# Steel or Aluminum for mini carriage?



## xrdh (Dec 30, 2015)

I'm having a little one person carriage built for my 37" minis. What are the pros and cons of steel versus aluminum? Is the lighter weight of the aluminum carriage going to affect how it can turn corners at speed? There will be no footman and I'll be riding out in the woods and on forest service roads.

My ideal is the Tadpole by Russ Hardwick, or something very similar.


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## BSharpRanch (Dec 30, 2015)

I would make it for at least two people. I have a number of vehicles that are one person only with no way to make room for a second person. It really limits what you can do with them. Also if you are headed out on the trails you may wish to add a built in box for spares, a couple tools etc. And also a place for a picnic basket/cooler.

JMTCW


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## jventresca (Dec 31, 2015)

I have a tadpole that I use with a pair. It's very light, 185 lbs. compared to 250 lbs. for the Glinkowski pair vehicle I started with. I know a few people that use it with a single. It has the most basic seating in the back. You may want to have a spot to put something.

My only issue with the vehicle was one of the snap shackles that came with it gave way while I was driving a dressage test in competition. I had to stop and unhitch, drag the vehicle out of the ring, very embarrassing. Snap shackles should have a flattened tip on the release pin so the pin can't fall out if the spring breaks.

Jaye in PA


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## xrdh (Dec 31, 2015)

Thanks, Jaye. That's just what I wanted to know. Is that a TAdpole in the photo? You bought the team pole for it? Is it worth $600?


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## Carriage (Jan 2, 2016)

xrdh said:


> I'm having a little one person carriage built for my 37" minis. What are the pros and cons of steel versus aluminum? Is the lighter weight of the aluminum carriage going to affect how it can turn corners at speed? There will be no footman and I'll be riding out in the woods and on forest service roads.
> 
> My ideal is the Tadpole by Russ Hardwick, or something very similar.


Russ is a great guy building great rigs for a long time now.

We chose to use a very strong and lightweight steel. What we build fits your desires to a T. A one person performance rig weighing about 30lbs. Use of this steel allows us to do things aluminum can't. Is a carriage maker building this for you?

Best wishes,

Bb

Graham Carriage Works.


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## xrdh (Jan 2, 2016)

I've visited your website before and didn't see anything like the Tadpole. Didn't see anything other than carts. Can you send me some photos? Did you mean to say that your rig weighs 130 or 300 pounds?


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## Carriage (Jan 3, 2016)

My apologies, when you spoke of your ideal, I didn't realize it was set as a 4 wheeler. My apologies.

As to weight, I did mean 30 as in thirty pounds.

Best wishes,

Bb


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## jventresca (Jan 11, 2016)

That is a Tadpole built by Russ Hardwick in my photo above. I have the pair pole and the single shafts for it. I started with a Glinkowski for my pair. It was a bit fancier AND heavier. There were a couple of things I liked better about it than the Tadpole. But the Tadpole wins out overall because the horses like it better. I changed out all the snap shackles and added some padding. I think it's worth what I paid for it. I did spring for the painting and leader bars for a four (if I get that far).

If you're serious about driving a four wheel with a single I'd call Jack Alvarez at Driving Essentials just to ask if Glinkowski is making a carriage that would suit you. The Glinkowskis I had were heavier. I started with the blue one and traded it in on the black one. I was new to pair driving and one of my guys figured out how to make his partner do most of the work. The poor other guy just couldn't haul me and a groom, the carriage and his lazy teammate with any speed. Jack was great to work with. The Glinkowski was considerably less money even with shipping from Europe. I bought mine in 2001 so it does cost more now.

Once I had a chance to drive a Tadpole I wanted one. I think it makes us more competitive. You can see I'm a "fluffy" person so I like to do everything possible to help the horses.

I have a hyperbike too! I hope to compete with it in a CDE someday.


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## Reignmaker Miniatures (Jan 11, 2016)

What a sharp looking pair


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## Peggy Porter (Jan 11, 2016)

So good to see you posting, Jaye! I haven't been able to find your website. You have some of the best harnessing and hitching info ever! Do you still have a website?


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