Lately I've been seeing a lot of pictures of minis pulling carts that it almost looks like the person is sitting on the horses rump they are so close to the mini, what is the name of these carts and what are the purpose of it?
Champ
Champ
Cart question
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I think those are the hyperbike things and I really have no idea. As for why they sit so much closer to the horses rear, I am not sure. What their actual purpose is, I am also not sure but am sure that someone here could enlighten us as I kind of wondered the same thing myself. I have heard that they are supposed to be more comfortable than a cart but have also heard some say that once they rode in it a couple times they did not like it.
I have an Easy Rider Easy Entry cart and I LOVE IT!!!!!
: After riding in the Frontier ones then riding in mine I wouldn't trade mine for anything.
I have an Easy Rider Easy Entry cart and I LOVE IT!!!!!
Lightweight two-wheelers that have only stirrups to place your feet in, and that generally sit the driver so that they 'hug' the horse's rear end, are usually considered,and called, some form of SULKY or sometimes, a JOG CART. They tend to 'go right with' the horse's movements, and as such, are often very manueuverable-and the light weight is considered a plus, too-especially on the trotting/pacing racetracks, or for small equines(easier to pull). IMO, though, they are not particularly comfortable for a lengthy drive. Also, you*could* be in trouble if your horse threw a bucking fit, as you are 'right there'-and, speaking from personal experience, if your feet lose the stirrups, you can easily be 'pitched forward' out of the vehicle....they have their applications, but are not what I would personally choose for an 'everyday' driving vehicle. (Some sylph-like young folks, and a few others, will probably disagree with me, though!!) <Ducking and grinning...!>
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lol i've also learned the hard way NOT to use them on rearers. LOL they flip over backwards very easily. My stallion was being a ding dong one day. he know's how to WHOA and STAND but he was going through a phase where he didn't think he had to over likea month or so period..lol so we were having the outs and he was GOING to stand weather it killed one of us.... He never did anything really dangerous but would jitter around and it was losing me points in his CP classes. well i was getting very demanding and he was getting really irritated so he bounced his front feet off the ground... lol he got up just high enough that my weight whipped him right over backwards..almost ontop of me! lol it was a little scarey but no one got hurt, didn't damage the harness or cart and it scared the bejesus out of him enough so he's been an ANGEL ever since..LOL not the way i'd normally train a horse to stand still..but he did it to himself and it worked well! LOL
hobbyhorse23
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ARRRGGGGHHHH!!! Typed up this whole fun response and the computer ate it!
: Frickin' frackin' gosh dang....
Oh well. Starting over:
I believe the vehicle you are referring to is the Graham Carriage Works "Hyperbike," made in OR. And yes Margo, some of us "sylph-like young folks" are fond of them! LOL. I love you, you know that right? :bgrin
I can't speak to the "purpose" as such, but like most things it started out with someone getting a bright idea. Bob wanted to design a miniature racing bike that was as light as possible so he stripped the idea of a cart down to it's most basic parts: wheels, shafts, seat, and somewhere to put your feet. And ya know, if you put the seat on the end of the shafts you can save a lot of weight! :lol: That was the racing bike. Then he redesigned it for trail-driving, making it incredibly strong and secure. There is no part of the current Hyperbike that is not engineered into the ground. I don't personally find it very comfortable for just poking along at a walk as my back complains about having my legs up that high but when I get going at speed there is nothing better. You use your legs to brace and flex like a skier or snowboarder would so instead of fighting to maintain your seat like in a regular easy entry cart you can get entirely into your fast tight turns with no worries and no discomfort. I happily tackle manuevers and trails in the Hyperbike that would turn me green in any other cart. It is light enough at 27lbs that you can lift it over obstacles on a trail, manueverable enough to go just about anywhere, and the last thing I worry about is breaking it.
