WHat are the curved metal squares on the cart end of the traces???

Stupid question alert!!!

I have a mini horse and cart, and the traces on the harness are just slots cut into the leather that slide over the hooks on the single tree. But, I just purchased a cart for a larger horse, and the seller tossed in an old harness (which I doubt I'll use, as I have a new one that is similar to the mini-horse's). Anyhoo, the old harness has curved metal squares (like they would wrap around a curved bar), and then about 5 inches more of harness leather that tapers to a point. I'm pretty sure she didn't use this harness with this cart, so I'm puzzled.These traces are the "buckle in" sort, on a breast collar harness.

Second, the cart, I just bought, the single tree has some little hooks on the outermost section that close and open on the singletree itself. The shafts have nylon loops attatched about where the breeching would wrap, and about where the tugs would be, but also have the tug stops. That is not in ANY of the books I have, and neither are the traces I'm asking about.

I DO have an experienced person coming to help me soon, but in the mean time, I'm quite curious and excited about my new purchase, but can't figure out that old harness. Anybody know?

I recently purchased some new harness, and it has the same metal square bits that you mention in the first part of your post. I too, would like to know about these, as I have no idea how they would attatch to the swingle tree.

Without seeing a pic of the trace ends it sounds like they were made with a differant type of trace hook in mind and the extra leather is just decorative some one may have put the nylon on to feed trace lines through its hard to say without a pic

Type in dhf equine on searchbar, when you get to thier site, type in traces in search , and thier is a picture of the ones I have ( sorry I don't know how to do a link to it on here)

Went on there and would you believe traces were the only pic that would,ent load up ,their other driving items don,t seem dear,but it looks to be paki leather ,[starts off fittin a shetland ]and stretches to a shire,but I suppose it would do for light driving

It isnt the harness I bought jimmy, but I just typed it into computer, and that's what it came up with, and it looks the same fitting as the traces I have; think your right tho- that cheap it is probably indian, because the traces were priced at 31 pounds! Do you have safety release on your traces? Because I think it might be a fitting that couples to a safety release clip?

Yes lillie,quite possible you would fit a quick release clip to it,1 set of harness I have fasten the same as barefoothooves,holes punched into the leather,the other ones have a swivel and chain attached ,the end of the chain looping into the trace hooks

Thanks jimmy,yep, I have always used the ones with a teardrop slot cut into the leather. I keep meaning to go up the road to ask a woman who I know that uses safety release hooks, if I can have a look at her traces, but you know how it is-shes never around when I am. I just keep using my old pair instead.

I meant asian leather being a dinasaur I sometimes forget to be p.c haha

Found out what the squares are, they are for double (teams)hitch harnesses, so the traces must have come from a different harness, but the information I found was about how to hitch a team of carriage horses (With collars and hames, instead of the breaststrap). Normally, the breast strap harness has the holes punched in the traces.

And yes, the nylon straps are for running the traces through along the shaft.

Thanks guys.