The New Hyper Bike

[Shari]

I ground drove Maggie today, since she did well, put her to the HB. (haven't driven her since I started packing back in Oregon, so it has been a few months)

Just a wee short drive since the weather was turning nasty.

Will need to put up the tugs one to get the shafts a bit higher but it was a good start. Seat should be where I need it once I do that. could also do to move the seat back a couple of notches.

Love being this close to her and being able to scratch her backside.

Maggie seemed happy with it. Mare can bend into a nearly a perfect C when we turn... was kind'a funny, she set up like she would to shove the CRC over, and when it was much easier to turn, I swear it felt like she was smiling.

Will do little short drives while we both get back in shape and learn the in's and outs of this cart. VBG

Sorry I did not get a photo of Maggie and I in the cart but next drive I will.

 

[Shari]

Does anyone have the spares thingy for the HB and if you do, can you post a photo of it please.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I am really really jealous!!

 

[Shari]

Don't be.

I sold my posh Country Road Cart, because I figured it won't survive the move. So I bought this as the replacement and well... a lighter cart is better for Maggie.

Heck, they shouldn't be that spendy to ship over your way. ;O)

 

[rabbitsfizz]

A friend is in the process of buying one, once it is here we will know exactly what- with import tax etc- it will cost.

I can't wait to try it out. All I need now is a horse that actually enjoys driving!!

 

[Shari]

That will be fun, at least you will be able to try it out once your friend's arrives.

I drove a little longer today. Still adjusting things. Put the seat half way back but I think I will need to put it all the way back. The wheels are already the lowest they will go.

Think I will need the sliding back band but it will have to wait a bit. New place needs a new roof first. sigh ~~

Also need to move the foot pegs forward more... will take me a couple of weeks to tweak the cart and harness just right.

Even wore a helmet while driving for the first time. Also need to practice getting in and out of the thing. LOL

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Maggie looks great, very sporty! Wow. Thanks for the new pictures.

Leia

 

[Shari]

Thanks Leia!

Will have to ask Santa for a sliding back band.

Feeling like I am driving a mini Yak, Maggie's winter coat is short but super thick this year!

 

[shelterwood]

Shari,

Maggie looks like a little teddy bear! I love her! Thanks for the pictures of the Hyperbike, makes me want one even more. So excited for you!

Katie

 

[Matthijs]

Looks good Shari, you have a very nice turnout there!!!! Those are some great pictures. It looks like you are very well setup. I find the balance is always changing and I guess that is why it is a balance.....hmm

But it sure is nice to have that slider under the seat!! And It does not seem to stay in the same place long!!

 

[Driving Miss Dixie]

The Hyperbike sounded so fun, I was going to order one. So I asked my trainer friend if she had used one. This is what she said:

"I have driven one twice. Once successfully. I am told that you can't get kicked because you are too close. I will tell you that you can! I had a horse that was claustrophobic. I had broken her in an easy entry cart and it was not the smoothest process, but the owner and I had driven her here many, many times. When he came to get her, he brought his "bike" That was the only vehicle he had and I was concerned about it being so different from what she was used to. We hitched her and I drove her and he drove her and all was well...until it wasn't. Something set her off and she went running and bucking until he bailed, which was not an easy thing to do. the reins wrapped around the horses front legs and pulled her down. When we talked about it after, I asked my client why he had chosen to jump from the cart. He showed me his legs, which were black and blue already from thigh to ankle. The only thing that kept him from speaking with a very high voice, was the seat itself which took the direct hits. So...the bike is a lot of fun, behind the right horse..."

I think I will wait on getting one until I am alot more sure of myself and my horse, and even then do some ground driving with it.

>

 

[susanne]

.

If this is the incident I believe it is, I was there.

Graham Carriage Works does not recommend the HyperBike for green horses, and this horse was extremely green -- she had just finished basic training. The driver/owner had used the HyperBike with his other horse for several years and continues to use it to this day. If anyone were to be frightened away from the HB, it would be him, but this is not the case.

He is a member of this forum, and I can put you in touch if you would like to discuss the incident directly with him.

