Pair Draft Harness
Created by Susan Bensema Young with many parts made by Rio Rondo Enterprises

Single Draft Harness
"Queenie" models her landmark draft harness, created over the winter of 1982-3 with Lenham Pottery buckles & hames. This was our first really good set, with a stuffed collar and bells on the pad. The brasses came through Heather Hills Miniatures; the cart was made in Germany.


Single Draft Harness
Horse "Bathsheba" commissioned by S. Bensema and created by Elizabeth Bouras. Cart by Reigsecker's. The shot was taken on a concrete well cover in my family's front yard, in Boulder, CO, in 1983.


Single Draft Harness
Queenie again --- Breyer's special run of 1981. This is one of the two lead pair harnesses ordered by E. Bouras and made in 1986. These were to match an earlier wheel pair set made in 1985. The bits are by Sue Rowe; buckles, brasses & hames are from Lenham Pottery--- the only source for such things back then.


8-horse Hitch Team Draft Harness
Here is a real dream come true: Susan's own eight-horse-hitch of Breyer's SR Black Belgians, when it was first completed in early 1990. The wagon is by Dick Eighmey. The wheel team was made as early as 1985--- five years before. That was her first use of Mirrorflex, tiny adhesive squares of mirror, for decorating draft harnesses.


8-horse Hitch Team Draft Harness
Close-up of the point team (the pair behind the leaders) on the original TSII Eight-Hitch. All three releases of Breyer's Black Belgian are in the hitch. These two are named Neptune & Stonehenge; they date from 1987. This gives a better look at the Mirrorflex. This stuff served her well during the years she used it: 1985 through 1991, when she found a better technology.


Victoria Harness
A pair harness for a Victoria, ordered by Connie Wireman and built in 1991. The horses are 'Conquista' and 'Majestad'. This was taken on the front steps which were covered with fake grass! Susan's always liked to see disparate OFs go together as driving pairs (though this pair is a little too mis-matched in action!).


Civil War Artillery Driver Harness
'Roy' by Breyer shows off his Civil War era Artillery Driver (Boston Truck Sidebacker) harness, complete with a McClellan saddle. This set was created in 1995 for Shirley Ketchuk. The saddle tree was handmade from Friendly Plastic; the hames were handcarved from wood and Aluminum. The research just about drove Susan nuts ... she makes no guarantees!!


Pleasure Harness
'Minyalucca' is Moody's Minuet, painted by E. Bouras and Susan Bensema Young in 1986. The harness was made in early 1997 for Colette Robertson; it is actually one half of a pair. The cart is a many-times-rebuilt-&-customized Messman frame with Eighmey wheels. The doll was dressed by Lenore Jacobs. Whip, hat and vest are all by usan Bensema Young, as is that spiffy seat cushion...


Draft Team Harness
These harnesses were built in summer 1997 as the last four to an Eight Horse Hitch, owned by Ivy Olensky of Canada. These are the swing and point harnesses: the ones in the middle, between leaders and wheelers. The project was so huge we did it in sections; Susan has not yet seen all eight together at once.


Harness Racing set
A 1998 effort, Susan's second-ever pacer harness was made for Ardith Carlton in memory of her beloved Quick Comet. This model is named Shadowcaster. The head number gave Susan the most trouble; she still don't know how they are really fastened on!

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