold back straps as well as my traces. The marathon harness is what I use on a daily basis, I only use the leather harness at CDE’s for dressage and cones.

[horsegeeks]

CDE Driver,

I have buckle-on traces but we have one set of harness where the traces are very difficult to un-buckle.

How do you attach the quick release shackles to the traces? I’ve only seen snaps used to attach the traces to the breast collar … and our harnesses are not set up that way. When I googled shackles and traces I found a shackle with a buckle. I suppose you could attach the shackles to the buckles on the breast collar and then buckle the traces to the shackle. Is this how you use them?

We have quick releases on everything else … being paranoid and worried about exactly what happened last week.

My ignorance of this end of driving is definitely showing :<

THANKS!

[49_er]

I also have quick releases for the the holdback straps, tug loops are quick release, and the trace quick releases are actually on the carriage. You attach the ends of the traces to them with a ring (traces come with the ring on the end). The quick releases are pretty expensive, but are worth it to me.

[Drive_NJ]

(already wrote this to B22, but thought we’de share the rest of the thoughts with the rest of you)

We got those clips, like from CDE
Tricia found it to be much heavier than we thought it would be also longer. I suppose it would have to be to fit the straps and all, but it surprised us.

We found it difficult to adjust our backstrap back to the correct length once this snap was in place - probably my reluctance to punch lots more holes) And once in place the snap seemed to flop around and bounce - because of the weight

IOW we didnt like it for its physical properties
I also found the little knurled wheel to be difficult to work - you had to break it in and it took more effort to get it tight than I expected
BUT once I got the hang of it - it did actually close and lock

However we decided we didnt like it overall

We basically drive for pleasure and our harness is not equiped with any quick release anything

We did buy for our BO the quick release tugs for her marathon harness and closed loop shafts. I think those are essential. She also uses the shackles to attach the traces to the carriage

In most cases, you do not need to use a knife to get out of a harness quickly.

I DO think traces should be buckle in at the shoulder for safety. Working from over the back of a horse that is down (to keep you away from the legs):
undo the trace and neck strap
undo the girth
and your horse can walk out of the harness
You will also have to undo the buckle at the hand end of the reins to clear the reins from the harness

Also remember to release any pressure slowly. If the strap is cut or released abruptly the horse is likely to panic. Slower release is easier for them to deal with.

We have been driving since the 1970s and have never personally seen an accident/problem that could not have been solved WITHOUT the knife
and a couple of times when knives were used - that is where the injury came from.

I know there are exceptions, but IMO use knives with caution and think before you cut

[CDE_Driver]

[QUOTE=horsegeeks;5262260]
CDE Driver,

I have buckle-on traces but we have one set of harness where the traces are very difficult to un-buckle.

How do you attach the quick release shackles to the traces? I’ve only seen snaps used to attach the traces to the breast collar … and our harnesses are not set up that way. When I googled shackles and traces I found a shackle with a buckle. I suppose you could attach the shackles to the buckles on the breast collar and then buckle the traces to the shackle. Is this how you use them?

We have quick releases on everything else … being paranoid and worried about exactly what happened last week.

My ignorance of this end of driving is definitely showing :<

THANKS![/QUOTE]

I have buckle in traces that have “D” ends. So they buckle in to the breast collar and the (expensive) quick release shackles are on the the single tree, they then attach to the “D” on the end of the traces.

http://www.drivingessentials.com/traces.htm

I do know people that have slot end traces that just hook the shackle through the slot, the shackle is still attached to the single tree.

The shackles are at the top of this page, http://www.drivingessentials.com/harness_hardware.htm

I can get some photos of the set up if you like.

I also leave the hold back straps on the shafts and just hook them to the breeching with shackles.

[horsegeeks]

Three of our harness didn’t come with the quick releases … we added them ourselves. And LOVE the convenience and safety they provide

We also keep the holdbacks on the shafts and simply snap them to the breeching. I love it for allowing us to quickly hitch and unhitch.

I’m having trouble imagining what the single tree looks like that has the shackle attached to it. If you could point me to a photograph of one I’d appreciate it. We do pleasure driving and I’ve never seen them on any of the carts I’ve used. Is this arrangement specific to marathon carts?

All of our harnesses have the traces buckling at the breast collar … but one harness is hard for me to unbuckle the traces. Ironically, its the harness that I otherwise like the best. :<

[Drive_NJ]

Sometimes its not the trace & buckle at the breast collar that is difficult
Its the keepers on the breast collar

We have had harness that was difficult to unbuckle and found if we skipped going thru the first keeper closest to the buckle it was much easier to function

Our traier likes to leave the traces buckled to the breast collar
“I” like to undo them each time

I dont think it takes too much time and it makes our almost draft size breast collar lighter and less clumsy to maneuver

[horsegeeks]

Unfortunately/Fortunately the traces are heavily re-enforced at the end that we buckle to the breastcollar. They are stiff and hard to remove.

BTW We do unbuckle the traces every time we use them … maybe the traces will get more limber. However, they are biothane, and I’m not optimistic.