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Horses &
Harness

1/10th
and 1/12th
Horses

Harness

Harness
sub-assemblies

Individual
Harness
Fittings

People Parts

Price List HH£
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Price List HH$
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This page gives general information on the Lenham Pottery Models Harness, Kits and Individual Fittings which are designed for the serious model-maker. Each kit will make up into an authentic scale replica WORKING harness. Shaft, pole and trace harness kits are available at 1/8th and 1/12th scale. The collars must fit the horse you wish to use, but the straps are supplied as thong, cut to width but not to length, so that either scale may be used for 1/10th horses.

I can't tell what level of expertise you may have on model horse-drawn vehicles and the horses that pull them, and on the harness that connects horses to vehicle. Forgive me if I begin with what may seem to be basic information. If you know all this, skip to Harness Kits, or Individual Harness Fittings.

 
These photos show the difference between heavy horse harness and light horse harness.

My heavy kits contain brass buckles and ornamental brasses, but nickel dees and chain. The weight of the shafts is taken by a chain that passes over a wooden cart saddle, but the horse pulls the cart from the collar and hames. A cart has no brakes, so the horse is fitted with breechings around the hind legs, attached to the shafts, to allow him to slow the vehicle. Without these the cart could run into his back legs and provoke an accident. Heavy horse collars are supplied with hames, nickel plated (s) unless you order brass (b), and swivelling heart-shaped tug-hooks. The cart saddle, wood, comes partly shaped but not assembled or painted.

The carriage horses are fitted with light pole harness. The vehicle (here a waggonette) would have a mechanical brake so the horses have no need of breechings. All the buckles and fittings on my light horse harness are nickel plated. Light horse collars are supplied with nickel-plated tees fitted around the collar. The traces from tees to vehicle are leather, with a buckle near the girth for adjusting the length.

The collar is moulded from black coloured flexible silicone rubber, and will stretch to pass over the horse's ears, but should fit the shoulders otherwise it will not sit correctly. Where appropriate, the die-cut leather parts have peel-off self-adhesive backings for easier assembly. All leather is finest grained thinnest quality black kid, except for driving reins which are brown thong. Unless otherwise stated, the metal components are cast in white metal (low melt alloy). They are plated nickel (coded s for silver colour) and overplated with a few microns of 18 ct gold,(coded b for brass colour) which prevents tarnishing. Some of these parts, being to exact scale, are very small and therefore delicate. The plating makes them brittle. THEY WILL NOT BEND without breaking. Join metal parts to leather with a fast set epoxy resin glue (super epoxy or araldite). Join leather to leather with a rubber-based impact adhesive.

If you are interested in the history of harness and driving, have a look at the page Harness History.

There is far more information on harnessing, history and techniques, than can possibly be put in a web-site. I have therefore self-published a book, Making Model Horse Harness ISBN, 0 - 9542428 - 2 - 3, priced at £9.90 plus £2.50 post and packing. ($26.50 by air.) Only available by post from our home address.

This is a survey of harness and how to fit it to china horses. It is fully illustrated with 119 drawings, with photographs of real harness, as this Courage Heavy Horse Bridle, and with step by step photographs. This book helps model-makers to make a harness to fit a horse they have bought or made to a vehicle they have made themselves or purchased. It explains the reason for all the straps and buckles so that model-makers understand which are essential and contribute to the final effect looking authentic. Information on real harnesses of today and yesterday is included, together with detailed assembly drawings and instructions on methods and techniques. There is also a bibliography and a glossary of terms.

Back to the top of this page.

Forward to Harness Kits.

Forward to Individual Harness Fittings.

If you are interested in other details of the making of the horses, there is more information under materials - why I put 'china' in quotes - and methods and mouldmaking techniques, including information on our other self-published book, Mould Making for Artisans.