[drivingpairs] Re: question about traces

The you are correct on the heel chains of our tugs as to the ease of adjustment
from vehicle to vehicle.  These heel chains do devastating damage to the single
tree and the cross bar of our show charts so I've envented a heel chain condom.
It is a tube made of any type cloth with draw strings or velcro at each end (I
use black tape {a drafters number one partner in the show ring {{not acceptable
in the carriage driving ring}}.
The condom is placed over the heel chains and slides up past the hell change
connection on the leather trace.  When the heel chain is attached to the single
tree the condom slides down the heel chain, turns a right angle over the single
tree.  This holds the heel chain up off the cross bar and also muffels the 
gingle
of the chains.  It should be customized to your likes and requirements.  I use
black material so that it appears to be the tug (trace) all the way back to the
single tree.
There are some harness companys that sell "converters".  It is a sort piece of
trace that is slotted with a large snap on the end.  It is snapped into the heel
chain the placed on the sword end of the wiffle tree.  This is common in 
carriage
work but not in show carts as our show carts usually have single trees instead 
of
whiffle trees.
Ken

Hzlax@xxxxxxx wrote:

> Noel answered part of it already (and I knew all along in my little heart
> that I ain't a gentleman. Now it's official:-)
>
> As Noel said: For draft horses it's the practicality of chain ends when the
> horses were switched in their work between different waggons and implements
> all requiring different trace length which can easily be adjusted by just
> hooking into different chain links. Carriage horses don't need that much easy
> and quick adjustments in their work, and for them the rattling chain links
> would be disturbing to the carriage passengers (as well as some of the higher
> strung carriage horses). Chain is work stuff, not for the fancy turnout (but
> every rule has the exception, here it is the pole chains :-), but they don't
> rattle as much as trace chain ends, and are not heavy work chains, but rather
> elegant crafted chains)
> Hardy
>
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