Proper balance for Cart

[mandi]

How do you check for the proper balance on a 2 wheel cart? What exactly are you looking for when you do this?

 

[Minimor]

You want the cart to have pretty much no weight on the horse's back when a person is seated in the cart. check the balance by having someone hold the shafts while you sit in the cart. The shafts should be held about where the tugs would rest when the horse is hitched up, and the shafts should be held at the height they would be when hitched.

A good Mini cart will be likely to have some way to adjust the balance--most times the seat can be moved forward or backward to change the balance. I had one cart that you could move the axle, and that had the same effect.

The cart may feel heavy when no one is seated, but once the driver is sitting on the seat the shafts lighten up to the point where the cart "floats"...if the seat is too far back the cart will be in danger of tipping backward. Too far forward & the cart will be heavy on the horse.

This is also a good way to check how your position in the cart affects your horse. First balance the cart properly. Now hold the shafts as above & have someone sit in the cart. If they lean forward too much the cart will be heavy on your hands. Stand in the basket and it will be very heavy on your hands...and know that this is the weight your horse will feel on his back if you take this position while he is hitched. If they lean way back the cart will tip back and you will have to hold it down. You can see how if you lean way back while driving the cart shafts will be pulling upward on your horse's bellyband.

 

[mandi]

You want the cart to have pretty much no weight on the horse's back when a person is seated in the cart. check the balance by having someone hold the shafts while you sit in the cart. The shafts should be held about where the tugs would rest when the horse is hitched up, and the shafts should be held at the height they would be when hitched.
A good Mini cart will be likely to have some way to adjust the balance--most times the seat can be moved forward or backward to change the balance. I had one cart that you could move the axle, and that had the same effect.

The cart may feel heavy when no one is seated, but once the driver is sitting on the seat the shafts lighten up to the point where the cart "floats"...if the seat is too far back the cart will be in danger of tipping backward. Too far forward & the cart will be heavy on the horse.

This is also a good way to check how your position in the cart affects your horse. First balance the cart properly. Now hold the shafts as above & have someone sit in the cart. If they lean forward too much the cart will be heavy on your hands. Stand in the basket and it will be very heavy on your hands...and know that this is the weight your horse will feel on his back if you take this position while he is hitched. If they lean way back the cart will tip back and you will have to hold it down. You can see how if you lean way back while driving the cart shafts will be pulling upward on your horse's bellyband.

are all two wheel carts adjustable?

 

[Katiean]

You want the cart to have pretty much no weight on the horse's back when a person is seated in the cart. check the balance by having someone hold the shafts while you sit in the cart. The shafts should be held about where the tugs would rest when the horse is hitched up, and the shafts should be held at the height they would be when hitched.
A good Mini cart will be likely to have some way to adjust the balance--most times the seat can be moved forward or backward to change the balance. I had one cart that you could move the axle, and that had the same effect.

The cart may feel heavy when no one is seated, but once the driver is sitting on the seat the shafts lighten up to the point where the cart "floats"...if the seat is too far back the cart will be in danger of tipping backward. Too far forward & the cart will be heavy on the horse.

This is also a good way to check how your position in the cart affects your horse. First balance the cart properly. Now hold the shafts as above & have someone sit in the cart. If they lean forward too much the cart will be heavy on your hands. Stand in the basket and it will be very heavy on your hands...and know that this is the weight your horse will feel on his back if you take this position while he is hitched. If they lean way back the cart will tip back and you will have to hold it down. You can see how if you lean way back while driving the cart shafts will be pulling upward on your horse's bellyband.

are all two wheel carts adjustable?

My answer to this would be NO. To be able to balance it I belive the seat or axle would have to be able to move forward or back.

 

[mandi]

So if you end up with a cart that is shaft heavy and the seat doesnt adjust then what do you do? Is there a way to somehow put an adjustable seat on it or are you just out of luck?

 

[Minimor]

You might be able to find a welder that can remove the existing seat & redo it with a seat that can be adjusted.

