# Pipe Cart



## O So (Dec 6, 2010)

Ok, I took this quote out of the Hyperbike thread because I didn't want to get off topic, but I have a question so I started another thread for it.



MiLo Minis said:


> I have several pipe carts both A and B and pony size and have found them very useful for my purpose. They are light and easy for a beginner horse to pull, inexpensive and easy to repair repeatedly!


What does a "pipe' cart look like, got pics? Do you think it may be something that would be good to start my beginner horse on? I'm not in the market to buy right now. Just trying to learn and possibly see what would be best when the time comes to put O So to a cart.

On a side note, I got my driving books I ordered. So now I can start reading.


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## disneyhorse (Dec 6, 2010)

It is referring to an Easy Entry cart, which are typically made of metal pipe as opposed to wood shafts and construction. They are inexpensive and durable, and are great "first carts". They are very easy to find.

Andrea


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## MiLo Minis (Dec 7, 2010)

Not ALL easy entry carts are made of metal, they do come in wood as well, and not all pipe carts are easy entry but most of them in Miniature size are. They are a good cart to use for starting a Mini because they are quick and easy to slide in and out of being "easy entry" so not as risky for the driver, they are lightweight and easy for a beginning horse to pull. Sometimes when a horse is first put to the shafts they bolt, or react in some other way, when they hit the end of the traces and feel the initial weight of a heavier cart before it starts to roll - that is less likely to happen with a pipe cart. They are also quite inexpensive and easily resaleable so if you find you or your horse are not cut out for driving you haven't invested a lot of expense.

They typically come with a wide bench seat so are good for fun drives with the kids or for a teaching application as the instructor can ride with you to start.

If you intend to do serious showing in any venue you will need to purchase a second cart down the road but you won't have wasted your money as you can still use the pipe cart for exercising and keep your show cart for good. You will still have to work your horse in your show cart as the different style and weight of cart will affect him/her but for regular exercise the pipe carts are great. You can show local breed shows with a pipe cart but they really aren't competitive in a larger venue. A lot of carriage shows are allowing wire wheeled carts at the lower levels of competition now but don't accept them at higher levels as they are too dangerous.

They are great carts for doing parades as you can tape or attach decorations to them without worrying about the finish





They do have drawbacks as they typically come with wire wheels that bend or fold in half fairly easily if taken over rough ground but there are things you can do to minimize the possibility such as putting no-flat tires on them. You need to be sure when purchasing one that they have the more sturdy wire wheels that can still fold but some come with really light bicycle tires/wheels that just won't hold up to anything. There have been threads on the forum that recommend certain brands - just search to find them.

Being metal they also scratch and rust pretty easily so you need to take good care of them if you want them to remain looking nice.


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## O So (Dec 7, 2010)

MiLo Minis said:


> Not ALL easy entry carts are made of metal, they do come in wood as well, and not all pipe carts are easy entry but most of them in Miniature size are. They are a good cart to use for starting a Mini because they are quick and easy to slide in and out of being "easy entry" so not as risky for the driver, they are lightweight and easy for a beginning horse to pull. Sometimes when a horse is first put to the shafts they bolt, or react in some other way, when they hit the end of the traces and feel the initial weight of a heavier cart before it starts to roll - that is less likely to happen with a pipe cart. They are also quite inexpensive and easily resaleable so if you find you or your horse are not cut out for driving you haven't invested a lot of expense.
> 
> They typically come with a wide bench seat so are good for fun drives with the kids or for a teaching application as the instructor can ride with you to start.
> 
> ...


Wow, thanks. Sounds like this may be the cart for me and O So. Thanks for all the info.

I did a search for "pipe carts" and this is what I got......

_Pipe Cart_ 

_Taken from another thread. __Driving Miniature Horses_ _O So_ 

_My Hyperbike is HERE!!!_ 

_Driving Miniature Horses_ _drivin*me*buggy_ _Need a multi-purpose show cart - Any ideas??/_ _Driving Miniature Horses_ _willowsedgebelgians_ _Where is the best place to buy cart_ _Driving Miniature Horses_ _rimmerpaints_ _wooden vs. metal shafts_ 

