The Heavy Harness That Moved the World: Making a Draft Collar

Engineering "Horse Power": The Heavy Transport Collar

Before the internal combustion engine took over the world, the "Horse Collar" was the most important piece of transmission technology in existence. Without it, the immense power of a draft horse or ox could not be effectively transferred to a plow or wagon.

In this episode of Archival Craft, we break down the hidden engineering behind traditional heavy transport. This is Part 1 of the collar-making process, where we witness the marriage of two distinct trades: Woodworking and Saddlery.

Watch as a master craftsman constructs the skeleton of the collar—the wooden "Hames" or saddle frame—and prepares the heavy leather strips that will eventually form the cushion. This is not just sewing; this is heavy fabrication designed to withstand tons of pulling force while keeping the animal safe and comfortable.


Original source material: Neidenbach 1971 Gabriel Simons, Das LVR-Institut für Landeskunde und Regionalgeschichte. CC 4.0.
Herstellen eines Schleifsteins in der Sandsteingrube Chr. Hort
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Legal Note: Archival Craft operates as an educational archive. All footage is sourced from Public Domain archives or used under Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) licenses with full credit to original institutions.