CH. XI HAMES 2 1 I 



not in drag-harness. Sometimes a buckle is sewed 

 on the collar on each side, back of the hames, and 

 eight or ten inches below the top of the collar, into 

 which a strap an inch wide, with holes in each 

 end, called a housing-strap, can be buckled ; this 

 passes over the top of the collar, from side to side, 

 and over the bearing-rein to keep it from shaking 

 about ; it is now rarely used. 



The collar is really only a pad which goes next 

 to the horse's neck, and is surrounded by the 

 hames, which are two pieces of iron, flat on the 

 inside and round on the outside, to which the 

 traces are attached. The hames are sometimes 

 covered with black patent leather, but are usually 

 plated with silver or with brass, to match the rest 

 of the harness mountings ; black hames are rarely 

 used in coach-harness. In drag-harness they have 

 eyes at the lower ends, through which passes the 

 kidney-link (Fig. 97), to hold them together. The 

 kidney-link, so called from its shape, 

 is made open at the top, so that it 

 can be taken off the hames ; it is 

 better to have this opening closed by 

 a hinged piece, also shown in Fig. 97, 



FlP Q 7 



to prevent the points of the links from 

 chafing the collar, and from catching- on the edges 

 of the martingale. On the kidney-link is slipped 

 the ring through which the pole-chain is passed. 

 This ring should not be left on the link of the 

 lead-horse harness, where there is no pole-chain, 