 

[Driving Miss Dixie]

Was this horse a real exception to the rule then?

 

[susanne]

I don't in any way want to brush off your trainer's caution. This story proves the rule that, with driving, anything can happen. Every cart has its own risks, as does each individual horse. Many younger or greener horses do better with a heavier cart to begin their driving careers.

I don't know if this horse is an "exception to the rule." I would simply say to judge by more than just one horse.

 

[Shari]

I have been driving Maggie around 11 years now, we have our first HB and knock on wood, no issues. She loves it, I love it.

Can't see how anyone can get kicked but I wasn't there. Feel really safe with the HB, more so than I have in any other cart.

However, like has been said many times, I wouldn't use a HB with a green horse. Let them drive at least a year in a traditional cart first.

And there are just some horse's that, will not make could cart horse's. Could of been much worse in a traditional cart. Seen horse's kick those apart and people are badly hurt.

Doing anything with animals, does have its risks.

 

[Driving Miss Dixie]

Well, now I am excited about it all over again. Though I would not use it with my mare, who is green, and spooky, my gelding will probably work fine with it. Is there any training/desensitation that should be done before hitching them to the HyperBike?

I have been driving Maggie around 11 years now, we have our first HB and knock on wood, no issues. She loves it, I love it.

Can't see how anyone can get kicked but I wasn't there. Feel really safe with the HB, more so than I have in any other cart.

However, like has been said many times, I wouldn't use a HB with a green horse. Let them drive at least a year in a traditional cart first.

And there are just some horse's that, will not make could cart horse's. Could of been much worse in a traditional cart. Seen horse's kick those apart and people are badly hurt.

Doing anything with animals, does have its risks.

 

[susanne]

Hopefully Leia will chime in here...I know she uses or has used a kicking strap with her "high spirit bucker." Many people use these as a "don't even go there" device.

I would *think* that ground driving with a PVC pipe travois, perhaps set up with a connector close to the tail, could help to accustom him to something close behind.

To an extent, I would also take a cue from your horse's ground manners. Is he comfortable with you moving around behind him for grooming, farrier work, etc.? Not that it's a guarantee either way, but I would be much more cautious with a horse that is uncomfortable with anyone close behind.

I assume from this thread that you're in the NW, so you need to come to our Long Beach, WA, beach drive this next summer. Lots of HyperBikers and a chance to try out an HB with an experienced horse. Mingus is great with test drives.

 

[Driving Miss Dixie]

Yes, I live on the south beach, near Westport. Let me know when it is and I will come on down. My mare is pretty green and spooky, so I wouldn't use her, but just got a new gelding that I think is going to work out well, but I will be checking him out for close stuff. Thanks alot for your help.

Hopefully Leia will chime in here...I know she uses or has used a kicking strap with her "high spirit bucker." Many people use these as a "don't even go there" device.

I would *think* that ground driving with a PVC pipe travois, perhaps set up with a connector close to the tail, could help to accustom him to something close behind.

To an extent, I would also take a cue from your horse's ground manners. Is he comfortable with you moving around behind him for grooming, farrier work, etc.? Not that it's a guarantee either way, but I would be much more cautious with a horse that is uncomfortable with anyone close behind.

I assume from this thread that you're in the NW, so you need to come to our Long Beach, WA, beach drive this next summer. Lots of HyperBikers and a chance to try out an HB with an experienced horse. Mingus is great with test drives.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

The Hyperbike sounded so fun, I was going to order one. So I asked my trainer friend if she had used one. This is what she said:
"I have driven one twice. Once successfully.

Ha, my Kody was the successful drive she mentions! LOL. She tried out both him and his Hyperbike on one of the New Year's Drives here in the NW and got a kick out of it. I have pictures.

Well, now I am excited about it all over again. Though I would not use it with my mare, who is green, and spooky, my gelding will probably work fine with it. Is there any training/desensitation that should be done before hitching them to the HyperBike?

