Mountain Boy Sledworks Kicksled Mushing Package

I bought this along with the Mountain Boy sled for Christmas this past year. It took me a bit to figure out how to put it on the dog! It's pretty adjustable and good quality. I wish there was a little more info on how to acclimate the dog to it included but there are other sources out there I'm sure. We didn't get much practice this year because of little snowfall but am looking forward to trying it out again next year!

I have the  Mountain Boy Sledworks Silverton Kicksled  and a dog who pulls on his leash when I walk him. And a city which believes that if the weather gods put snow on the street they can clean it up on their own, so it quickly becomes packed snow and ice. This package looked like just the trick to make being stuck at home fun.The harness is made by an actual dog harness company, Nordkyn, sold specifically for small sleds. It's an "X" back harness with four adjustment straps for the dog and two for the sled. There were no instructions for harnessing the dog, so the first time was a trick, but my dog was patient and let me try it several ways. For me it, undoing one of the front leg straps completely, having the dog step into the front of the harness, sliding the neck opening over his head then refastening the strap is the easiest. It sounds harder than it is. And your mileage may vary, but bacon treats help.On the back straps, it seems to work best if you get the strap that goes to the sled to cross just above the dog's tail but up on his back. If you leave this strap too long, when the dog veers to the right or left, the dogs back legs can get tangled up in it. Anyway be sure that it's not too tight so he can breath, and not too loose or chafing.On using the harness, my dog is well, limited in the brain capacity. He doesn't quite get that he has to stay in front of the sled at all times. So instead of clipping the harness to the sled I hold it like a leash. You may ask well, why aren't I using the leash instead of this expensive bit of nylon strapping? Well a leash has the dog pulling with a strap around his neck, and it's tough to breath with that under load. The harness has a pad which goes on the breast bone and under the neck so he can pull as hard as he wants and no pain is caused or cutting off of his airway.I haven't had as much use for the snow floats as I originally thought, but that's more a function of the snow that I've had vs what I expected to have. The sled runners are very narrow so anything other than firmly packed snow it will sink in. Not quite as narrow as ice skate blades but close. So with regular loose snow you will need something for the runners to keep the sled up on top.The brake pad, well it works, but I still drag my feet as well for a fast stop.But all in all, if you want the snow floats, and the harness the package deal is the way to go for cost savings.If you have a Malamute husky, this harness may be too small, same if you have an American Eskimo it would be too big. In which case buying the harness direct from Nordkyn will give you a better fit. Most Black and Yellow Labs, and Golden Retrievers, Siberian Husky et.al. this one should fit fine. (Large fat Chocolate Labs are probably too wide in the chest for this harness.)Pro:A lot of fun for me and dog on the street. Well made.Con:No harness instructions.

If you live in or near a snowy place and have a dog that loves to pull, you will have a blast on a kicksled with a mushing package. (If your dog doesn't already love to pull, it's going to be very hard to teach them how) Here's how it works: a kicksled is like a lightweight dogsled -- so light that you can push it along yourself. And lots of people just hold their dog by the leash and let them pull while they kicksled along. It works, but it's not very good for your dog. The mushing package has a harness and lines that you can clip to the front of the sled. It also has snow floats (plastic skis that fit on the bottom of kicksled runners) and, most importantly, a sled brake. It's a simple thing, just a piece of conveyor belt with metal cables and clips so you can attach it to the sled. It rides along on the snow in front of your feet, and when you want to stop or slow down you just step on it. It's important because it lets you keep from running into your dog!I would recommend the Mountain Boy kicksleds ( Mountain Boy Sledworks Silverton Kicksled  and  Mountain Boy Sledworks Double Kicksled ).