What's the most difficult on the horse/driver?

[mandi]

I am in the middle of training my horse to drive and wanted to know what the most difficult type of vehicle is for the horse to pull. I have heard mixed opinions on what is the best begining vehicle. Some say 2 wheels are best and others say 4 is harder to turn, but easier to pull. Also, is a sleigh harder than a wheeled vehicle to drive? I guess, if you were to classify them into hardest to easiest on horse and driver what would be most difficult. Thanks

 

[Reble]

I am in the middle of training my horse to drive and wanted to know what the most difficult type of vehicle is for the horse to pull. I have heard mixed opinions on what is the best begining vehicle. Some say 2 wheels are best and others say 4 is harder to turn, but easier to pull. Also, is a sleigh harder than a wheeled vehicle to drive? I guess, if you were to classify them into hardest to easiest on horse and driver what would be most difficult. Thanks

I am going to say 2 wheel cart that is balanced correctly is the easiest to pull, and the size of wheel can also make a difference, bigger is better than small wheels.

See what others say

 

[ruffian]

I don't know which is harder, but there are certainly differences. The 2 wheel cart has weight on the back of the horse, where a 4 wheel cart doesn't have any. Typically the 4W is a bigger, heavier cart than a 2W.

I do know I switched a horse trained to a 2W to a 4W, and she had quite a time trying to figure out how to turn. But I think if I had trained her to a 4W and went to a 2W, she would have had the same issue.

I guess I'm saying neither is harder than the other, just different IMO.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Hardest: Sleigh. You CANNOT make a sharp turn in a sleigh without the runners getting stuck and overturning your vehicle! This requires an experienced driver and a horse willing to listen calmly. There's no room for error if they freak out. (Obviously it's not so bad if you've got those little grocery cart wheels on it and are using it in a parade or something. I'm talking about a real sleigh, on runners, in snow.

)

Next hardest: A badly fitted, badly balanced 2-wheeler. You can put a LOT of weight on the animal's back, poke him in the shoulder, thump his spine or belly continually, transmit every bump and divot in the ground straight to the harness....yep, there's very little that's worse than a poorly designed, poorly fitted cart!

Third hardest: Probably a 4-wheel vehicle with a single horse shaft arrangement. The shafts often don't fit right on a single mini and make it hard for them to turn. The vehicle is heavier so it's harder to start, harder to stop and way harder to hold back on hills if you don't have brakes. It is also very difficult to back a 4-wheeler straight with a green horse and you can end up jackknifed. If your vehicle does not have a cut-under or fifth wheel in front it's also possible to bind it up doing tight corners and overturn. (Note: 4-wheelers aren't so bad with a pair because there's only the pole for each horse to deal with, double the horse power, and double the weight to hold the cart back.)

Easiest: A well-balanced light two wheeler with good harnessing. Obviously some carts are easier than others because of the way they're designed or fitted, but a GOOD two-wheel cart that fits properly and is correctly balanced is pretty easy to pull. There shouldn't be much weight on the back and if the shafts are where they belong the horse will be able to turn into them without getting poked or prodded. The very easiest, easiest cart to learn on is a roadster vehicle; they're incredibly light, have no basket for the horse to kick or catch their heels against and they turn on a dime. They also usually sit nice and low behind the horse which makes it easier for them to move against the shafts and very unlikely to overturn unless the driver overbalances during a runaway or runs the wheel up on a rock or something.

I would reserve a chariot, sleigh or pulled child's sled for a very experienced horse and driver combination.

Leia

 

[~Amanda~]

Hardest: Sleigh. You CANNOT make a sharp turn in a sleigh without the runners getting stuck and overturning your vehicle! This requires an experienced driver and a horse willing to listen calmly. There's no room for error if they freak out. (Obviously it's not so bad if you've got those little grocery cart wheels on it and are using it in a parade or something. I'm talking about a real sleigh, on runners, in snow.

)
Next hardest: A badly fitted, badly balanced 2-wheeler. You can put a LOT of weight on the animal's back, poke him in the shoulder, thump his spine or belly continually, transmit every bump and divot in the ground straight to the harness....yep, there's very little that's worse than a poorly designed, poorly fitted cart!

Third hardest: Probably a 4-wheel vehicle with a single horse shaft arrangement. The shafts often don't fit right on a single mini and make it hard for them to turn. The vehicle is heavier so it's harder to start, harder to stop and way harder to hold back on hills if you don't have brakes. It is also very difficult to back a 4-wheeler straight with a green horse and you can end up jackknifed. If your vehicle does not have a cut-under or fifth wheel in front it's also possible to bind it up doing tight corners and overturn. (Note: 4-wheelers aren't so bad with a pair because there's only the pole for each horse to deal with, double the horse power, and double the weight to hold the cart back.)

