Equipment

 

Skijoring does not require much in the way of equipment to get started. You will need a pair of cross country skis, classic, skate or rock will all work depending on your skiing style. You will also need a skijor belt, quick release and a towline. A harness is needed for your canine pal.

 
SKATE SKIS-are the high performance race ski. The skier uses a "skating" motion to propel themselves forward.
CLASSIC SKIS-a/k/a diagonal skis. The commonly used type of cross country ski. A sliding/walking motion is used to propel the skier forward.

ROCK SKIS- these are your "old" skis that are used on poor snow coverage or otherwise not ski friendly trails to prevent damage to your "good" skis.

The SKIJOR BELT is a specially made belt which connects you to the gangline. It is padded to help reduce shock. Proper placement is low on the hips which reduces back injury, and helps keep the center of gravity low, to prevent your dog from pulling you off balance and causing you to face plant in the snow. It has straps which wrap around the legs and fasten to keep it from slipping.

The QUICK RELEASE is a device which attaches the skijor belt to the gangline. This was created to promote a "quick release" of the skier from the dog in cases where being connected could cause injury to the skier or the dog. This is a required piece of equipment for a skijor race.

quick release
The TOWLINE is the line by which the skier connects to the harness on the dog/s. It is made of poly rope. It can be a single, double or triple line. It is made up of a center line with a neckline, which hooks to the dogs collar, and a tugline which hooks to the harness. When running double lead a neckline should also be attached between the collars of both lead dogs.

The HARNESS is the "work uniform" your dog wears during skijoring. It goes on over the head and runs under the chest, up along the ribline and over the spine. The gangline is hooked to the back of the harness. Using a harness lets a dog use his body and muscles to pull you around. A proper fit is important to prevent rubs and injuries to your dog. An X-back or H-back harness is the most commonly used.

xback harness

 

 

photos courtesty of SKIJOR NOW