Weight advice

[Rocklone Miniature Horses]

I have a 15yo mare mini-shet who is 32" and i plan to get her hitched up slowly of course, not having any problems. My other is 30" fala x amha so a lot finer. Not gonna lie, i'm a good weight and i don't want to put them under any undue strain (esp as the mare is going into foal)

What is the max, car included, weight?

 

[melgray97]

What type of terrain are you planning on driving in? Flat? Hills? Sandy? Knowing that will help determine the weight your mini can comfortably pull & also will impact advice on wheel configuration, etc. For example,wooden wheels, because they are more narrow,will sink into sand, while a pneumatic tire will roll over the top of it.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I have a wooden Jerald runabout with pneumatic tires. My horse is 32" and I weigh around 145. He has no trouble hauling me and another adult passenger and my 20# dog on a smooth road for a couple of miles. He has no trouble with just me for any driving we do, but I would not ask him to do lots of hills or soft footing with 2 adults. He is 17. He is fine with a double load for parades or a little jaunt.

My retired brood mare is also 32", but she is finer built. Since she is new to driving and has not built up good muscle yet, I would not like to see her carrying a 250 # person, or two adults, for very far. But we go 2 miles fairly often. She is 21 years old.

Make sure the tires have the appropriate air pressure--that makes a huge difference in ease of work.

A very tall or very large person might need a B size horse.

I'll add a photo here of a visit we made to a nursing home. The passenger was an Aid there. She was a delightful woman, but you can see she was on the chunky side. My sister is driving; her stallion is 32". They were on a smooth rode and only went about 1/4 mile. The Aid asked for a ride after all the residents had finished, and we did not like to refuse. Notice the tires; they were not inflated properly.

 

[Rocklone Miniature Horses]

Ill be driving mainly on tarmac / concrete, it is just a little thing i'm hoping will keep her fit and trim as she is a balloon. Sometimes grass in the dry summers.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

The weight consideration and road surface is something to think about for sure. I've had my older mare out several times and I really feel, after observing her, that she is too finely built for harness work with a heavy load. I will not ask her to "push" two adults in my cart, though she is fine with me and the dog on a smooth road. If she had been driving for many years it might be different. But at her age, I am not sure she can develop the muscle tone now. I will continue to enjoy her for short pleasure outings or a parade.

 

[Willow Flats]

Sorry I posted a new thread with my question.