How is the boot attached to your show cart?

[Annabellarose]

How is the boot attached to your show cart? Would any of you happen to have a picture handy that shows this?

A couple of years ago I traded for a "homemade" show cart that I have been meaning to redo as well as to attempt to make appear more "professional" and the boot on it was complete and total junk. It was made of that thin, fuzz-lined, plastic picnic tablecloth-like material and was attached to several of the wooden slats of the basket with push pins.

I bought lovely, textured, faux leather material to sew my own boot, but I realized that I have no idea how boots are typically attached to carts (and please do not tell me that push pins are the standard method of attachment!). I did Google "Miniature Horse show cart" and looked at a lot of pictures of show carts, but almost all of the pictures that I found were taken from too far away to tell how their boots were attached. I can come up with something myself if I have to, like sewing "loops" with Velcro that can loop around the top of the basket or the shafts, but I think that's going to make the cart look too bulky and unprofessional.

Thank you for any help you can offer this DIY gal!

 

[hobbyhorse23]

One word: snaps. Seriously- that's how Graber does it!

Leia

 

[Annabellarose]

Okay, so Graber uses snaps. I am not crazy about that method either, though I suppose that's better than using push pins!

The problem that I can imagine with using snaps is that the boot (no matter how well made) could get torn from the snaps where the snaps are sewn into/onto the boot. What about other manufacturers? What method does Jerald use to attach their boots to their baskets? I know that a lot of manufacturers make removeable boots because I see them (replacement boots) for sale on websites and so many people seem to have multi-purpose show/roadster carts (where they remove the boot and the basket to use the stirrups).

Again, any help will be appreciated and a picture would be fantastic.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Mine is very heavy patent leather, snapped with industrial-duty hardware where it is doubled over and hemmed at the top. It is NOT going to rip!

Besides, unless you're converting the cart to show ADS style with the basket but no boot you will almost never be taking it off again. The entire basket (boot included) comes off in one piece for roadster.

I had a homemade show cart from Canada for awhile with the same sort of table cloth boot and they had it secured with baling twine! I thought I was doing pretty well adding actual grommets to the punched holes and using black zip ties. LOL

Leia

 

[Annabellarose]

Leia,

I do not know if I will ever get the opportunity to use this cart for ADS-style driving (The National Drive?), but I would like to make the boot so that it is removeable (most boots are and I have use for a removeable boot). What other changes would I need to make to a closed wheel show cart to make it acceptable for ADS-style competition? The basket on my cart has wooden slats in the front, on the bottom, and on the back and looks much like a Jerald show cart in its design and construction except it does not have stirrups and I doubt that I could get stirrups to fit it even if I wanted them (which, at this time, I do not).

Still curious what others (LOL) have to say about the boots on their carts?

 

[Annabellarose]

Also, I have noticed that most show carts are dark (wood) or (painted) black, but the wooden slats of the baskets are left light (wood). Would it be terribly inappropriate if I stained the wooden slats of the basket of my cart darker? Would this hurt me (my turnout) at an ADS-style competition?

Thank you.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

I do hope other people reply to you as I have no idea how Jerald does their removeable boots. Sorry!

I can only tell you what I know.

A close-wheel showcart is never really going to be an ADS-style vehicle, especially as they are meant to use wire-spoke wheels with pneumatic tires and those are not encouraged for safety reasons. Still, I imagine they'd let you show with one and it probably wouldn't hinder you in pleasure or reinsmanship classes, just turnout.

As for the basket, normally in a road cart (which is what your typical open-wheeled show cart most resembles with the boot taken off and wooden wheels added) the floorboards would be stained or painted the same color as the rest of the vehicle. I suspect they are left light in most show carts simply because it looks bright and cheery and the increased contrast probably makes it easier to place your feet in the basket or tell if you've left a ribbon in there or something. It would actually be better to stain the floorboards of your cart for ADS events as it should match.

Just my .02!

Leia

 

[disneyhorse]

I'm not sure how you're asking how they are attached to the cart... but I've mostly had Jeralds and they have wing-nuts that bolt onto the cart (the entire boot and wooden slats) to convert it from a roadster cart to a pleasure cart. The wing nuts bolt the metal brackets that hold the wooden slats onto the frame of the cart. Pretty sturdy. I think the vinyl cover does snap on though, if that's what you are asking?

