hame

noun, each of two curved pieces of wood or metal placed over, fastened to, or forming, the collar of a draught [draft] horse (“hame, n.2.” OED)

“… but the cake of ice that I was on broke off, and I went into the ice hole. But old Sam had kind of pawed and came up, and I got ahold of his hame, the hame of his harness, and kept myself afloat.”