Custom made harness

Question
Hello,

I read another question here where you speak of making your own harness using a bowline knot and soft rope.  I would like to do this myself but don't have a great grasp of how you would go about it - I am assuming that you can untie the harness to make it larger as the pig grows? - so was hoping you could provide additional instructions.

Thanks!

Answer
It's a little hard to explain in words only. I have some photos that were once on a group site, but it is down now.

There's two ways to do the harness. The first way is to tie the harness on each time it's put on. I was on a rescue and had to persuade a large, uncooperative pig to move from a van to a horse trailer. The pig had outgrown her harness years before. All I had was a piece of rope, so that's what I used to fashion a makeshift harness. After that, I began experimenting to find the best, easiest way to make a rope harness, and the results are much better than that first, impromptu harness!

This style can grow with the pig. When measuring, plan for a smaller harness section with a long tail that can act as a lead. As piggy grows, more rope is used for the harness and the lead section gets shorter. This kind of harness can be hard to put on and take off. It may take practice to tie right, and piggy can escape if it isn't well tied. During harness training, it helps to be able to slip the harness on and off easily, so this isn't the best choice for training.

The other style is more fitted and piggy will out grow it. It also uses rings and hooks, and I like to finish the ends of the rope with electrical tape wound tightly around the ends. When piggy outgrows the harness, the rings and hooks can be reused in a larger harness. It also slips on and off easily.

I will try to explain a little here. If you email me directly at pigresq@yahoo.com I will send you some photos.

You are going to make two big loops, one goes around piggy behind the front legs, the other goes around the neck. Like a fig 8 except bent in the middle. Start by making a small loop at one end of the rope (tied or taped). Put the loop on piggy's back, wrap the rope around under and behind the front legs. Bring the end of the rope through the small loop, and tie it to the small loop. So now you have one big loop wrapped around the pig, and a long rope tail. Wrap the rope tail under piggy's chin. Put the end through the small loop and tie it in place to the small loop. So now you have one big loop behind the front legs, one big loop around the neck, both tied to the small loop.

For a fitted version attach one end of the rope to a big metal ring. I like to attach a clasp type fastener to the end of the rope, and clip that to the ring. Wrap the rope under piggy and cut to fit, leaving enough rope to attach to a clasp fastener. So now you have a short piece of rope with a clasp fastener at each end, and a big metal ring. Make a second piece of rope to fit around the neck, with a fastener at each end. To put the harness on, hook one end of each rope to the metal ring. Put the ring on piggy's back. Pass one piece behind the front legs, hook the end to the ring. Pass the second one under the chin, hook it to the ring. Now, you can hook a lead to the ring, if you like.