Used in the countryside since the 12th century, the shoulder collar is part of the harness of horses which pull loads. It allows heavier pulls than the 'bricole' and differs from the yoke used for other draft animals such as oxen. Popularized by the Carolingian armies' teams, it derives from the neck yoke with traction by the shoulders of Roman Antiquity, while the 'bricole' is a dorsal yoke with traction by the mass of the chest.