Easiest: A well-balanced light two wheeler with good harnessing. Obviously some carts are easier than others because of the way they're designed or fitted, but a GOOD two-wheel cart that fits properly and is correctly balanced is pretty easy to pull. There shouldn't be much weight on the back and if the shafts are where they belong the horse will be able to turn into them without getting poked or prodded. The very easiest, easiest cart to learn on is a roadster vehicle; they're incredibly light, have no basket for the horse to kick or catch their heels against and they turn on a dime. They also usually sit nice and low behind the horse which makes it easier for them to move against the shafts and very unlikely to overturn unless the driver overbalances during a runaway or runs the wheel up on a rock or something.

I would reserve a chariot, sleigh or pulled child's sled for a very experienced horse and driver combination.

Leia

Great information! Thank you!

 

[mandi]

Thank you so much for the information! That is what I thought but unfortunately we learned the hard way... I trained my draft cross to drive two summers ago and her first cart that she was put to was a sulky type which she had no problem with. She was only driven perhaps 5 or six times in it since it really didnt fit her all to well. Then she didnt do it for a year since we didnt really have a cart for her. Although she did work in poles and drug tires around instead Then over the winter we bought a sleigh and she did wonderful with it. We just found that if the snow is to deep then it was to hard for her to turn, also we could only have my husband and I on it in well packed snow for about 30 minutes ( the sleigh seats four). Our horse really was a trouper though it all and after the fact we kind of figured that she was not physically in shape enough to really be pulling it all over the place. Luckily, she took to it really well and nothing bad happened. Looking back on it now, I realize that we were very ignorant and just didnt know any better. I found out after talking to a few carriage and sleigh club members in my area that what we did with our horse and hooking her to the sleigh wasnt the brightest idea for a first vehicle when their eyes bugged out like this

and they said... and she was ok with it? WOW you have a good horse then.

I am now in the middle of training our mini to drive and want to do it the RIGHT way this time with regards to the first cart to really work her in. I have an easy entry cart for her already, but wanted to make sure that would be the best. I will be going to a carriage auction this week to get carts for our mini and draft cross and just wanted to make sure I am looking for the right thing to start out with. Thanks for the help!!! Its REALLY appreciated! I wasnt sure if the 2 wheel or 4 was best now I know!

 

[hobbyhorse23]

I am now in the middle of training our mini to drive and want to do it the RIGHT way this time with regards to the first cart to really work her in. I have an easy entry cart for her already, but wanted to make sure that would be the best. I will be going to a carriage auction this week to get carts for our mini and draft cross and just wanted to make sure I am looking for the right thing to start out with. Thanks for the help!!! Its REALLY appreciated! I wasnt sure if the 2 wheel or 4 was best now I know!

You're welcome.

Just be aware, my opinion is just that and worth what you paid for it.

I wish I lived in an area with carriage auctions! Wow, that would be so neat. You'll probably see a lot of nice wooden carts for minis go through, just make sure you check their balance and weight before purchasing. Meadowbrooks and such are nice but tend to be very heavy for our little guys. On the other hand your draft would probably do quite well in a Meadowbrook and the rear-entry would be easier with a horse that size. Stick with an easy entry or road cart for your little guy for now, or perhaps a show cart or something depending on your intended usage. Remember also to check the wheel bearings and such on your new purchase- you want to make sure there's no wood rot under the patent on the shafts and that the frame is sound and safe.

Leia

 

[mandi]

How do you check for the balance on a cart? What exactly are you looking for?

We have three carriage auctions a year about 2 hours away which isnt bad considering the mini stuff usually goes for only 200-400 and a lot of that stuff is brand new made by the amish in town.

 

[MiLo Minis]

An appropriately sized 4 wheel cart is always easier for a horse to pull because there is no weight on the horse while on the flat. When you get onto hills if the cart is too heavy for the horse/s then it can be much harder to pull. The thing to watch for is that the turning radius is much larger for a 4 wheel cart than a 2 wheel cart that can pretty much spin on a dime. You need to make your turns much more gradual. If the 4 wheel cart is not a cutunder (the wheels cannot turn right under the vehicle) they can hit up against the side of the cart, become wedged there and allow for the vehicle to roll over. With this type of cart you need to make VERY large gradual turns and keep an eye for where the wheel is.

A light 2 wheel cart is the best for training a horse because although it must pull some weight there is much less danger of the cart tipping with a green horse that may or may not turn properly to start. Be sure that you sit in the cart and have someone hold the shafts for you to check the balance before putting it on the horse. Each size of horse and weight of person will change the balance of your cart and it may need to be adjusted before using it with your particular horse.

A sleigh is not a vehicle for a beginner driver or beginner horse. They must pull weight with a sleigh and it has a much larger turning radius. They are difficult to maneuver in anything but the lightest snow.