I see this often and it's getting more and more promenent as the mini horse is being published... People are hooking their horses up to the cart incorrectly and then getting the cart and driving these poor animals!!!!! There were two or three photos in the last World magazine, the one that had the wonderful geldings in the back. These people had the cart hooked up incorrectly. One magazine for young riders also had photos of two girls playing with their minis. It was a wonderful article, but they had their little horse hooked up incorrectly!! That's not great advertising...
If you have the tugs, the part where the cart shafts slide through on the harness, too low, then all the weight of the cart is riding on your horses back. This is a very important thing to pay attention to!!!! PLEASE check that there isn't any weight on your horses back. One way to tell is have a helper, ask them to sit in the cart, then slide your hand under the saddle and see if there is weight resting there.... there should NOT be any weight. If your horse is hitched correctly and your cart is properly balanced the weight of the person in the cart will balance the cart and the horse will not have any weight on it's back... Another way to see if your cart is balanced is to hold the end of the shafts in your hands and have someone step in and sit... Hold the shafts at the height the cart would be hooked to your horse and see if the ends of the shafts are lightweight. They should be as light as a feather!!! Just for fun feel the weight of the person standing in the cart, getting in and out. That same weight is pushing down on your horses back!!
This is really very important. I'm an equine massage therapist and seeing horses harnessed incorrectlly just makes me CRINGE!!! These wonderful little horses work thier hearts out for us... the least we can do is make sure we are doing our part to insure our equipment is working correctly, with the horse, not against it! Thank you!!!
A photo of a cart properly hitched. The shafts are going uphill from the cart, there is absolutely no weight on Bug's back...
Another photo of a horse properly hooked up...
If you have the tugs, the part where the cart shafts slide through on the harness, too low, then all the weight of the cart is riding on your horses back. This is a very important thing to pay attention to!!!! PLEASE check that there isn't any weight on your horses back. One way to tell is have a helper, ask them to sit in the cart, then slide your hand under the saddle and see if there is weight resting there.... there should NOT be any weight. If your horse is hitched correctly and your cart is properly balanced the weight of the person in the cart will balance the cart and the horse will not have any weight on it's back... Another way to see if your cart is balanced is to hold the end of the shafts in your hands and have someone step in and sit... Hold the shafts at the height the cart would be hooked to your horse and see if the ends of the shafts are lightweight. They should be as light as a feather!!! Just for fun feel the weight of the person standing in the cart, getting in and out. That same weight is pushing down on your horses back!!
This is really very important. I'm an equine massage therapist and seeing horses harnessed incorrectlly just makes me CRINGE!!! These wonderful little horses work thier hearts out for us... the least we can do is make sure we are doing our part to insure our equipment is working correctly, with the horse, not against it! Thank you!!!
A photo of a cart properly hitched. The shafts are going uphill from the cart, there is absolutely no weight on Bug's back...
Another photo of a horse properly hooked up...
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