Pair and Multiple Hitch Driving - Wagon types?

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I show locally with draft type miniature horses. We don't do anything fancy but we would like to move up to showing the unicorn and possibly the four hitch. The wagon we use is just a regular pairs driving wagon and doesn't have a floating tongue so I don't think it is really supposed to be used for hitches above a pair - plus the seat is kind of low and it is hard to see in my opinion. What kind of wagon does everyone use to show their DRAFT style minis? I'm have a hard time finding a mini wagon in the style of the draft horse hitch wagons. Also I don't need anything super fancy - just safe and correct. Ideas?

I have attached photos of the two wagons we currently have.

Also I don't like the double trees/eveners on either of these wagons.

Thanks,

Kim

wagon1.jpg

wagon2.jpg
 
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I have a mini hitch wagon that I use. My Husband and I will be building a new wagon soon as I have a six up going now and I just do not like how the current wagon looks with the six. My current wagon is in my profile pic.
 
Wish I could see it better. Looks like it sits up nice and high. Has it worked well for the unicorn and four hitches?

Thanks
 
Thanks for sharing that video. So do you think I need a bigger wagon for 3 or 4 or what works best for the multiples? Having a hard time finding something. Thanks
 
}Here are a few photos of the two wagons have. The green and white one is now teal. :) The ivory colored one was taken before Hubby fixed it enough to make it safe to drive. only have a couple photos with just a pair hitched to it, however can't get them to upload from my phone. The foot board of the ivory one is about six inches taller then the green and white wagon's foot board. With The Six, the height of the ivory wagon is perfect (to me, anyways.) I am no expert, but know what feel is good to me. Also, my personal opinion, is that with more then a pair on the green and white wagon, makes the wagon look like a kids toy. With six, it looks like they are pulling a radio flyer wagon. When have them hitched to the ivory wagon (which was built in 1910) they just look right. The length of the team balances out the height of the wagon. With just a pair, the ivory wagon looks like a draft wagon!WP_20140812_18_58_21_Pro.jpgSC20140125-145157-1.jpg43131312.jpg
 
've done unicorn with the green and white and did a pick-axe with it. Those just at home though. personally like a little bigger wagon for the draft type teams, however, my experience is limited. }Here is a photo of the green and white with just a pair. The green wagon is a lot lighter, maybe half the weight, of the ivory wagon. Most of what have seen, very limited, is on the smaller size, like the green wagon. I'm not much help.702.jpg This was before my Hubby modified the wagon to make it a little more adult friendly in the leg department.
 
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Ok. Thanks for all the information. Sounds like I will be lucky to find one that works. Especially since the ones we will be driving this year are 36 to 38 inches.
 
Do you have any idea what width and height would be ideal. I'm seeing some that I think are advertised for ponies that I wonder if they would actually be OK if I could find a place to get the correct pole, etc.
 
We can fit four 33" minis and the smaller wagon in our 3 horse slant trailer. The bigger wagon will need to be hauled in the back of the truck. Hubby is going to build a rack with ramps for it. I am not sure what the dimensions of the wagons are, but can measure when I get home later today. The ivory wagon was built as a pony wagon originally. I do have a few photos of it with the six, however I will need to download to the computer then upload to here. Also when I get home. ;-)
 
Thanks. I'm thinking I need a pony wagon. I kind of like this one but wasn't sure where I would get a pole etc to fit correctly.

5'w x 12'l - wasn't sure if that was too big.

My minis are larger - 36 to 38 inches.

Thanks so much for being so helpful.

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Pretty, pretty wagon. Any other pics?

You could speak with the Bryant's. Bryants Miniature horses They are pretty good at finding hitch type wagons that will fit (or can get them custom made) minis of various sizes.

Not sure where you are in OH - but Holmes county is "amish country" and maybe you can get a custom made tongue made expressly for that wagon for your horses. I know there are several carriage & wagon type shops around Dalton, Millersburg, Mt Hope, Sugar Creek & ... hmm know there were at least 2 others...

to see different styles of wagons, you could go out and look at the photos taken at AMHR Nationals the last several years. Then contact some of those folks to see where they got their wagons from.
 
I think I will try Bryants Miniature horses that is a good idea. Not many more photos of the red wagon. I'm afraid it might be too long??

