I might have been the woman who wrote about harnesses-- if I wasn't, I do
have a similar opinion.  The figure 8 harnesses I have seen have all been
made of nylon, and slip dreadfully (I imagine this wouldn't be a problem
with leather ones, though).  Even when securely fastened, Amelia showed an
astonishing ability to slip out of them-- once underground, where she
promptly fell asleep and I ended up digging her out.  When she reached the
point where she'd figured out that if she flexed her shoulders just right
she could pop the screw that held the thing together (she's a big strapping
Canadian girl), I bought an H style harness.  The harnesses I have use
clippy things instead of buckles, so it's very simple to put on and off.
Cully's been able to slip out of his, but it takes him a long and obvious
time to do it, giving me ample time to stop him.  One thing I like about the
H harness is that if I need to lift up a ferret quickly by the leash, the
straps are wider and so it seems to me it is less likely to injure the
ferret's neck, or to slip over the ferret's "elbows." The belly and neck
straps on mine, incidentally, aren't riveted in place; the material is
looped, so they can slide and cause a minimum of restriction (although
that's not what my ferrets would tell you :)
 
Just my experience with these harnesses-- I imagine the material it's made
out of makes a big difference in how well the harness works.  Has anyone
ever tried those strange looking harnesses where you put the ferret's front
legs through a piece of leather with two holes punched in it?  I have a hard
time picturing those staying on...
 
Regina and the escape artists
 
--
Regina Harrison
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Lofts/1083
 
And time gets somewhat muddled here
But no matter, no matter
[Posted in FML issue 2146]