Andrea

 

[Annabellarose]

Yes, for future reference, I am asking specifically how just the boot attaches to the cart or how the boot attaches to the outside of the basket; not how the basket attachs to the cart. Most brands of show carts do have removeable boots (not just removeable baskets). And, by boot, I am talking about the boot (only, not the basket), which is usually made (sewn) of vinyl, faux leather, patent leather, etc. As I stated in my original post, I am going to sew my own boot (you can't very well sew a wooden basket! LOL) and I want to know how boots typically attach to show carts or around the baskets of show carts. I am sorry that I was confusing in my original post???

 

[Sandee]

Graber and Jerald both have snaps to hold their boot to the basket. I think the confusion everyone is having is that no one I know of takes the boot off without taking the basket off. I can't think of a reason to do so unless it was good for ADS and someone has already said that closed wheel won't go ADS.

Sounds like your idea of velcro would work fine.

 

[Annabellarose]

I think the confusion everyone is having is that no one I know of takes the boot off without taking the basket off. I can't think of a reason to do so

So you never clean out the basket/boot of your show cart? I am sure that dirt from your shoes gets transferred from the ground to the inside of the basket/boot as you climb in and out of the cart. I suppose you could vacuum it out, but, still...

Actually, I have seen more than one torn or ripped boot in my lifetime and a tear or a rip is reason to remove (and replace) a boot! I grew up riding and driving Saddlebreds and Arabians at stables, but I honestly do not remember how the boots were attached to the baskets/carts as it has been quite awhile! Usually the horses were worked or schooled in "jog carts", some with baskets, some without baskets (stirrups), but they were always shown in show carts with boots or fine harness buggies or viceroys. I can remember boots occasionally getting torn or ripped while loading and unloading them while back and forth to shows. Also, my situation, the boot that came on my show cart was junk and torn (away from the push pins!) and I would like to make a more professional-looking boot; I cannot be the first person to have ever wanted to do this?

Anyway, it seems the concensus is snaps. I wonder if the loop and Velcro method is going to make the boot appear too bulky? I am sure that snaps hold the boot more snugly to the basket. I am not sold on snaps either as I can see the snaps tearing out of the material if the boot gets caught on anything accidentally.

 

[Katiean]

I use upholstery tacks for my boot. However there is a grommet system I am looking into (the grommet fits over a post and the post folds over). It would be easier than tacks or snaps.

 

[Sandee]

As much trouble as it is to remove and reattach the boot, it would be easier for me to just turn the cart upside down to "clean it out". Those boots fit tight like a size 3 dress on a size 10 frame.

 

[Annabellarose]

As much trouble as it is to remove and reattach the boot, it would be easier for me to just turn the cart upside down to "clean it out". Those boots fit tight like a size 3 dress on a size 10 frame.

After looking at pictures of show carts on the internet that doesn't surprise me because some of the boots that I saw appeared to be really tight around the basket. That is one thing that has me doubting my loop with Velcro idea; it appearing too bulky or baggy. I do want to try to sew my boot so that it is very snug. ...still thinking about what to do... LOL

 

[brasstackminis]

My boot is actually attached in the front of me with screws and washers. It is attached to the back/side with a belt type thing...the type that is two d-rings and you put the strap through both and then through the one on top and tighten. Not sure if that makes sense. I have decided to not remove it because it was too much effort to reattach it the one time I did. I remove the entire basket and just use it as a road cart unless I am at a show.

Karen

 

[hobbyhorse23]

My boot is actually attached in the front of me with screws and washers. It is attached to the back/side with a belt type thing...the type that is two d-rings and you put the strap through both and then through the one on top and tighten. Not sure if that makes sense. I have decided to not remove it because it was too much effort to reattach it the one time I did. I remove the entire basket and just use it as a road cart unless I am at a show.

You mean a roadster cart, like a sulky or jog cart arrangement? I ask only because a road cart is a specific type of vehicle like this. You practically have one already in your other cart!

I think the confusion everyone is having is that no one I know of takes the boot off without taking the basket off. I can't think of a reason to do so unless it was good for ADS and someone has already said that closed wheel won't go ADS.

Patent boots are not typical for ADS-style vehicles, they usually have stained wooden slats so you'd take off the boot if possible to convert an open-wheeled cart for those shows. Not mandatory, just a nicety! Like most however I found that the boot is actually convenient to have on for training as it contains rein ends, water bottles, ribbons, whatever, and I abandoned my plans to take it off my closed-wheel cart for any reason. I did plan initially to take the boot off to clean but found it was just WAY too much work. I upend the basket when I remove it, shake the dirt out and call it good.

Leia