Amish Harness
While in the northern Indiana Amish community this summer, I paid a visit to the Eastside Harness and Tack Shop.
Eastside is located in bustling little Topeka, a few blocks down from the center of town. Harley of Eastside was kind enough to show me around the place.
Right off the bat I was impressed. This miniature horse was extremely well-trained. It barely moved a centimeter while posing for these shots.
More of Eastside’s repetoire:
Harness and tack shops are common businesses among Amish. It’s not just horse-and-buggy folk who shop these places; they often have a hefty non-Amish clientele.
In the workshop area:
Proper harness can affect a horse’s health and comfort. Eastside, like most Amish harness shops, carries a variety of products to help keep horses happy on the road.
You’ve noticed the lights and fans by now. From whence comes the juice to run this place? Here is a generator used by the shop:
If you’d like to drop by Eastside sometime, here’s where you find ‘em:
Eastside Enterprises Harness and Tack Shop
701 E Lake St
Topeka, Indiana, 46571
And, if you haven’t already, you can also visit an Amish stamp shop and an Amish book store.
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13 responses to Inside an Amish harness shop
Oh man, I have some pics that look a lot like this from a harness shop in Daviess County, IN!! If I can figure out how to send them to you, I will. Have a great week, Erik ~
Sounds great Beth. Always enjoy hearing anything from Daviess Co. You may have the email already–ewesner (at) gmail.com.
Harness Shops
OH How Cool!!
Thanks for sharing this small piece of Indiana! I bet these items are very well made, as well!! Yes, when I spotted the FAN, I was thinking there must be a generator someplace!!
SharonR
The smell of a tack shop is something special! I noticed the supplements and the various bottles and such of treatments. We shepherds sometimes make use of the more common horse treatments for other four footed animals.
Amish energy and Sunday
Hi Erik,
Interesting post and great photos, as always.
Some Amish folks are using solar panels to charge batteries, then they hook up an inverter and run sewing machines and even fax machines off of them.
I know the Amish take the day of rest very seriously so I wonder if the Amish cook on Sundays?
Harness shop
They have some of the best meals u will ever taste
Sundays is usually a leftovers day, or day to eat something prepared in advance. You wouldn’t get down to a whole lot of baking or cooking that day.
No the Amish do not cook on Sunday. They cook everything on Sat. and just eat like sandwiches and salads on Sunday. Sometimes cold chicken.
@Rudy – Uhhhh, what???
Sniff! What's that smell?
Too bad these emails can’t be “scratch and sniff”. Is the smell of an Amish tack shop anything like that of an old fashioned cobbler/shoe repair shop? THAT I’m familiar with!
Harness Shop
Say, while thinking about various forms of transportation including the horse. I wondered whether or not the Amish can ride on trains?
Yes they can Lois. This is one of my favorite posts on that topic: http://amishamerica.com/amishtrak/
Harness Shop
This looks more modern than my friend in New Wilmington’s Harness Shop. Theirs is in a barn. But it still has lots of bridles and stuff.
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