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I'm going to suggest something here that many readers will not agree with, but bear with me please. Whereever psoosible we use conway buckles on our harness. Yes, conway buckles. They are a PITA to adjust, but if you put them where you don't need to adjust them, they are the absolute safest...

The neck stap that supports your breast collar should go over the neck, not back to the saddle. You will get a better fit for your breast collar and may get better performance from your mini. By putting the strap in the proper place you will also have a couple of options for your problems with...

Kingston Saddlery has steel spoke wheels with solid ruber tires. I've used these wheels on several carts and have bee quite happy with them. You may be able to use them on your cart, but have two issues to overcome. One is the width between the forks on your cart. The Kingston wheels are...

Some suggestions on EZ entry cart suspensions: I have a couple of carts with "C" springs. They work well, and if you put the springs between the axle and the cart body the horse has a much easier time of pulling the cart as the shock of hitting a rough spot is not transmitted to the horse. If...

Check out Iowa Valley Carriage. Sandee has a very good selection of harnesses, and all are custom made to fit your horse. Call her and she will walk you through the process of what measurements you need to supply and she will provide you with the special sizes your horse needs. Her harnesses...

We use only lines that buckle to the bit. Many (most) use clips because it is quick (lazy) to use and cheap to make. We were shown at a clinic years ago the effect on your horse when the metal clip strikes on the metal bit in his mouth. Why do you want to do something that you know is going...

The notion that using a pair put to a two wheel cart is a common one, especially with minis. While it does present a whole set of issues that aren't present with driving a single, it doesn't have to be a huge problem if you take some basic precautions. A major concern with any horse of any...

That may be a Sprint Cart from Frey Carriage Company in Columbus WI. The wood components are not standard on the Sprint but the frame and suspension look very similar. They have a website and you can compare their carts. Frey Carriage builds very high quality carts and carriages and is a good...

Robinson Harness makes some nice harnesses at a reasonable price. I had one from them in russet. They seemed willing to make some special fit arrangements. Don't have their website right at hand, but a search shold fine it. They're in Kansas.

Before you go to smaller weels, try this. Often the axle is mounted below the cart frame tube and fastened with "U" bolts. From your picture it is a little difficult to tell, but I think this is the case. If you can remount the axle on top of the cart frame tube, you can lower the entire cart...

Check out the American Driving Society webisite. A wealth of information on every aspect of driving, icluding CDE's. You can also find lists of ADS competions around the country and can find something close to home.

I want to come to the defense of conway buckles. We use them in many places on our harnesses, but not all. Firstly, they are a pain to adjust, so in the places that you need to make frequent adjustment usr regular tongue buckles. BUT, look closely at the conway buckles from the piont of...

Wheels, not tires are what you need to be looking at. Many folks use the terms interchangeably, but the WHEELS are what you need to be concerned with. With a horse of that size, 20" wheels are probably the right choice. Most of my carts use 20" and that is a good size anf they are also pretty...

Kingsron Saddlery sell seats and backrests to fit their carts. Check their website for the sizes, they might match u p.

You may have set some unrealistic expectations for yourself with your 500.00 price limit. Too many of the carts you see on eBay are imported from China or Mexico and are made of very light and poor quality steel tubing. I've seen too many carts that simply forld up at the front of the basket...

For small mini you really don't have a lot of choices. You need to be concerned about the weight of the cart, especially starting out and you need to be concerned about the size for both the horse and the driver. Most "A" size carts will have 20" wheels and 46" or 48". shafts. You are...

If you take the shafts you have to a reputable welding shop in your area and tell them what you need, they chould be able to fabricate exactly what you need. or, if you know the shop teacher at your local high school, you might contact them and ask if they would do it. Sometimes the welding...

An important point to remember is that horses are creatures of habit. That is, they will continue to do what they are taught to do as long as it is done the same way each time. When you put to, if you consistantly do it the same way each time, you won't have a problem. We always put to with...

I build carts and I use 20", 24" or sometimes 26" depending on the kind of driving and the surface you lan to drive on. Our show carts use 24" wood wheels which, when you add the hard rubber tires end up just short of 26" diameter. For my 35" mini training cart I use wheels theat are about...

Absolutely! Minis are very well suited for working with persons with many physical and other challenges. I've worked with a therapy riding and driving center for severl years and one of our star therapy horses is a mini gelding that my wife and I trained. Minis are so willing and easy going...