Those who drive.........

[wade3504]

I bought the perfect hat at a tack store today. It's red and says Crash Dummy on the front. I am wearing it in a parade tomorrow where our group is wearing red white and blue and I'm driving my gelding. Two Sundays ago I went for a drive down the road. My gelding and I were with a friend who was riding her horse and going out my horse loves to move so we are doing figure eights down the road and serpentines and tight circles like we are doing barrels. Everything was fine and nothing happened. My horse is a been ther done that horse and he was great. On the way back, we are doing a nice pleasure trot and all of a sudden he jumps forward and to the left. I go forward but go right. Right out of my easy entry cart. I'm laughing as I go and still have the reins and my horse stops immediately but I couldn't believe I actually fell out. My friend told me I was quite talented doing gymnastics in my cart. Well, that came back to bite her in the butt later. Anyway, I now think the easy entry cars should be called easy exit whether you want to or not :bgrin . My friend was riding her other horse later in the day and called out to her husband to watch her go fast. As soon as she said it and tried her mare proceeded to buck her off. So, now she must get a crash dummy hat as well.

Who here as come out of their cart or wrecked?

 

[wiccanz]

Fortunately, I haven't had any wrecks (crosses fingers!), but I did pop right out the side of my EE cart one day!

We were just trotting around the paddock, and horse shied at something along the fence line, and shot to the side. And I shot out the other! :new_shocked: :bgrin

No harm done to either party, but that's what happens when you become complacent with an experienced horse!

: I just wasn't concentrating! And neither was he!!

Definitely should be called "EASY EXIT" carts!! :bgrin :bgrin

 

[Katie Iceton]

*waves hand up and down* lol I have wrecked a couple of times, once on a drive with a fiurends and once at home, boith times flipped the cart over, fell out and managed to keep the horse in hand! Both times he just kinda stopped and looked back and said...hmmmmmwhats wrong with this? But yes I have wrecked twice, that I can remember....hehe But both the horse and I have been fine on both occaisions....

 

[wade3504]

Good, then I'm not the only when that has popped out of an EE cart. Wiccanz your episode sounds just like mine. My horse wasn't hurt either just stood there and looked back at me lie what are you doing on the ground?

I messed my wrist up slightly but it was fine in a few days with no drs. appointment until my other gelding decided to take off just on halter and lead and about ripped by arm out from the shoulder. I've tried driving him as he was supposedly trained but he'll run you right smack into a fence with him hitting it first so we are starting back at square one with him and if he just doesn't care for it I won't drive him.

Amanda

 

[FairytailGlennMinis]

I have come completely out of the cart once when my gelding was stung by a pair of POed yellow jackets that ran into us. We went UP in the air and he caught a leg over the shaft. The cart flipped and I twisted my ankle after hitting it on the bar which wouldn;t have been there if my training cart had been an EE! I am SO glad my hubby and neighbor were there! I had to wrap my boy into a large bush and hubby and neighbors grabbed him and were holding him with his front end completely OFF the ground. I unhooked him, walked him a bit until he settled, ground drove a bit, hooked him up and drove the 3/4 mile home. An Easy Entry (exit, hehe) is better than getting your legs trapped! Man...I need an EE.....lol

-Amy

 

[Kendra]

I don't use the easy entry cart for that very reason! I think it's far too, "easy exit"! I've seen wrecks happen just because the person slid out on a corner, where if they'd been more secure in the cart, it would never have become a problem. Might be safer for the person to be able to pop out like that, but a loose, scared horse pulling a cart is the fastest way to at worst have a critically injured horse, and at best some serious psycological damage. I'm sticking with them, no matter what happens! Not that you can't come out of another cart, my horse got bit by a bee one day and leaped sideways over the hedge, and the cart didn't quite make it and tipped on it's side. I hung on for dear life to those lines!! We flipped the cart up, and carried on.

Once I was driving a team through the hayfield when the double tree broke loose. The team pulled ahead crooked and pulled me right off the seat. I sure wasn't letting go of the reins, and the one old horse had a mouth of steel, so they were trotting along like nothing happened, dragging me ahead of the wheels. Someone else had the presence to holler "whoa", which worked like a charm on that old guy, and aside from some pulled muscles in my arm, none of us were the worse for wear!

 

[hobbyhorse23]

I've very nearly come out a couple of times. There's nothing like slinging around the hazards at a fast trot over bumpy ground to send you sliding! Big horse people can't believe mini folk do CDE's in vehicles without seatbacks- "Don't you just flip right out backwards??"

: I think the only reason we don't is seats with grippy fabric!