To me the point of the Hyperbike is freedom. I weigh less than my easy entry cart does so getting it in and out of the truck bed by myself is practically impossible without risking injury. With the Hyperbike I am free to take my driving horse anywhere, anytime, because I can store my vehicle in the trailer tack room! :aktion033: Gotta love it.
Since our ocean trip we now have proof positive that mares will not pee in your lap, nor geldings poop on you. :lol: Kody rears, bucks, and pulls all sorts of shenanigans and while it is scary I'm not sure it's worse than in a regular cart. (Believe me, I've had him pull it in both.) At least if the Hyperbike flips somehow you aren't going to get hurt by the cart itself! :new_shocked: The stirrups on the Hyperbike are adjustable and can be made grippy so losing them isn't nearly as much of a risk as in a normal Jerald-style roadster vehicle.
So anyway, I know I went off there but the advantages/purpose of the Hyperbike is to be super-light, manueverable, comfortable, and suited to speed and rough country. Does that answer your question?
:
It is NOT suitable for passengers, show-ring driving, or those who have mobility problems (you have to step over the shafts to get in and out.)
Leia
Oh well. Starting over:
I believe the vehicle you are referring to is the Graham Carriage Works "Hyperbike," made in OR. And yes Margo, some of us "sylph-like young folks" are fond of them! LOL. I love you, you know that right? :bgrin
I can't speak to the "purpose" as such, but like most things it started out with someone getting a bright idea. Bob wanted to design a miniature racing bike that was as light as possible so he stripped the idea of a cart down to it's most basic parts: wheels, shafts, seat, and somewhere to put your feet. And ya know, if you put the seat on the end of the shafts you can save a lot of weight! :lol: That was the racing bike. Then he redesigned it for trail-driving, making it incredibly strong and secure. There is no part of the current Hyperbike that is not engineered into the ground. I don't personally find it very comfortable for just poking along at a walk as my back complains about having my legs up that high but when I get going at speed there is nothing better. You use your legs to brace and flex like a skier or snowboarder would so instead of fighting to maintain your seat like in a regular easy entry cart you can get entirely into your fast tight turns with no worries and no discomfort. I happily tackle manuevers and trails in the Hyperbike that would turn me green in any other cart. It is light enough at 27lbs that you can lift it over obstacles on a trail, manueverable enough to go just about anywhere, and the last thing I worry about is breaking it.
To me the point of the Hyperbike is freedom. I weigh less than my easy entry cart does so getting it in and out of the truck bed by myself is practically impossible without risking injury. With the Hyperbike I am free to take my driving horse anywhere, anytime, because I can store my vehicle in the trailer tack room! :aktion033: Gotta love it.
Since our ocean trip we now have proof positive that mares will not pee in your lap, nor geldings poop on you. :lol: Kody rears, bucks, and pulls all sorts of shenanigans and while it is scary I'm not sure it's worse than in a regular cart. (Believe me, I've had him pull it in both.) At least if the Hyperbike flips somehow you aren't going to get hurt by the cart itself! :new_shocked: The stirrups on the Hyperbike are adjustable and can be made grippy so losing them isn't nearly as much of a risk as in a normal Jerald-style roadster vehicle.
So anyway, I know I went off there but the advantages/purpose of the Hyperbike is to be super-light, manueverable, comfortable, and suited to speed and rough country. Does that answer your question?
It is NOT suitable for passengers, show-ring driving, or those who have mobility problems (you have to step over the shafts to get in and out.)
Leia
nootka
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Anyway, it is very comfortable to me at any pace, and I've had a stallion pull some "airs above the ground" w/me in the bike behind him, and have never once been kicked.
Also, I'm anything BUT sylph-like, and have driven mine extensively during both of my pregnancies at all stages. No back pain (not really prone to it though, either) but my legs get tired/bored of sitting still so I dangle them inside or outside the shafts depending on the horse.
Here is a pic of my son driving our mare w/it:
Every bike I've ever seen has been different in some way, as Bob pretty much makes them all custom. I LOVE mine and it's my cart of choice for driving, though it does not replace an easy entry type vehicle, either.
