# Carriage recommendations



## New mini (Feb 19, 2012)

I know there has been many discussion on what type of carriage to buy. I have a carriage that the springs under the seat do not give much. I drive in an indoor ring that the horses use as a jumper ring. It is very rough and bouncy in there and I am getting a sore seat. I have about $2500 so I want to get something good but being new I have no idea what is well sprung. There are not many people around me that drive minis so I can not really go and try out a cart. Can anyone recommend somthing to me?


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## Minimor (Feb 19, 2012)

We have the Smart Carts here & love them; they have air bag suspension & give a very nice ride even over rough ground. If your mini is well under 34" the Smart Cart might be too heavy (they are meant for Minis 31-40" tall but some say the cart is too heavy for their under 34" horses) Pacific Carriage Smart Cart


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## New mini (Feb 20, 2012)

Thanks for the information. Lance is 35.5 so It will be the right size for him and I have contacted his former owner and she does not think the cart will be to heavy for him. I have contacted Pacific Carriage Co asking for information. So I will see if this is the way to go


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## TMR (Feb 20, 2012)

At that budget, you have all kinds of choices. The Pacific is a good choice, but there is also the Bell Crown line (Mini Crown and Aero Crown), Benningtons, and several others that I can't think of right now. You want preferably air shocks or torsion axles for a smoother comfortable ride. There are many driving shop sites. Carriage driving essentials, Driving essentials, Ideal Harness, FEO, High Hopes, and many more that I can't think of right now. Window Web shopping is my favorite pasttime and you can always check the classifieds on the ADS website for used equipment, also the CD-L List, and carriage mart. I find you can never have enough driving equipment.


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## hobbyhorse23 (Feb 21, 2012)

Yep, the Smart Cart and either Bellcrown model are going to be your primary choices! The Bellcrowns have torsion axles which are FABULOUS but are not adjustable as the Smart Cart's airbag suspension is. It really depends on which look you prefer, whether or not you plan on taking passengers, and if you need the cart to easily fit horses of several different sizes.

Leia


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## New mini (Feb 21, 2012)

Thanks for the suspension answers on the carts. This is what I was looking for. The ads just say an easy comfortable ride. I needed to know what type of suspension I wanted and what carts had this suspension. Now to make my choice and order.


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## Shari (Feb 22, 2012)

You should also look into a "Country Road cart"... they have an incredibly smooth ride.

http://www.countrycarriagesusa.com/


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## shorthorsemom (Feb 22, 2012)

I love my aerocrown, the ride is great. Even over rough farm ground with tractor treading and bumps it rides like a dream.


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## Jules (Feb 22, 2012)

Shari said:


> You should also look into a "Country Road cart"... they have an incredibly smooth ride.
> 
> http://www.countrycarriagesusa.com/


How heavy do you think your mini size is and what size wheels?

Also, while I am asking a billion questions..what sort of suspension does it have?

I did look at the link and did a gooogle search but couldn't come up with any answers.


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## New mini (Feb 23, 2012)

Jules, this is exactly why I have asked this queston. I am finding that cart companies do not give you all the information that I want. I went on one site and all they showed was the cart. No information at all not even price. It was a very nice looking carriage too. I do not what to have to fish for information if I think I would like the cart. I need to have the basic information, wheel height, weight , suspension system and most of all price. After that I do not mind contacting the company about the cart.People who are just starting out, me, need more information to make the correct decision on what we need and want.


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## Shari (Feb 23, 2012)

The set up is pretty complex.

It has traditional suspension. Half Elliptical – 3 leaves and to my gimpy back the most Comfy ride out there in carts.

If you contact the owner of the link I posted, ask for photographs of the suspension.

I will search around in my photos in the next few days and see if I can find photos that will show the suspension.


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## Jules (Feb 23, 2012)

Thanks so much Shari, I really appreciate it





New mini, yes I totally agree. If you supply the basic information on a website it can allow people to start thinking further about it. I don't mind contacting businesses, however fee awful if I am wasting their time on basic questions when I may not be that serious about buying...which I would have known if I could see the basic detais of the cart. Fun stuff



Supose it stretches out the research process which is a bonus, I am a newbie but am totally digging cart shopping!


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## hobbyhorse23 (Feb 23, 2012)

Often they won't provide the wheel height because there is no standard; it's customized to whatever you want and will fit your horse when you order. I know that's the case with the road carts! As for the suspension, either they're lazy or they think it's self-evident from the pictures. Most carriages have a leaf spring arrangement or something of that type like an elliptical spring, and those are usually visible in pictures. If it's something different like a coil spring or torsion axle they will usually say on the website in my experience.