Every horse is different. Many of them seem to be totally unconcerned about the 'Bike being so closed to their tails, others are nervy and require some confidence-building to become comfortable with it. Kody loved it from the first minute and didn't require any special training. A friend's horse we tried it on was clearly nervous about the proximity so we ground-drove him between the shafts with me doing the pulling until he relaxed and we chose not to hitch him that session but rather give him some time to get used to the idea.

If I had one like that I'd get her used to having me crowd her rear end on foot both during grooming and ground-driving and teach her that good rump scritchies are given when I'm standing directly behind her. You can also use a travois as someone else suggested, anything to teach them there's no reason to be concerned about things close around their rumps. I think any and all of that sort of training is best accomplished in a low-key, "hey buddy, just your herdmate crowding up behind you in a friendly way here, no worries" sort of way rather than making a big deal out of it. Both my boys are reactive about the other horse "getting in their space" but know to mind their manners if I or a strange horse do it. They only get pushy with each other!

Hopefully Leia will chime in here...I know she uses or has used a kicking strap with her "high spirit bucker." Many people use these as a "don't even go there" device.

Yep. Love my kicking straps! The one time I got nailed in a Hyperbike was when I'd taken off the kicking strap and the mare I was borrowing got bee-stung or something and bolted, kicking frantically. She knocked my right foot off the stirrup with one good blow and it went downhill from there.

Still, I didn't hesitate to get back in a Hyperbike because my feeling was I would have gotten hurt in a regular cart too, just in a different way. Life's a risk, you know? There's a YouTube video of some guy getting kicked in the head by a full-sized horse while sitting in the seat of a marathon carriage...I don't think any cart is kick-proof.

Leia

 

[BigDogs & LittleHorses]

The Hyperbike sounded so fun, I was going to order one. So I asked my trainer friend if she had used one. This is what she said:

"I have driven one twice. Once successfully. I am told that you can't get kicked because you are too close. I will tell you that you can! I had a horse that was claustrophobic. I had broken her in an easy entry cart and it was not the smoothest process, but the owner and I had driven her here many, many times. When he came to get her, he brought his "bike" That was the only vehicle he had and I was concerned about it being so different from what she was used to. We hitched her and I drove her and he drove her and all was well...until it wasn't. Something set her off and she went running and bucking until he bailed, which was not an easy thing to do. the reins wrapped around the horses front legs and pulled her down. When we talked about it after, I asked my client why he had chosen to jump from the cart. He showed me his legs, which were black and blue already from thigh to ankle. The only thing that kept him from speaking with a very high voice, was the seat itself which took the direct hits. So...the bike is a lot of fun, behind the right horse..."

I think I will wait on getting one until I am alot more sure of myself and my horse, and even then do some ground driving with it.

>

Hi there!

I am catching up on the forum and saw the thread on the hyperbike. I'm the guy who had the bad experience on one. I think my setup is somewhat different than most others. I'm pretty tall and have long legs, and got a custom extended shaft set for hyperbike, which puts me significantly further back than most. If you look at Shari's pictures in the thread, she's up really close. I don't see how she could really get kicked like I did. Compared to others, the gap between the horse's rear and my seat is about double that of others. In any case, throughout training, my girl Lolly was a knucklehead and I shouldn't have tried something new on her without the kicking straps. The trainer wasn't confident driving her in ANY rig, really. I'd get a report that she drove just fine, and then another that she was spooky and bucked or whatever. When you said she had been driven many times, I don't think that this is incorrect...I think that Lolly had been driven less than ten times. With the weather and holidays there wasn't enough time to try to work through her issues, and my budget was blown. It just didn't go very well at all. Lolly's just not driving material.

Anyway, I use the hyperbike with my veteran driving mare Dancer and love it. When you think about it, by its nature, driving is a pretty dangerous thing to do... you're at the mercy of a not too bright, spooky animal in a vehicle with no brakes! Plus, there is a horse involved.

One good thing about the hyperbike is that if it crashes into you or your horse, it's probably just going to bounce off being so light and springy.

So anyway, I say don't use it on a green horse, and when you first try it, do so in an enclosed area with kicking straps and an assistant. I wouldn't want someone to not get one for their experienced horse based on my one bad experience.