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Headstall vs Harness - What's the difference?

headstall | harness |

As nouns the difference between headstall and harness

is that headstall is the part of a bridle that fits over a horse's head and supports other elements while harness is (countable) a restraint or support, especially one consisting of a loop or network of rope or straps.

As a verb harness is

to place a harness on something; to tie up or restrain.

headstall

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • The part of a bridle that fits over a horse's head and supports other elements.
  • *1596 , (Edmund Spenser), The Faerie Queene , V.3:
  • *:Another, that would seeme to have more wit, / Him by the bright embrodered hed-stall tooke […].
  • *1989 , (Keith Bosley), translating Elias Lönnrot, The Kalevala , XIX:
  • *:Then the smith Ilmarinen / the everlasting craftsman / out of steel formed a bridle / forged a headstall of iron […].

    • Synonyms

    * headpiece * headcollar

    References

    Baranowski, Zdzislaw, "The International Horseman's Dictionary", Pitman Publishing, New York, 1955 Stratton, Charles, "The International Horseman's Dictionary", Hamlyn Publishing, Melbourne, 1975 Summerhayes, R.S., "Encyclopedia for Horsemen", Frederick Warne & Co., London and New York, 1966

    harness

    English

    Noun

    (es)
  • (countable) A restraint or support, especially one consisting of a loop or network of rope or straps.
  • (countable) A collection of wires or cables bundled and routed according to their function.
  • (dated) The complete dress, especially in a military sense, of a man or a horse; armour in general.
  • * 1606 William Shakespeare, Macbeth , act V, scene V
    • Ring the alarum-bell! Blow, wind! come, wrack!
    At least we'll die with harness on our back.
  • The part of a loom comprising the heddles, with their means of support and motion, by which the threads of the warp are alternately raised and depressed for the passage of the shuttle.

    • Derived terms

    * harnessed antelope * harnessed moth * test harness

    Verb

    (es)
  • To place a harness on something; to tie up or restrain.
  • * {{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=July-August, author=(Henry Petroski)
    • , title= Geothermal Energy , volume=101, issue=4, magazine=(American Scientist) , passage=Ancient nomads, wishing to ward off the evening chill and enjoy a meal around a campfire, had to collect wood and then spend time and effort coaxing the heat of friction out from between sticks to kindle a flame. With more settled people, animals were harnessed to capstans or caged in treadmills to turn grist into meal.}}
  • To capture, control or put to use.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-08-16, author= John Vidal
    • , volume=189, issue=10, page=8, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= Dams endanger ecology of Himalayas , passage=Most of the Himalayan rivers have been relatively untouched by dams near their sources. Now the two great Asian powers, India and China, are rushing to harness them as they cut through some of the world's deepest valleys.}}

    See also

    * (wikipedia "harness") *