Those that use golf carts to exercise with........

[whitney]

Can you post pictures of your setup? Or explain how you use the cart. How many at a time, what do you tie them with, what do you tie them to? I just got a battery cart and LOVE it! But its for exercising the horses not tooling around the farm. Your advise and help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Whit

 

[wildoak]

I love my golf cart and use it to pony horses, feed, and run all over the farm. When you pony horses, rule # 1 is just go slow at first and be sure your horses are acclimated to it. Battery carts are quiet, so most horses aren't afraid of them but if you get to scooting around and someone sets back suddenly, you can have a serious neck injury on your hands. I take two horses at a time unless I have one who won't go along with company - most will - and I start a new one alongside a more experienced horse. I tie to the back with a quick release knot and I pay attention to what's going on behind me - just like driving a car, if you are on the phone, into the ipod, etc you are distracted. I give them enough lead rope that they don't get their feet against the cart, but not so much that they can get their heads down.

All that said, as long as you are careful it's a wonderful way to exercise minis, who are otherwise pretty much limited to round pens & arenas if they don't drive. They get straight line exercise instead of being run in circles, it's less boring for them and for me.

I have a track around my hayfield, we cross the creek and have a couple of good hills to work.....at least we do that when the ground isn't cracked & dry, not lately though.

Most horses catch on quickly - I've only had one or two I gave up on because they repeatedly wanted to set back. Just pay attention to your horses and to the ground, as they won't always be able to see things coming up as soon as you will.

Jan

 

[minimomNC]

We do about the same as Jan, love my golf cart. One thing we also do if a horse wants to get behind to try and be with its buddy, we have a top on ours so we put an extra rope on the front bar and hook both to the horse, so it keeps the horse right beside the cart, not in front or behind it. We do this because we only have two horses in training right now, one sr mare and one 2 year old stallion, they work together but he needs to be kept up beside the cart so he concentrates on working. We have been using a golf cart now for 6 years with not one accident or injury. If we get a horse that just won't work on the golf cart, then we have a round pen too. They go back and forth so they don't get bored.

 

[Sandee]

I use mine to exercise the horses so they don't get bored with the round pen and so I don't get worn out. I use a rubber tie down with bull snaps to put them at the back of the cart. My mare prefers to run along side and I have to watch when I turn corners that she doesn't get nicked by a tire or fender. The old gelding does the best. He seems to know that this is his "work" time and he just comes along. My stallion is the worst. He is so lazy. He comes along for a while and then will try to run up and bite the back of the cart. He actually tore a hole in the seat when I had him on the side. Once he dug in and wanted to play tug of war with the cart. He's a real pill. The only way to make him exercise that he isn't a pill is to put on his harness and either the show cart or long lines.

 

[Watcheye]

I agree with using rubber/bungee or something with some give to it on the line if they do balk.