I never trust weights listed on the manufacturer's websites anyway as they're almost always ballpark figures from a livestock scale and bear no resemblance to reality. The price, however, yes! That really ought to be listed and I'm surprised any reputable company would neglect to include that.

The biggest thing in purchasing a cart is to know what features are important to you. The road cart that is comfortable for tall, leggy Shari is bumpy and insecure for tiny little me because I don't weigh enough to get any cushion out of elliptical springs. I hated them until I took a passenger along once and discovered the ride became wonderful with enough weight on the seat! You have to know what will work for YOU, and not take someone else's word for what is comfortable. I do very well in a Frontier EE but I know others feel terribly cramped and find the seat far too shallow. Pacific Smart Carts are fantastic and work well for some A minis I know, but my boys would struggle to pull them. On the other hand the Aerocrown that fits us perfectly might look too light for a heavier driver with a taller horse.

Tell us what you want, how you'll be using it, and describe your horse and driver combination and we can help you sort through what's available. We've all been where you are and learned the hard way!

Leia


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## Jules (Feb 24, 2012)

hobbyhorse23 said:


> Tell us what you want, how you'll be using it, and describe your horse and driver combination and we can help you sort through what's available. We've all been where you are and learned the hard way!
> 
> Leia


Not even my thread but I am never one to turn down help when it is offered





I think after research the Minicrown is my pick, but I absolutely welcome input.

*My horse:*

My mini is 34.5 inches and weighs 130kg (286 pounds), I know this as I weighed him on the scale in my local vets office which was quite a sight for the other people waiting. He is classed here in Australia as a miniature pony as he is a pony type in looks and conformation features

*Me:*

5ft 4inches and a litle dumpy at present after having my third child but am getting fitter and losing weight. I currently weigh 187 lbs but my 'normal' weight is more like 143lbs.

*Requirements:*

For my horse to be comfortable

For me to be comfortable

For the horse to cart/driver weight ratio to be reasonable

To eventually allow my small chidren to occasionally have a drive with me- so must ave a cart that has 1.5 - 2 seats

I mainly want to drive for pleasure but won't rule out the possibility of doing some cones, CDE or low level showing.

For pleasure driving I would be driving on some roads (quiet country town) and hills. Also on some trails that would be made of dirt and gravel, possibly some ruts in some places due to people off-roading in their cars.

Lots of raw wood is a problem for importing, it will cost me more to get it into the country, which I can't afford to do on a spendy cart, but could for something in a lower price range.

I have a sulky type jogger at the moment which I will keep for breaking/training.

Bring on the recommendations


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## New mini (Feb 24, 2012)

My mini is 35.5 inches and about 295 lbs. I am 5 foot 8 inches and 167 lbs. I want a cart that is comfortable to sit in and ride over ridges in a dirt ring .My main complaint with my present cart is after driving I find that my butt has become painful.



I presently ride in an indoor arena that is used as a jumper ring for the barns horses so it anything but smooth. It is fun as I use the jumps to go around so I am not driving in circles. Once the weather gets warmer I will be driving outside on grass and a dirt road. Right now I am leaning towards the Pacific Smart Cart or the Bellceowns I do want to be able to take one of my Grandsons with me. He is 6 years old and a small child. I do not plan on any high level shows maybe just my local fair.

I have asked Lance's previous owner if he could pull the Smart Cart and she said he could so that weight is not a problem.

Ok now what is everyones suggestion for me..


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## Minimor (Feb 24, 2012)

I still say Smart Cart for you.


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## Becky Horat (Feb 24, 2012)

For arena driving do you find it's easier on the horse with wire wheel/pneumatic wheels? Just wondering. Our carts are wooden and steel wheel. (Mini Crown & Wooden wheel easy entry). We mainly are out on trails. The few arenas we've been in are not deep ground. Planning on showing in our Fair and also a schooling show that has sand arena.


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## susanne (Feb 24, 2012)

As a reference for anyone in the market, I wonder if REO and Mary Lou would let us pin a topic comparing different carts, using a standard list of features/specs? Or perhaps someone who loves collecting data could do this (and to which we could link)?


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## Jules (Feb 26, 2012)

susanne said:


> As a reference for anyone in the market, I wonder if REO and Mary Lou would let us pin a topic comparing different carts, using a standard list of features/specs? Or perhaps someone who loves collecting data could do this (and to which we could link)?


