Parts of a Horse Harness – Collar, Hames, Traces, Breeching

All 14 parts on the diagram

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The harness 11

Collar The padded loop the horse pushes against to pull.
Reins (lines) Long straps from the bit back to the driver's hands.
Traces The two straps that take the pull back to the load.
Saddle The pad across the back. Other parts of the harness join it.
Girth The strap under the belly that holds the saddle on.
Breeching The strap around the haunches. It lets the horse slow the load.
Hames Two metal or wooden strips on the collar. The traces join them.
Terrets Metal loops that the reins pass through.
Back strap The strap along the spine, from the saddle to the crupper.
Crupper A padded loop under the tail. It stops the saddle sliding forward.
Hip strap The strap over the hips that holds the breeching up.

The bridle 3

Bridle The headgear: straps that hold the bit in the mouth.
Blinders (blinkers) Flaps beside the eyes. They hide what is behind the horse.
Bit The metal piece in the mouth. The reins join its rings.

How this list was compiled: Every name checked on 2026-09-30, a name kept only where two of these use it: (1) Wikipedia, Horse harness, Parts, text only, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse_harness (collar, hames, traces, bridle, blinders also called blinkers or winkers, bit, reins or lines, saddle, girth, terrets, breeching, crupper, back strap, each with what it does); (2) J. H. & F. A. Sells Company, Catalogue No. 8 (Columbus, Ohio, 1900), plate Technical Names for the Various Parts of Harness, scanned page read at https://archive.org/details/catalogueno8whol00jhfa (collar, hames, trace, saddle, terrets, lines, back strap or turnback, crupper, hip strap, breeching, belly bands, blinds or winkers, bit); (3) P. N. Hasluck, Harness Making (1904), https://archive.org/details/harnessmaking00hasl (collar, hames, traces, saddle, girth, belly-band, terrets, breeching, hip-straps, crupper, bridle, winkers, bit, reins). Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry; no photograph or plate followed. Licence: own work

How it works

The parts of a horse harness do three jobs. The collar and traces pull the load. The saddle, girth, back strap and breeching keep it in place and hold the load back. The bridle, bit and reins guide the horse.

Read the full guide

The whole harness, then the head

Numbers 1 to 6 are the big pieces: the collar, the reins, the traces, the saddle, the girth and the breeching. Numbers 7 to 11 are the smaller ones: the hames on the collar, the terrets, the back strap, the crupper under the tail and the hip strap. Numbers 12 to 14 are on the head: the bridle, the blinders and the bit.

Follow the pull: from the collar to the hames, then back along the traces.
A harness saddle is a pad for the harness. Nobody rides on it.

Questions and answers

What are hames on a harness?

Two rigid strips of metal or wood that sit on a full collar, one on each side. The traces fasten to them, so the hames take the pull and the padded collar spreads it over the horse's shoulders.

What does the breeching do?

It lets the horse slow or stop a vehicle. The breeching is a broad strap around the haunches: when the horse leans back into it, the load is held back, as on a downhill slope.

Why do harness horses wear blinders?

Blinders are flaps beside the eyes, on the bridle. They keep the horse from being distracted or startled by the carriage and other things moving behind or beside it.

What is the difference between a collar and a breast collar?

A full collar is a padded loop around the neck that rests on the shoulders, and it needs hames. A breast collar: a padded strap across the chest. The full collar is used for heavier pulling.