I live about 1.5 hours from Mt. Hope but have only had luck with harness not wagons. I haven't even been able to find an evener shop yet and I have asked around a lot.
 
Pioneer Equipment Manufacturing in Dalton, OH custom made a 3 pony AND a 4 pony evener set for me in 2012. I have purchased several mini and small pony sized double trees from them - both steel and wood. They can make different styles and I'm sure they can fabricate for you as well - since they do well at that. Prices were VERY reasonable - it was less expensive for me to DRIVE up to OH (9 hours 1 way), spend the night in a hotel, visit w/ Pioneer (and several harness shops) order/PAY FOR/pick up equipment, meet/visit w/ FORUM friends, spend a 2nd night & drive home than it was to have equipment custom fabricated locally here in NC!! Funny - my truck ONLY gets 18 mpg when I go to OH - even pulling the trailer. Around here - I average 8 (pulling loaded trailer) -12 (unloaded/highway) mpg... LOL
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16875 Jericho Rd, Dalton, OH 44618

(330) 857-6340

You could also contact the Carolina Carriage Superstore in SC. Their double trees and eveners are different then Pioneers - but I'm not sure who builds them. My original steel one (sold to a friend) was purchased from them. They currently are working with at least one fabrication shop out of Mt Hope - building a new 4 wheel carriage for them specifically (from CCS's prototype). CCS - didn't tell me which shop out of Mt Hope that was when I asked in March.

And again - the Bryant's have other contacts that can/will fabricate equipment (quite possibly Amish as well).

Also - go check out Rural Heritage (online forum - called the Front Porch) on line. They also have a magazine - comes out 6x/year. There are advertisers in there that will custom build what you are looking for. There is even a place/business called "The Evener Shoppe"... I don't have a mag handy - will post their contact info this evening.

Roberts Carriage out of Canada also builds hitch wagons sized for minis and small ponies. Mini Hitch Wagon - mini. And Hitch Wagon - Pony
 
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And besides Bsharp & her hubby - there are several folks that built their own hitch wagons for showing their minis. I will have to dig thru email - I know I met up with a couple in 2012/2013 that had done that... Some have posted here in the past! 2010 thru 2013 (those were the years I noticed/"spoke w/" them) - probably still lurking here? May take me a while to do that - have a very full weekend here...
 
Thanks for all of the information. I have been in contact with a couple of the companies you mentioned. One only sells new wagons. Shipping may be a too high for the other one but I am currently considering a used wagon they have for sale.

I have contacted some others you suggested and I am waiting on replys.

We aren't handy enough to make one ourselves
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I can measure my yoke and evener and pole so I do think I can get those made by some of the places you suggested locally if I find a used wagon that needs some changes.

I think the main problem is me not know what size wagon will work for my larger guys. Seems like a lot of the mini ones are too small for them and some of the pony ones are too big.

I have decided after review that the red wagon I showed above is just too long for my minis so it would probably be too heavy.

I am getting some good ideas from this post. I think I could have found what I wanted several times if I had a larger budget. There are some NICE wagons out there but we just don't need anything too fancy for our local fair. Too fancy would probably offend some of the locals even if I had the cash on hand to buy one
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Thank you everyone and keep the ideas coming.
 
V__25E81.jpg}Here are the measurements on my two wagons. Ivory: the box is 3 foot 8 inches wide by 9 foot 6 inches long, which includes the width of the side boards and the foot board. Just the box is 8 foot long by 2 foot 7 inches wide. The height is 3 foot 6 inches to the foot board, 4 foot 8 inches to the seat. Green wagon is 3 foot 6 inched wide by 7 foot 6 inches long including the side boards and the foot board. Just the box is 6 foot 8 inches by 2 foot 7 inches. The height of the wagon is 2 foot 5 inches to the foot board and 3 foot 5 inches to the seat.

For size comparison, my wheel horses are 33 inches tall.

I finally remembered where a photo of The Six was with the ivory wagon. I like how the length of the horses offsets the height of the wagon. Compared to how The Six makes the green wagon look like a toy.

I hope this helps some. My green and white wagon was built by Ray Ross in 1983. They are still raising and showing minis and live back east. They do have a website for their farm, I believe Ross Family Miniatures. They may know of a wagon for sale. Worth a try.
 

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