I think that is a fantastic idea. I trawled all the thread (and there are loads and loads!) looking for opinions/reviews/experiences with carts as part of my research and pinning a more definitive guide could be useful. Of course it is all personal preferences for the most part, but if there was a guide saying this has this wheel size, this suspension etc, that would be so handy.


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## New mini (Mar 5, 2012)

Just wanted to let everyone know I ordered a Smart Cart today. Can not wait until I get it and can have a comfortable drive. Thanks to all for all the information and to minimor for taking the time to help me with all the information she gave me.


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## hobbyhorse23 (Mar 7, 2012)

Becky Horat said:


> For arena driving do you find it's easier on the horse with wire wheel/pneumatic wheels? Just wondering. Our carts are wooden and steel wheel. (Mini Crown & Wooden wheel easy entry). We mainly are out on trails. The few arenas we've been in are not deep ground. Planning on showing in our Fair and also a schooling show that has sand arena.


Yes, especially in sand pneumatic tires are MUCH easier on the horse.


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## Jules (Mar 9, 2012)

New mini said:


> Just wanted to let everyone know I ordered a Smart Cart today.


How exciting! I love the look of them and the suspension specs look impressive. If I didn't have budget restrictions and a temporarily chunky butt then the Smart Cart would be right up there as one of my top choices.


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## Jules (Mar 30, 2012)

New mini said:


> Just wanted to let everyone know I ordered a Smart Cart today. Can not wait until I get it and can have a comfortable drive. Thanks to all for all the information and to minimor for taking the time to help me with all the information she gave me.


Has your cart arrived yet? I bet you are so excited!


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## New mini (Mar 31, 2012)

No it has not I was told 6 to 8 weeks. It has been almost 4 weeks now and I am getting real excited. I want to call and ask when but I know I just have to wait for them to call and say it has been shipped. Pacific Carriage is a wonderful company to deal with and I am sure if I did call they would give me an answer. I will let everyone know when I receive it and how I like it.


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## Jules (Mar 31, 2012)

Can you tell I am excited for you too? lol

I figured there would be more of a wait, but couldn't resist asking. What options did you order on it? The Smart Carts have 26in wheels as standard don't they? They look a really nice size.

I look forward to looking at pics when it arrives.


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## New mini (Apr 6, 2012)

Jules,

My cart should be here next Wed. 26 inche wheels are standaard. I am just getting the cart cover. They said that if I want to change anything I could order what I want and do the change out myself.


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## Jules (Apr 7, 2012)

Wed is soo close! Wooot!


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## Matthijs (Apr 18, 2012)

Photo's......

Ps; on my avatar is also a smart cart with the pair pole!


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## Jules (Apr 18, 2012)

Matthijs said:


> Photo's......
> 
> Ps; on my avatar is also a smart cart with the pair pole!


Yeah photos Newmini! C'mon! lol


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## New mini (Apr 18, 2012)

Still trying to get everything right. I can only have pictures taken on weekend when my Husband is home. I do have one of just Lance but the cart needed to be adjusted and has been since this was taken


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## Jules (Apr 19, 2012)

ahah, I had seen Mr lance in the other thread bout cart fitting. He is so freaking cute!

How are you doing with adjusting the new cart/harness combo to him now?


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## New mini (Apr 19, 2012)

I think I have everything adjusted now. My only problem is that I can not get the shafts to stay at the point of his shoulder. I have no idea what to do at this point. Love the carriage. It was easy to balance and has a really nice ride over a lot of bumps. Would recommend this carriage to anyone..


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## Matthijs (Apr 20, 2012)

Can you get a picture from the side at horse level with the cart and horse together, that may help us and you as well to see what is going on. Also take a look at the width a of the shafts at the saddle, By changing that the height also changes so a picture from above is quite helpful. We had our smart cart for more than a year now and with having two different horses and a pair pole I find that we are still making adjustments all the time, they do get smaller though. I must say I love the ease with which to make changes and the range is just fantastic. We have the regular as well as the marathon shafts those we use mostly because we like the freedom in bending and when trail driving less things to get hung up on. As a result we do not use the regular shafts much.


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## New mini (Apr 20, 2012)

I did not know to check the width of the shafts at the saddle. What width should that be? Shoould it be tight or wider? I did not order the marathon shafts because I do not really move with Lance. Why do you perfer them/ Since this is the first cart I have to adjust I really do not know what the finer points are. I have adjusted as the instructions have said and then just started playing around with the cart. I will try to get some pictures this weekend.


