# Opinions on this cart? (Potential purchase)



## Casey0Lee (Jan 27, 2014)

I just want to drive around home. No showing, nothing serious. A friend offered me this cart for $125. The current shafts are brand new, made by a local Amish guy. They are 68" long right now. I was looking at having them cut to Mini size (50"?) and having the hardware put on by someone around here. Amish guy perhaps? And painting them black. Also looking at getting some sort of a seat with a cushion made for it & possibly a back for the seat.

Opinions?


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## happy appy (Jan 27, 2014)

You would need to know the width of the shafts about 6 inches in from the tip. the height of the shafts when the cart is balances with a person sitting in the cart, wheel size. With out this info no one can really say if it will even fit with the shafts cut down to 48-50 depending on your needs.


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## Casey0Lee (Jan 27, 2014)

She said the wheels are 16.

I was also wondering about price... if you guys thought this was a fair price?


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## Marsha Cassada (Jan 27, 2014)

How high is the seat? If you cut the shafts down, which is doable, would it be too tall for your horse? Would it be going downhill?

If it fits, it looks like a good place to start.

Do not think the wheels are 16". Where is she measuring?

If it works, the price seems good. Sometimes the headache of making-do isn't a bargain. A seat cushion and paint would be the least of your worries.


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## Foxhaven (Jan 27, 2014)

If you are handy that is a fine deal, I wish I had found it. Fitting the cart to the horse is pretty important but as an Aussie friend once put it, "if a man made it a man can fix it". OK, OK... he was a man. No reason one cannot substitute woman!


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## Casey0Lee (Jan 27, 2014)

My dad is SUPER handy and can build/fabricate pretty much anything. I thought maybe it would be a good place to start, but I know next to nothing about carts. That is why I came here and asked for opinions.


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## Casey0Lee (Jan 27, 2014)

Marsha Cassada said:


> How high is the seat? If you cut the shafts down, which is doable, would it be too tall for your horse? Would it be going downhill?
> 
> If it fits, it looks like a good place to start.
> 
> ...


What are you referring to when you say a seat cushion and paint are the least of my worries? Is there something else you're seeing that it will need, or are you just referring to making sure it will fit my horse?


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## Marsha Cassada (Jan 27, 2014)

Casey0Lee said:


> What are you referring to when you say a seat cushion and paint are the least of my worries? Is there something else you're seeing that it will need, or are you just referring to making sure it will fit my horse?


I know a potential driver who bought a cart. It is really a little too large for her horse but she figured, since the price was right, she could make it work. Not sure she has it all together yet. Shafts too long. Seat too high. Wheels too big. And she hasn't even gotten to the cosmetic part. She ordered new wheels ($$$), and plans to cut the shafts down. She had to figure out a different place to attach the shafts so the cart would be level on her horse.

So, just saying, if the cart is not the right size for your horse, the physics of making it work could be a major challenge. If the seat is too tall, even though you shorten the shafts the vehicle could lean downhill onto your horse. The seat may have a little adjustment to it, however.

Having a cushion made for the seat and painting it are cosmetic.

On the positive side, the price is right and if you spruce it up you can most likely get your money back easily if it doesn't work for you.

I'm not trying to be obstructive. It's just that I've had some experience with making-do and it can frequently be a false economy. But if you feel confident with the challenge, go for it! It will be a great learning experience, whichever way it goes.


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## Max's Mom (Jan 27, 2014)

As a person who bought a wonderfully priced cart that was too big for my horse, I'd recommend waiting until something the right size comes along. It's hard to make a pony sized cart fit a mini correctly, because not only will you have to cut the shafts, but they are probably going to end up being too wide because shafts generally widen as they get closer to the basket of the cart. And then it might not end up being the right height (it could slope down because the cart was made for a taller horse). You could probably change out wheels, but in the end, why not wait and see if you can find something that fits in the first place? I went through all these issues, corrected what I could, and after I got more serious about driving ended up just getting a cart that fit properly. I wish I had just gotten it the right size to start!


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## Casey0Lee (Jan 27, 2014)

She said the shaft height is 26" when level, but no one was in it when she measured. And she said the shaft width is 24" at the narrowest point. Does any of this help?


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## Dreamer (Jan 27, 2014)

I'd say that it is going to be too big. I drive a B size mini, he is 36 inches. When I was measuring for a cart for him that is about the correct height of the shafts that I have for him at 26". The shafts for him at the narrowest are 19" and he could probably be alright with 18". He is not a tank but he isn't super refined either. Those shafts are going to be WAY TOO WIDE for him let alone your horse at 24". Keep in mind that mine is a bigger boy and so I have longer shafts at 54" for him(just a litter bigger dimensions for his cart everywhere) than what a lot of minis drive with. You don't say how tall your horse is but it would not be a correct fit for a B size let alone a smaller A mini. It is a good price for the cart but not if it won't fit correctly. Whether you show or as you say are just doing it for fun you should have a correct fitting cart and harness so you don't hurt your horse and make it a miserable experience for him/her. It should be fun for him/her too. I think I remember you saying in a different post that you ride quarter horses. Having correct fitting equipment for your horse for driving is just as important as haveing correct fitting equipment for riding. Not trying to beat you up just help you learn. I think a lot of us on the forum have made a mistake with a cart at one point or another when learning and I am just trying to save you a headache and keep your horse comfortable. I would be looking for a cart that is correctly proportioned for a mini. It might take a little bit of time to find a used one but they do come up. In the end I promise you will happier that you did.


