Pairs breastcollars are not single horse breastcollars. I don’t think I would want to use a single horse model with a pair, no padding, no neck strap support, along with no front D to attach to pole. Single breastcollars are built much lighter, since there is no pull up or down on the chest area with no D attachement to vehicle.
OK, first thing is a Pair vehicle comes with a pole. On the end of the pole is either a pole head or a yoke. There is NO front swingletree device!
I THINK you are talking about a yoke, straight bar with snap ends. Bar of the yoke is attached to the pole end in the modern version. This will allow for very short pole, yoke snapped on breastcollars.
Old fashion buggy style yoke had a LONG pole with a wooden cross piece that slid a leather collar over the pole end, then each end of the wooden yoke buckled onto the neck collar of each horse. Leather collar held the yoke on pole and pole off the ground. This would be called a Drop Pole, seen on many buggys, light vehicles, horses holding the pole and yoke up all the time. Horses are hitched a bit tight front and back, preventing the yoke from coming off the pole end. Too much play in traces, pole straps with loose hitching can be a disaster if the pole drops off yoke carrier and spikes into the ground!!
A fixed pole, self-supporting, has a pole head on the far end, with short arms, 4-6 inches, sticking out to each side. The arms could have ring ends, or cast D shapes, where you ran the pole straps thru and back to the horses. Pole length when correct, is about even with horse nose when hitched. Length is NEEDED to give horses leverage in managing the load behind. Pole strap is about straight by the time it gets from horse to pole head arm, horses are NOT being pulled from sideways, just forward. This kind of pole is used on heavier vehicles, more stylish carriages.
Safety note here, do NOT get brass pole heads. Brass is soft, wears easily and fast, bends or breaks easily under stress. Even in the “olden days” a pole head was steel, could be painted. They didn’t use brass pole heads. However modern folks want all metal matching, so demand for brass pole heads has caused them to be produced. Just be aware they are not safe. Stainless is available now, is considered a neutral metal like bits in silver color. Works with whatever metal the harness and other parts of the vehicle have. Antiques might have steel pole head, painted black. Legal and correct in setting up your vehicle.
So without knowing your Pair vehicle in the future, you don’t know what you need. PLEASE avoid the Meadowbrook cart model with a pole. VERY tippy. Pole is a LOT of weight on the horses or minis pulling it, weight is always bearing down. Easy to get sore necks and other problems with that vehicle. They do seem to sell, folks want an all-purpose vehicle without spending much money, don’t consider safety.
I will have to write camptown and ask them more questions.