They are just two different things: sort of like a sports car w/no back seats vs. a small SUV.
Liz M.
mine isn't a hyper bike.but similar made... the stirrups are down below the safts unlike the ones i've seen on the hyper bikes and they aren't too bad as your legs aren't up quite so high... but still not that comfy for long periods of time sitting like that. i do love mine for transporting because it's light and easy to get around..and it's nice for working forlong periods because it's light.
nootka
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Graham Carriage Works
(click the link for Miniatures if you want to see the Hyperbike)
My bike is actually featured on this page near the bottom, showing how the wheels are designed to be easily removed and reattached.
Anyway, mine cost around $700 7 years ago. Hoping I can get another one sometime in the near future so we can have two for running around in at the same time.
You would need to contact Robert, but first I would advise if you can find someone local that owns one, to test ride it.
Liz M.
(click the link for Miniatures if you want to see the Hyperbike)
My bike is actually featured on this page near the bottom, showing how the wheels are designed to be easily removed and reattached.
Anyway, mine cost around $700 7 years ago. Hoping I can get another one sometime in the near future so we can have two for running around in at the same time.
You would need to contact Robert, but first I would advise if you can find someone local that owns one, to test ride it.
Liz M.
BigDogs & LittleHorses
Well-Known Member
I am picking up a used one... it is currently being modified to work with my longer legs and a larger B size mare that I also just bought. The mare, "Dancer" happens to be the one shown in the third photo from top on the Hyperbike webpage!
I just met Bob Graham last weekend and he seems really eager to make sure that the whole setup will work well for both of us. He seems to have a good reputation.
He mentioned that he is also working on a new model with a stronger steel frame for heavier folks. There is some point with the current model where heavy people might begin to flex the frame out of tolerance. I seem to remember that he said that point was a ways over 200 pounds though.
Daryl
I just met Bob Graham last weekend and he seems really eager to make sure that the whole setup will work well for both of us. He seems to have a good reputation.
He mentioned that he is also working on a new model with a stronger steel frame for heavier folks. There is some point with the current model where heavy people might begin to flex the frame out of tolerance. I seem to remember that he said that point was a ways over 200 pounds though.
Daryl
I can't really address the issue of back comfort(though full back support IS very helpful, and the Hyperbike can be made with a seat that provides that, according to what I have seen on their website and elsewhere)-I can say that yes, the Hyperbike would qualify as a form of SULKY. They are unquestionably very lightweight, and appear 'built tough'! However, if you do some research, you will find that sulkies of VARIOUS brands and types are pretty widely available, around the world. I actually have a 'modified' form-more of a jog cart-made by Jerald with a minimal, removable basket and removable stirrups, for minis(if you look at Jerald's website you will see jog carts and sulkies in pony and horse sizes, aplenty). If you check some of the sites that are proponents of trotting/pacing racing(for minis and other small equine), you can find other sources of sulkies, race bikes, etc. Others who build vehicles for minis make variations of the same-just do some searching if you wish to find out who they are--some I would use, some not....
I LIKE my little Jerald, but have never driven a sulky/jog cart that I would choose to use to go out on a lengthy trail drive with the local driving club, or other similar situation. IMO, they are more of a 'specialized use' vehicle, and would not be my choice if I could only have one single horse, two wheeled,
driving vehicle. Different strokes for different folks, though--I am having so much fun pair driving, I don't even WANT to drive single these days....!! <Big grin!>
Margo
I LIKE my little Jerald, but have never driven a sulky/jog cart that I would choose to use to go out on a lengthy trail drive with the local driving club, or other similar situation. IMO, they are more of a 'specialized use' vehicle, and would not be my choice if I could only have one single horse, two wheeled,
driving vehicle. Different strokes for different folks, though--I am having so much fun pair driving, I don't even WANT to drive single these days....!! <Big grin!>
Margo