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## Matthijs (Apr 20, 2012)

Play with it a little, when you turn the shafts in on the smart cart you make the space between them narrower at the saddle. At the same time turning the tips outwards, and the level down or sloping the cart more backwards. I like to see about 2" of space on either side of the saddle. As you will soon see you change one thing like that and everything else changes, so keep looking at it and take those pictures every time you make changes and you will soon develop a good feel of what you can do.

And never forget; have fun doing it!!!


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## hobbyhorse23 (Apr 21, 2012)

New mini said:


> I think I have everything adjusted now. My only problem is that I can not get the shafts to stay at the point of his shoulder. I have no idea what to do at this point.


Nothing- those shafts aren't SUPPOSED to come to the point of the shoulder! LOL. The high point of the bend hangs in the tugs as you have it in your picture and that's all there is to it. Having regular straight shafts end behind the point of the shoulder results in the horse getting poked as he or she turns, but that's why these shafts bend down and away from the horse. He should be fine and it will give him more freedom through the shoulder while turning.

The advantage of marathon shafts over presentation shafts on a Smart Cart is that A) as Matthijs said, you can't get hung up on anything, B) the shafts end further back and are rounded so they REALLY allow the horse to perform, and C) most functionally, there is no possibility of the shafts falling out of the tugs if your traces aren't tight enough. You do have to use special quick-release tugs that open and close easily to hitch with marathon shafts, but it's an easy exchange on any harness.

Leia


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## brasstackminis (Apr 24, 2012)

So when I look at the picture that was posted, I noticed that the holdback straps for the breeching are pulling downward. I was taught that this was to be avoided as it puts undue stress on tack and horse and to instead attach the straps forward of the footmans loop keeping the line from breeching to shaft as straight as possible. Anyone else hear this before? I have to go back and look at my notes and videos to remember how they suggested attaching them when they bypassed the footmans loop though...


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## hobbyhorse23 (Apr 24, 2012)

brasstackminis said:


> So when I look at the picture that was posted, I noticed that the holdback straps for the breeching are pulling downward. I was taught that this was to be avoided as it puts undue stress on tack and horse and to instead attach the straps forward of the footmans loop keeping the line from breeching to shaft as straight as possible. Anyone else hear this before? I have to go back and look at my notes and videos to remember how they suggested attaching them when they bypassed the footmans loop though...


That would be my question, yes. I'd much rather have a _little_ downward pressure (which will mostly be alleviated as the shafts swing forward during braking) than have my holdbacks unanchored on the shafts. I suppose having them ahead of the footman's loop is still anchoring them in a way as when they try to slide back they'll run into the outside of the footman's loop and stop, but I'd still rather have them properly secured. The best answer of course is simply to reweld the footmans loops in the proper position! The ones on the Smart Cart have always been a bit too far back for most horses.

Leia


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## Matthijs (Apr 24, 2012)

On the smart cart, if you get the marathon shafts you can directly loop the holdback straps through the front curl of the shafts too. I think the marathon shafts are just the way to go with this cart. Using the shaft curl ( do you have a proper name for it?) also brings the attachment point up as wel as forward. Not saying that is always the correct way to do it, but it just ads another option!


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## hobbyhorse23 (Apr 25, 2012)

Matthijs said:


> On the smart cart, if you get the marathon shafts you can directly loop the holdback straps through the front curl of the shafts too. I think the marathon shafts are just the way to go with this cart. Using the shaft curl ( do you have a proper name for it?) also brings the attachment point up as wel as forward. Not saying that is always the correct way to do it, but it just adds another option!


Those are called "closed loop marathon shafts" so I would assume the front circle is the "closed loop" or just "the end of the shafts." LOL

Sometimes doing as you describe is the only way to make things work but it's definitely not correct. For some reason you see it more often in England, or at least I've seen it in English sport driving books while in America that practice is frowned on. Odd considering that we regularly use fixed tugs with two-wheeled carts (they consider sliding backbands to be absolutely necessary) and they often have two tug stops (one in front of and one behind the tug) while we make do with one! I suppose it's because with the tugs absolutely secured on the shafts by either those double tug stops or the tugs being buckled into a close loop you can safely hold the cart back that way while attaching the holdbacks to the tugs on regular wooden shafts without tug stops (as we normally have here) does almost no good at all. Thus American drivers are taught that doing so is incorrect while British drivers sometimes do it.

Depending on how high the shaft loop is on the horse's sides and what the angles are like I'd think attaching the holdbacks there could cause problems of its own. As usual, you must evaluate your particular turnout and do what is best for your individual horse.

Leia


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