Myrna/Rhinestone, Attention!

[ClickMini]

I finally went out to lookat your web site, and am blown away by the carts and carriages you and your husband have built. They are just beautiful! What kind of price would a person be looking at for a cart like yours? The Blue one. It is just absolutely gorgeous.

THAT could do double duty for CDE and breed shows. It is just craftsmanship at its finest.

P.S.: I really can't afford the work and time to buy any more horses, so I feel my addiction slowly, sneakily, sliding over to carriages instead. It has always been a latent issue, but is now becoming full blown. I even became a member of the Carriage Association of America. http://www.caaonline.com/

One more question. How many carts and carriages are too many? Right now, I own a Tadpole pairs carriage, a Jerald Runabout, one open and one closed wheel Graber show cart, and a Jerald show cart. I just sold my Pacific Smart Cart and regret that so much. I really need (????) a single VSE cart for combined driving. Looking hard at the Bellcrown Aerocrown.

My name is Amy, and I have an overwhelming addiction to horse-drawn vehicles. Especially, but not limited to, those scaled down to VSE size.

 

[Ginia]

Amy, you have mirrored my thoughts almost word for word. Love-love-love the blue cart on the Rhinestone website. I find myself becoming more and more obsessed with horse-drawn vehicles, seems like the fewer horses I have the more vehicles I want!!!! Go figure. I can answer the 2nd part of your question, as many carts and carriages as you can manage to cram in your carriage room/barn/garage/basement without upsetting the balance of family tolerance. That is JUST EXACTLY the right amount. It seems like each one has features that "you really do NEED", but lacks a few features that you should have in your next purchase. I'm currently at 5 little horses, 3 carts, a buckboard and 7 sets of harness. I did see on the internet a few days ago the most beautiful little 2-wheeled Gypsy Market Cart. Red with all sorts of beautiful painted decorations. Hmmmm, wouldn't that be fun to have for parades. (now if I can just find a really small cart of one sort or another in need of a complete do-over at one of the local farm/estate sales I know what my project in the basement for next winter would be

 

[ClickMini]

Ginia, YES!!! Restored with Tole Painting! I could totally do that! Woohoo!

 

[RhineStone]

My name is Amy, and I have an overwhelming addiction to horse-drawn vehicles. Especially, but not limited to, those scaled down to VSE size.

Well, Amy, at least you admit it! That is half of the step to recovery!

LOL!

Thank you very much!

Yes, we too are avid vehicle collectors, but every one of them has a purpose. The blue phaeton cart is the one I use most often to show my black 37". It is "too big" for my little horses. I wanted something absolutely different and very traditional for the ADS pleasure show ring. It is getting extremely competitive there. A lot of the vehicles in this area are made by Colonial Carriage, and they do FANTASTIC work $$$, so we have been trying to keep up. We designed the Phaeton cart ourselves, and then redesigned it last year. The box that is on the blue cart in the "Carriages" page is now the one on the Phaeton pony cart. The new box is wider and lighter for Tandem. Yes, we do use it for CDEs and pleasure shows. I have won Turnout repeatedly in it, and my husband got a 10 in Presentation with it last year, and a 9 in 2008. I LOVE IT! It's to the point where I will have to put the cart before the horse, and someday find "replacement" horses to go with my vehicles instead of the other way around! Or, I'm going to have to sell my carts and start over!

We custom build everything to fit the horse/pony and driver. It seems we have yet to build the same vehicle twice, and we seem to "specialize" in pony/mini vehicles. Everybody seems to want something different.

As far as quality goes, a lot of the craftsmanship/cost in a good vehicle is in the finish. Judges know a good finish when they see one. We have just as much in the paint as we do the rest of the parts on a painted vehicle. Stained vehicles are MUCH cheaper to finish. The reason that painted vehicles from the Amish are cheaper is because they use less quality woods (sometimes even recycled) and less quality paint. (I can see my reflection in ours.) For the stained vehicles, they need to use their "good" wood. We know. We have taken some Amish vehicles apart!

That's not saying that they all are like that, but many are. There are also good Amish craftsmen, too, BUT you get what you pay for. That is why on the other thread, I said that $1000 is not a whole lot for a really good vehicle. I'm not trying to be snobby, that's just reality.

You have us beat on the CAA membership. I suppose we should buck up and fork out the cash for one. Let me know how you like the benefits. We have been ADS members for going on 10 years now, though.

Our first vehicle we built is what I call the "crappy" cart. It is on the Our Horses page put to Dolly with Kyle driving. Actually, I have sent that cart to the county fair recently, so it does clean up well. We also have a "show road cart" for Dolly with the same design, but more leg room, my Mini Meadowbrook style that I have put to Alax in a number of photos (I LOVE that cart, too, very comfy!), his blue Phaeton cart, the pony Phaeton cart, a big Meadowbrook we purchased (not on website), the red stained big Meadowbrook that is now in pieces becoming a Spider Gig, the big Runabout, and the big marathon vehicle we bought last fall on our ADT page. So, what does that make, four mini vehicles, one pony, and four big horse vehicles. Yup, an addiction if I say so myself. My mom has a Wagoners Jerald-style if I ever decided to do the breed shows, but yes, it would be fun to "crash the party" with that blue cart!

I would like to get a Smart Cart or the like for Alax for the marathon, but for now the Meadowbrook works. It would just be nice to "save" it. Although, if it ever gets trashed, I know where to get it fixed!