I had to put a couple of non-skid strips like you buy for stairs on the vinyl seat of the home-made show cart I bought because the first time I drove it Kody made a fast turn and my butt slid right across the seat and out into thin air over the wheel. I only saved myself by grabbing the tiny bar on the back of the seat. Eek! :new_shocked:

I got tired of sliding in my easy entry too but didn't want to use anything permanent so I got some of that black drawer liner stuff like you put in cabinets, cut a square of it about the size of my rump and as deep as the seat and I put that down under me every time I drive. It works great!! It's very comfortable, costs $2 a roll, doesn't mess up my clothes, and no more sliding! :bgrin

Leia

 

[FairytailGlennMinis]

If you are going to come out of the cart, would you rather your legs slide out first--or land on your head and arms if your legs are beind a bar? Having been there--I wish I had kept my graber easy entry! Non-slip treads should be in all carts in my opinion as well. I also agree about the cabinet liner stuff--works great. Oh--and don't use the slipery vinyl cleaner on your seats---whew! I saw that done by someone with a big horse cart. Oh MAN!

 

[HtPockets03]

This is a fun thread! :aktion033: I have come out of both EE and show carts. IMO one is just as dangerous as the other. You can get hurt either way ya go. But we are all willing to take the risk for the wonderful pleasure we get out of driving our horses. I love it and wouldnt trade it for anything. I also love to ride and that is dangerous too. The pleasure overrides the danger factor.

:

I have many memories sliding out of the EE and flipping over backwards out of my show cart. And I have had horse slam on their brakes and I get a close up view of their rear ends. LOL

:

Alice

 

[Relic]

l learned a long time ago to use one of those bathroom mats with the rubber on the other side so l have some kind of traction and a better chance of staying in the cart. l really hurt my hip one time when l slid of the seat sideways going along the side of the ditch. l will say my daughter has the men trained very nice to just stand and stay till you are over the shock of laying on the ground and can carry on...l hate vinyle seats they are a hazzard..

 

[susanne]

...and were you wearing helmets?

Those who don't wear helmets must love the sensation of feeling the wind rush through the holes in their heads!

(Sorry...I couldn't resist!)

 

[wade3504]

Actually I was but my friend who was galloping her stallion on the ride/drive wasn't and also wasn't when she got bucked off later. I have to get a new one as this one is from my riding days and it's black and heavy.

Thinking about it now though I stupidly didn't wear it in the parade I was in today. I wore my ball cap that said Crash Dummy. Good thing that didn't come true.

Amanda

 

[Katie Iceton]

I have always wore and always will wear a helmet, considering I have had two big wrecks...I always will and I am glad I did both times!

 

[susanne]

I'm really glad you both did, too!

 

[wiccanz]

Hey Amanda

We were both lucky, no harm done at all, just one "amused" driver, and one "huh??" horse! :bgrin

Susanne: I must admit to not wearing a helmet on that particular occasion, and not wearing one on an everyday basis. I do put one on for the first 2 weeks or so when I have a new horse in the cart.

Although I don't wear one as a rule, I am acutely aware of what happens when you don't wear one and the worst happens...

Some years back (yep, quite a few... :bgrin ) I used to do polo ponies. Two accidents come to mind.

One involved a local girl who came off a rearing pony, hit her head, and was brain damaged. She was OK to continue (eventually...) with life, sadly a truck crash took her life in the end. Maybe not so sad...

The other involved a high profile US player (at the time). His wife came off a polo pony in a similar situation as above, end result, death.

Yes, I am very acutely aware of what can happen when a helmet is not worn...

 

[Lil Bit O Country]

Years ago I was doing a demo at Equifest in front of a packed crowd. My horse spooked and went straight up and I went out. It was really embarrassing. The announcer was just telling the crowd how great the mini's are for the older and younger generations. It was not an EE cart. Every now and then someone will come up to me and say were you the one!!! I just have to laugh.

 

[Fred]

I have come out the cart and had the little monster roll it on me. Let me tell you there are talented little ones that KNOW how to bump the wheel and flip the cart on purpose. We had one when I was a kid and he launched my two cousins every chance he got. My daughters little gelding also knows the trick [plus locks his neck and leaves]. I won't let her drive him he's not safe. Recently we had a woman die in a driving accident with a trained horse [large] and she WAS wearing a helmet. Her husband was also in the cart during the accident [no helmet] and he is fine.

 

[MiLo Minis]

I have been unceremoniously dumped more than once from a cart but most of the time I manage to keep my butt in the seat one way or another even when it has meant using the horses butt as a brace to push myself back in. My husband who is in charge of cleaning my cart for show once had a brilliant idea to use Armorall on the vinyl seat. It looked wonderful but was like sitting on ice! He has never done that again.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

I do note that Armorall and other dashboard cleaners specifically say not to use them on vinyl seats....

: :lol:

Leia

 

[drivin*me*buggy]

Ha ha..... THANK YOU Leia I was actually thinking of cleaning off my cart seat (EE) w/ Armorall today as it is dirty. Wow that would've been a sight when I started driving Banner who in the right mood thinks the grass might eat him.... thank goodness he's only like that when he's stuck in the barn all day & not like that normally or I'ld use super glue to stay in the cart

. Gotta love the spirited ones

:

Ash

oooooh P.S. - Haven't had a driving accident yet or slid out *knocks on wood*

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