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## Casey0Lee (Jan 27, 2014)

I appreciate the help. I understand how important it is to be correctly fitted. My horse is 35.25" and is a stockier type. I posted here bcoz I have no idea about cart dimensions. I will pass and look for something else. Thanks for all the help!


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## Minimor (Jan 27, 2014)

24" at the narrowest point is way too wide for my fattest 42" pony--there is no way it is going to work for anything smaller. That cart is for a pony that is someWhere in the range of 12.2 to 13.2 hands.


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## Casey0Lee (Jan 27, 2014)

Okie dokie! Might just end up ordering a new one.


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## Max's Mom (Jan 27, 2014)

That width will be a problem even for a very fat mini. Mine was about 21 inches where the tugs went and it was swimming on Max, who is 37 inches tall. His new cart shafts are 17 inches, which I think is okay but a tad too tight at his widest point (it can rub his long hair a bit in the winter). You could measure the width of your mini at his/her widest point to estimate how far out the shafts would sit. If your horse is tall, 26 inches might be okay, but again, I'd be concerned that the shafts might end up going downhill.


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## Casey0Lee (Jan 28, 2014)

She is 35.25" tall. It wont do me much good to measure width right now as she is bred and due to foal in July. LOL

I'm in no hurry to buy a cart. I won't be driving her until after she foals anyways. But, if I come accross a deal now, I will buy. I will probably end up just ordering a new one to fit her this summer.

Thanks for all the help!!


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## shorthorsemom (Jan 28, 2014)

Take your time. I purchased two carts before my "right" cart. One was too large and couldn't be tweeked. One was too heavy. Cute as the dickens, too hard to pull. enjoy the search. Part of the fun is asking forum members their opinions too.

I found I had to have a cart with a higher back on it and light enough for my boy to pull and wheels that wouldn't sink in too far and suspension that wouldn't beat me black and blue. I know you are not supposed to use the back rest to park yourself on, but there has been an occasion or two where I know a big jump by my boy would have had me tumble off the back of the cart if the back rest was not there, because I lack muscle strength.

enjoy. Love these posts about "how about this cart?"... have posted quite a few myself.


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## disneyhorse (Jan 28, 2014)

It sounds like it's made for a 45" Shetland pony... But id buy it if it's a good deal and resell it to someone with a 12 hand pony.

I wouldn't mess with a wrong-size cart.


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## Margo_C-T (Jan 28, 2014)

With wooden shafts, it is SOMETIMES(NOT in every case!) possible to cut the shafts off, but they should be cut off from the BACK, not the FRONT. This would mean removing them, having to reposition the crossmember(that curved 'bar' that joins them just in front of the basket; sorry, the correct term escapes me at the moment))with attention to the proper spacing between that and the back ends of the shafts(as in this cart, I see the shafts extend all the way to the 'rear' of the cart), having to drill new holes for the pertinent bolts, and reattaching all. Complicated, but *might* be done under certain circumstances. That said, if the closest-together point of the shafts is 24", in this case, you likely couldn't change that, so the cart WOULD still be 'too wide' for a mini, even a B-sized one.


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## paintponylvr (Jan 30, 2014)

Here's some pictures of a cart that is too wide for this pony. It was borrowed for this one drive - we all expected it to fit and were surprised since she is the same height as the pony who used it (40"), but even when she's very muscular, she's inches narrower! This strained the lightweight harness used on her, too! The next time it was used several areas actually "came loose" (aged stitching ripped due to the previous strain) or broke. I still use the saddle - but replaced the leather breeching, the back strap & crupper (which were too long but left the hip straps in wrong area when shortened) and the hip straps... The breast collar/traces were ok for continued use.

You can also see what happens when there is no Footman's loop to properly attach the hold back straps to. This harness and cart are completely in-appropriate for each other and the cart was also not ever meant to be used for a trail drive (show cart - and she'd used it in the ring with her stallion, too). I knew that as soon as I saw it, but it was too late to change our minds (it was over an hour drive to get to my friends' place that wanted us to drive with her - before she went back to Florida). I was also amazed at the weight of this cart - true "Oooof" when went to put to. Our training cart is a feather in comparison (last pic).












and here is the same mare with our sulky - not a show type and shafts too long (meant for 48 - 52" ponies) but the right height and a great little training cart... The footman's loops are still not attached, I tried putting a set on - only to have the shafts crack (they were already damaged) and then took the cart to be refurbished. Got it back in April 2013, but haven't had it on but a couple of ponies and no pics... It now sports a single tree, footman's loops and tug stops.We've owned this cart since 1997, I really like it and would love to get another the same, but have no idea who made this one


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## jeanniecogan (Feb 10, 2014)

I bought a really nice cart some years ago. the builder asked how tall the horse was, he was 38 inches. for some reason he put 56 inch shafts on it , man, what a mess. after i got to using the cart the shafts were too long, ofcourse, the builder went out of business and i have had problem after problem. the cart is awesome, the wheels are great, but the shafts have been cut back twice and now they are too narrow up front. buy one that fits. believe me it's worth the extra money.


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## Minimor (Feb 10, 2014)

I am surprised the 56 shafts would be such a problem for a 38 horse. My mini cart has 54 shafts (I specifically wanted 54 shafts and ordered it with that size when I bought it new)my minis are 33 to 38 tall, none of them especially long bodied, and I like the cart for all of them. My first cart had 50 shafts and I didnt like it at all for my 35 and taller horses.

Mini harnesses, of course, are not made for anything longer than 48 shafts, but that isnt a problem for meon my smallest harness I simply use trace extenders, and my other harnesses were custom made, so I ordered them with longer traces.


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