Kawgirl said:
Do these carts put weight on the horse? I was looking at the enlarged picture of Willow and the cart, and I would think that having the cart so close to the cart with your feet up at their sides, and the way the seat sits a little forward of the axle, this would put a lot of the weight on the horse.
No, not at all. It actually gives you a lot of flexibility because if you're going uphill you can put more weight forward on the stirrups and hold the shafts down, and going downhill you can rest against the backrest and keep the weight from tipping forward onto the horse. The slider allows you to find the perfect balance over the axle with just a pull of a lever, which is MUCH easier than most other carts! It floats along beautifully and turns on a dime with just a fingertip against the shaft.
Littlegoesalongway said:
Leia, your youtube video of you guys chugging through hazards on your bike inspired my switch to driving a VSE! Haven't looked back since
Aw, thanks!
I'm always so flattered when someone tells me that. I've got to upload the more recent videos where we were actually zipping!
Littlegoesalongway said:
Just wondering about using the bikes in competition.....is the extra track width an issue? Are drivers using them in dressage & cones or just marathan? How quickly do horses adapt to driving in it if they're used to a regular 2wheel cart? Does it make a difference if you use a regular breastcollar or an Empathy-type? How easily do the bikes dismantel?
Until such time as they pass a standard track width for VSE's in the lower levels, the extra track width is nothing but an advantage in stability. We've got more than enough room going through full-sized hazards!
I personally used it only for marathon but that's because we mostly have the more formal three-day events up here and I prefer to use my Bellcrown for presentation, dressage and cones. It's difficult to look elegant wearing an apron in a Hyperbike!
I do use it for all three phases in ADT's and take my dressage lessons in it as it's easier to transport in the winter (it rides in my trailer tack room fully assembled) but have found it's harder to use your core properly at a walk and working trot with your feet up in front of you. It can be done! But it requires concentration and good reinsmanship.
I've met one or two horses who were nervous in the Hyperbike at first because it followed so closely on their tails but most of them don't care and then get really excited when you let them move out in it. New 'Bikers rarely use the 'Bike to its capacity at first but once you show the horse what the vehicle is capable of they think they've sprouted wings and often gain tremendously in confidence. It's a great vehicle for one like Kody who doesn't like turning into the shafts! He learned from the Hyperbike that all he had to do was push into it and it would give way, and soon he was much better about turning the heavier carts he used to hate. He loves spinning the 'Bike on one wheel at a canter!
The Hyperbike dismantles in moments with no special tools but is designed so there's no way it will come apart unless you want it to. I highly approve of the engineering on this vehicle!
As for breastcollars, I prefer to use a contoured collar with an adjustable angle of draft (i.e. the tug on a ring) because the line of draft goes downhill from the horse to the singletree. You can certainly use a regular breastcollar, I did for years, but it puts most of the pressure across the bottom of the horse's shoulder which makes it harder for them to move their forelegs. The heavier the load (in this case mostly the driver), the harder it is for the horse. It didn't matter much with tiny little me but that might not be the case for others.
I was outfitting Kody to pass the toughest tests out there with insufficient conditioning and a stifle problem so I made sure he had the best ergonomic setup I could and the least weight. That meant a Hyperbike, a Freedom Collar and a sliding backband and the combination has been stellar. He loves them! That's the kind of setup you don't notice much difference from at lower speeds but the faster you go, the more that turnout excels while other rigs would be getting more and more unstable and scary. For heck-for-leather trail driving, full-out ADT's, darby, or marathon, it's the way to go with a single mini.
Kawgirl said:
Is it difficult to get in these carts? With my sometimes stiff arthritic legs, I'd be afraid I'd kick the horse in the rear when I was getting in!!
Sometimes I do!
He got used to it. No, seriously, it's not much of an issue after the first time or two.
Leia
