THE KICKING-STRAP AND TRACES. 191 



the extremities rings are sewed, and in these rings are placed 

 the breeching-straps which connect the breeching-seat with 

 the shafts. The breeching-seat varies somewhat in construc- 

 tion ; its shape is defined as plain (see A, Fig. 73), square- 

 seat (see B, Fig. 73), and buckle-seat (see C, Fig. 73). The 

 latter form is made by inserting a buckle between the points 

 of the hip-strap and a point sewed into the ring, which takes 

 the foremost hip-strap point. By this device the breeching- 

 seat may be adjusted when the horse is in harness, without 

 disturbing the breeching-straps on the shafts. The breech- 

 ing-strap is attached to the breeching-seat by the point 

 being passed through the ring at the end of the seat and 

 then through a keeper on the back. The breeching-strap 

 is about thirty-eight inches long and one inch wide. 



THE KICKING-STRAP. 



THE KICKING-STRAP is used on all light four and most 

 two wheeled vehicle harness. It consists of a broad leather 

 strap about an inch and three-quarters wide which is passed 

 between the loops of the crupper-strap and the ends fastened 

 in loops with buckles. .These loops are passed around the 

 shaft and there held in place by metal keepers attached to 

 the sides of the shaft. The use of the kicking-strap is con- 

 fined to harness of a sporting or semi-sporting character. 



THE TRACES. 



TRACES for single harness are about seventy-two inches 

 long and one inch and a half wide. For pair-horse harness 

 the length is about eighty inches and the width one and a 

 quarter inches. The traces are made of several plies of heavy 

 leather firmly sewed together in rows of one or more lines of 