Thanks again, Amy and Ginia, for your nice comments.

Myrna Rhinehart

 

[RhineStone]

I can answer the 2nd part of your question, as many carts and carriages as you can manage to cram in your carriage room/barn/garage/basement without upsetting the balance of family tolerance. That is JUST EXACTLY the right amount. It seems like each one has features that "you really do NEED", but lacks a few features that you should have in your next purchase.

It helps to have your husband as involved in the carriage driving community as you! HE'S the one that wanted the last vehicle!

Myrna

 

[MiniHGal]

Oh, Amy, I feel your pain! On the positive, once you buy them, they don't eat anything and they don't need to go to the vet.

I recently joined CAA (Carriage Association of America) and have really enjoyed it so far! I bit the bullet and did it as I recently took the Driver's Proficiency Level 1 test and am thinking about doing II and possibly III at some point. Lovely magazine...they have a very nice series going on currently that is all about turnout! Lots of info on restorations as well if that's your thing (personally, while I enjoy reading about it, I know I will never have the time or the patience, so....).

As far as vehicles....hmmm, well I think I might be ordering an Aerocrown here shortly for a strictly marathon vehicle, from Carriage Driving Essentials. Like I should be buying ANOTHER cart. We are currently at 10 carts/carriages between the two I have here and the 8 at home.

Of course, I also want another horse. But THAT one is going to have to wait at least until 2012 or later. That is also going to require an entirely new set of carriages and equipment, as I am interested in getting a medium to large pony for my next driving horse, and all I have is either mini or horse size. Figures.

If I drove in pleasure shows often with a VSE, I would be very interested in ordering a similar Phaeton body cart from you, Myrna! It is gorgeous!

 

[ThreeCFarm]

I LOVE the gigs, particularly the one hitched to the gray!

Gorgeous vehicles!!

 

[RhineStone]

Thank you, all. We really enjoy building the carriages and try to do a good job. A lot of people like the gig put to the gray Welsh. It was googled over by a Past President of the Carriage Association of America! Unfortunately, it hasn't been out since it's "maiden voyage". That mare was a bit uneasy at that show, and the owners don't have the new mare ready to go yet. Maybe this year.

Maybe I should take some photos of the cart we are working on now. It is (again) a new design, and will be debuted in June.

Myrna

 

[RhineStone]

I recently joined CAA (Carriage Association of America) and have really enjoyed it so far! I bit the bullet and did it as I recently took the Driver's Proficiency Level 1 test and am thinking about doing II and possibly III at some point. Lovely magazine...they have a very nice series going on currently that is all about turnout! Lots of info on restorations as well if that's your thing (personally, while I enjoy reading about it, I know I will never have the time or the patience, so....).

I have thought about taking the Driver's Proficiency tests. Is it being "valued" in the industry as a good thing to do?

(I don't know if I said that right...) My husband's concern was paying for a piece of paper than says I can drive. He said that if I needed a piece of paper, he can print one off.

I thought it might help me feel "authenticated/proven". Did you get some new tips that you didn't know before you took the test?

In the CAA series about Turnout, did Vicki Bodoh use the photo of Chad and our pinto and the green Runabout? She had asked us for a photo last fall for those articles. In the process, she "reminded" us that the outer ring of the hubs should be black, as any part that is used a lot or had the potential to be scratched often should be black for ease of touchup (don't need to match paint). Step "pads" also should be black. Since we have used a lot of flush hubs, we didn't really have that "rule" wedged in our heads. Now we do! She said that since flush hubs are "modern" hubs, that rule wouldn't apply and painting the hubs black would be optional. I have toyed with the idea of painting the hubs black on my blue cart. What do you all think?

Restorations/redos are almost always more difficult/expensive than new construction. You have the cost of "tear down" first that you don't have with new construction. I would only bother with restoration on a unique or valuable vehicle. Otherwise, it generally isn't worth it...for cost or patience, like you say.

Myrna

 

[MiniHGal]

I think it is becoming valued...but currently not well known/widely done (and so, with all things relatively new, it can go either way). Level I is pretty simple, just a basic driving evaluation and horsemanship. Most people that have been driving a while can pass it easily. I don't think I learned anything much...but some people have mentioned that they did, so it depends. Level II and especially III are much more intense. They also require multiple driving and a moderately high degree of carriage knowledge. So to pass those would actually indicate something. And you have to pass I to get to II and III (as well as road driving, which you can do with I).

I have not seen the picture, but will keep an eye out for it! I don't believe they are done with the series. Its been very interesting!

Most flush hubs I have seen tend to be painted black...yes they are not protruding, but on the other hand, it is a traditional place for black....I'm no turnout guru, but I would vote for painting them black. I also think that gives the wheel a nice 'focal point' in the overall picture.

 

[rcfarm]

Wonderful carriages, Myrna. Love the blue cart. Still not in my budget, but girls can dream

 

[RhineStone]

Most flush hubs I have seen tend to be painted black...yes they are not protruding, but on the other hand, it is a traditional place for black....I'm no turnout guru, but I would vote for painting them black. I also think that gives the wheel a nice 'focal point' in the overall picture.

Thanks. I think what I will do is "photoshop" a photo and see how it looks "painted" black. Once I dig the real paint out, I can't go back!

I really wanted brass flanges on the hubs, but I haven't found a source for them in flush hubs.

Thank you all for your nice comments.

Myrna