Otherwise you can try and sell the cart & buy one that can be adjusted, or you can figure out what size horse the cart would be properly balanced for...and buy a new horse to go with the cart.

 

[mandi]

I LOVE the buy a new horse idea!

 

[ruffian]

"You want the cart to have pretty much no weight on the horse's back when a person is seated in the cart. check the balance by having someone hold the shafts while you sit in the cart. The shafts should be held about where the tugs would rest when the horse is hitched up, and the shafts should be held at the height they would be when hitched."

You should be able to hold the shafts up with one finger on each shaft when someone is sitting in the cart.

 

[Al B]

The operative here is HOLD the shafts not just put a finger under them. You could wind up with your feet straight up in the air and your backside on the ground. Experience.

 

[~Lisa~]

The operative here is HOLD the shafts not just put a finger under them. You could wind up with your feet straight up in the air and your backside on the ground. Experience.

hee hee hee thanks for that visual

 

[Minimor]

Oh Al! I hope no one was hurt in the gaining of that experience??

You see, there is a reason I worded my post above the way I did...I was thinking the 'hold the shafts up with one finger' as ruffian said, but I wasn't going to SAY it that way because I know how wrong that could go for someone...unlike Al I have no personal experience with that sort of accident but I could see it happening!

 

[Al B]

True story about assembling and balancing the Pacific Smart Cart. The seat slides forward and backward on a set of horizontal rails. When you get it where you want it you tighten the bolts. Do not have your spousal unit (who's cart it is) sit in the seat and slide back until it balances. She will invariably sit in the seat and give a hefty push back rather than a gentle nudge. The result is that she shoots out the back of the cart along with the seat leaving you holding a completely unbalanced cart and a overwhelming urge to burst out laughing; but you dare not!

Balancing the cart can wait until another time.

 

[joylee123]

True story about assembling and balancing the Pacific Smart Cart. The seat slides forward and backward on a set of horizontal rails. When you get it where you want it you tighten the bolts. Do not have your spousal unit (who's cart it is) sit in the seat and slide back until it balances. She will invariably sit in the seat and give a hefty push back rather than a gentle nudge. The result is that she shoots out the back of the cart along with the seat leaving you holding a completely unbalanced cart and a overwhelming urge to burst out laughing; but you dare not!

Balancing the cart can wait until another time.

 

[Minimor]

Oh, I AM glad that method of balancing our Smart Cart didn't occur to me.

I did it the hard way--put the seat where it looked right, tightened it enough so it wouldn't slide, tested it, then adjusted it a bit....I'm such a bore, doing it the safe way.

 

[mandi]

Thats hilarious! I think I would have been laughing. My husband was holding the shafts for me yesterday as I was in the cart and asked him how it felt. He said pretty light...look as he proceded to lift the shafts up and let go. I must have looked like this

when he caught them before I flipped over. LOL

 

[Carriage]

The operative here is HOLD the shafts not just put a finger under them. You could wind up with your feet straight up in the air and your backside on the ground. Experience.

Dog gone it Al, you had to spoil the fun....

(yes please do HOLD the shafts even if its yer mother in law...)

Bb

 

[ClickMini]

Al, I was so happy when I got my Smart Cart that I could not resist sitting in it while it was waiting politely in my arena all shiny and stuff. It beckoned me...it whispered softly in my ear, "I'll take care of you..." I sat into the soft cushy seat and smiled happily and proudly. How wonderful and jaunty Ally and I would look, trotting down the trail or in the dressage arena. Oh my, how nicely balanced the cart is, look how those shafts just float free in the air. Wait, oh no! The wheels are moving! BETRAYAL! Oomph! Oh my. How does one go about getting out of this predicament? The arena ceiling still looks nice. The birds haven't torn up the insulation yet. Dang, that backrest wasn't as soft as it felt when we were sitting up.

It took me quite some time to figure out how to get out of that position while I was there by myself. But boy, was I sure glad there was no one around to witness it!!!