[drivingpairs] Kidney Links



Looking at the photos, we don't use our collars and
martingales the same way.

Our collars have the martingales run around the bottom
of collar, THRU the Kidney link, then buckled shut. 
Ring for snap shackle would hang on kidney link, ready
to have yoke shackle snapped on.  The martingale holds
collar firmly in place for backing, not allowing
collar to move up with yoke pull.  Ring slides freely
on kidney link for movement of horse in finding his
place beside the pole.  The new driving Calendar cover
shot of Park Drag Team, is nicely clear on martingales
on collars.  Wheel horse has slack in chain so it is
moving in the air, but hooked on sliding ring on
kidney link.

http://www.mischka.com/shop/product.php?productid=16481&cat=0&page=1&featured

If you let the Driving Calendar load up, all the
photos will be shown.  You can look at the Park Drag
for details of martingale attachement.  Maybe you have
a Calendar already for photo reference.  The Marathon
photo of Pair, shows how yoke is used for breastcollar
harness.  Again, tight martingales attached to
breastcollar.  Tight controls the play of yoke, up and
down, side to side.  Yoke allows horses to move
sideways within their harness setup.  Good, clear shot
of that yoke in action too!

I actually think there is a LOT of play available in
yoke, pole action, with the double fastening system of
Fjord photo shown.  Too much play for me.  Extra play
of yoke could slow ponies response to driver
directions.  Might allow too much swing to whack
ponies with pole in certain conditions.  

I would really think hard, before setting my Pair up
in that harness and yoke configuration.  I have never
seen anyone else with such a setup.

I could not find the exact post, but did Janine
mention that she ran the martingale strap thru the
kidney link only?  Back when she was saying how she
first set things up?  Martingale being incorrectly
attached, could have been the problem with too much
play before breeching got into action.  Was breeching
too tight, rubbing, if you tried to tighten it more
for better backing up, in the beginning of yoke use?


Now we get to Kidney Links.  I would stongly suggest
everyone use Closed Kidney Links.  These are the kind
with a little flip up bar, which closes to make link
an oval shape, no openings.  Item E on picture of link
below.

http://www.smuckersharness.com/pg51.html

  In our experience, and seeing others, the open
kidney link ends can catch things in or under them. 
Links can move or change position while on the collar
with pull of pole or traces.  Even TIGHT hames, can
shift after stress of work, moving the link, exposing
the open ends.  The worst almost, was a Pair horse
suddenly rubbing his partner, catching a rein under
the link end, held his head tight there.  Lucky that
Pair was surrounded with horsey admirerers, who
quickly held horses and released rein. Head rub and
snag on rein, 1/2 second.  Whole incident, 30 seconds,
but could have been a disaster.
We went home and ordered closed links to use on hames.
 Put the open Kidney Links in spare equipment for a
crisis use.  Did end up reselling them later.

Next would be to point out that using STEEL Kidney
links is safer than brass links.  It is kind of like
using steel bits, no they don't match brass harness
hardware, but we have never been criticized for it. 
You need strong metal in stressful areas like the link
is used for.

Keep in mind that even steel gets worn.  Hames will
work, move, while being used.  This will rub the
links, pull on the pole strap ring or yoke connection.
 When you do your harness cleaning, take the hames off
collar and take it apart.  How much wear do you see? 
We tend to replace Kidney Link if there is ANY wear. 
Check the hames holes too.  Sometimes you do need to
replace the hames when holes get worn thin, misshapen
from time and use.  A sudden jerk can rip out that
thin sided hole and your horse is mostly UNDRESSED!

Again, helping a friend, we changed a hames strap. 
She had a new one to use, so we dropped hames off
collar, put on the new strap.  Getting hames centered
back on unharnessed horse with collar, we felt rough
edges down on hame ends by link.  LOOKING at it
instead of just feeling, hames and link were extremely
worn, curled metal edges on holes.  Taking hames back
down, we took link off.  Just holding it up, metal was
worn thru more than 2/3s of thickness.  Dangerous. 
When asked, she "never takes hames off collar, too
hard to put back on."  She just wiped it off for
shows.  Yes she knew better, didn't use the knowledge.

  Brass Kidney links wear faster, but steel is not
going to last forever either.  This wear problem 
would also include the brass pole head.  They are not
as strong a metal as steel.  Brass wears faster and
breaks easier in stress.  You see a lot of brass
poleheads, folks like brass so metals are ALL
matching.  I don't think brass was traditional 'back
in the day' because it WAS not as strong.  Steel crab
for Team of 4 (has the hook for Leader Bars) or steel
polehead is stronger metal, can be shiny or painted
steel.  Painted steel was common in the old days. 
Lots less upkeep in cleaning, while still a very
strong metal.

Kathy Robertson



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