_which is safest? __Driving Miniature Horses_ _Guch_ 


 _Sep 16 2010 02:24 PM_

_By: __RhineStone_ 

 _Pacific Smart Cart_ 


_1_
_2_
 _Driving Miniature Horses_ _~Lisa~_ 


_16 Replies_
_709 Views_
 


 _Jul 27 2010 07:02 AM_

_By: __~Lisa~_ 

 _cart modification_ 

_can shafts be shortened...... __Driving Miniature Horses_ _BBH_ 


_4 Replies_
_255 Views_
 


 _Jul 08 2010 10:55 AM_

_By: __Sue_C._ 

 _Training some tough 3 year olds_ _Driving Miniature Horses_ _Skylight_minis_ 


_8 Replies_
_356 Views_
 


 _Jun 22 2010 10:51 AM_

_By: __jegray21_ 

 _I drove a big horse for the first time_ 


_1_
_2_
 _Driving Miniature Horses_ _Marsha Cassada_ 


_10 Replies_
_316 Views_
 


 _Jun 09 2010 12:24 PM_

_By: __My2Minis_ 

 _new to driving...many questions_ 


_1_
_2_
 _Driving Miniature Horses_ _angelspeeper_ 


_19 Replies_
_879 Views_
 


 _Jan 13 2010 04:08 PM_

_By: __angelspeeper_ 

 _Reality check: How many carts & harnesses do you own_ 


_1_
_2_
_3_
_8 →_
 

_And how many of your minis drive? __Driving Miniature Horses_ _targetsmom_ 


_70 Replies_
_3,054 Views_
 


 _Feb 03 2010 10:40 AM_

_By: __Performancemini_ 

 _Cart Plans?_ 


_1_
_2_
 

_Anyone made their own cart or sulky?M __Driving Miniature Horses_ _Linz_ 


_14 Replies_
_931 Views_





What it did is give me everything that had 'pipe' and 'cart' in any part of the thread. So I looked at a few and I was reading about pvc pipe and all! That was only half of what it gave me, I cut it down to not have a whole page of topics. LOL Just wanted to give an example of what I get when I do a search.

Can anyone narrow it down to more specific Pipe cart. Sorry, I must not know how to 'search' very well.





I would love to have a link to someone that makes them.

Thanks again


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## Relic (Dec 7, 2010)

We've used this brand of EE for a couple of decades WWW.CTMPRODUCTS.COM it's priced reasonable but for us up here with shipping/GST and duty comes close to a thou bucks so have bought a EE from a mini tack place selling them up here different brand and to late because l needed one fast for a mini going out to train. lt came shipped flat in a box and needs screws to hold the shafts that came in 2 pieces together l prefer the one piece shafts for safty reasons as we found thats one of the first things to bend if not solid and you have a mishap also the metal grating for your feet is second rate and bends when your in the cart putting weight on it and as for the wheels well l better stop l already know the whole thing is a pile of unsafe crap for horse and driver..l have 2 from CTM on order for the new year which should last us another few decades.


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## Margo_C-T (Dec 7, 2010)

A couple of 'name brands' of the MOST BASIC EE "pipe carts" are the Frontier, and the CTM; there are others, and I'm sure that satisfied owners/users of other brands could chime in. The Frontier is built/sold by Frontier Trading Co., which you can google; same with CTM, and there was a link to at least one other decent-appearing brand on a recent thread, I think.

The 'most basic' such carts usually have: removable, one-piece shafts(in a modified 'U' shape that bolts onto the cart framework, and includes brace bars-see pics on websites); pneumatic wheels/tires(HD w/ a wide hub and 'thick' spokes, NOT bicycle tires, but generally not considered strong enough for serious cross-country/marathon-type use, as they can 'fold over' under stress); not much by way of 'suspension', which equates to 'softening' the ride...a coil spring under each back 'corner' of the seat is 'it' on the Frontier and some others(be aware that the pneumatic tires HELP TO SOFTEN the ride considerably; changing to solid foam tire inserts, or removing the pneumatics and instead using steel/alum. wheels w/ solid rubber tire inserts WILL 'roughen' the ride!)They also generally have shallow seat cushions w/ minimal padding, which many will find uncomfortable on an extended drive---though the possible discomfort is 'minimized', IMO, by the fact that the basket is shallow enough that when you are seated, the underside of your thigh is somewhat 'elevated' off the front 'edge' of the seat-keeping you from 'feeling' that hard edge so much!

On the plus side, they are relatively light in weight(Leia weighed her Frontier at 78 lbs.),pretty tough in construction(from personal experience, I know that the Frontier is; can't speak for others)...and can be adjusted for proper balance(sliding seat)- to adjust the balance, you have someone sturdy stand between the shafts and hold them at the point where they would 'rest' in the tug loops, and at the height where they should be 'on the horse'(level or SLIGHTLY slanted upward toward the horse's head), then the driver(or 'whip', as properly called) gets into the cart and sits properly-meaning not leaning forward or back, but straight and well-back onto the seat. The 'holder' should be able to support the whip's weight in the cart with little effort.

I heartily support the use of GOOD QUALITY basic 'pipe' EE carts for everyday and training use under normal conditions. Yes, they definitely have their limitations, and if you 'get serious' about doing longer drives, something more than just down the street/around the reasonably level, smooth roads of one's neighborhood, you will almost certainly want to 'move up' to something more substantial/sturdy,more attractive,a more comfortable ride. But, you may always have a use for the 'starter' cart, and if you don't, the resaleability of good ones has always been excellent.

I should add that these carts are best used with a 'complete' harness, meaning WITH BREECHING. You know, even if you want and intend to show in the breed ring, your horse will benefit from being TRAINED to the use of breeching!

Margo


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## Reignmaker Miniatures (Dec 7, 2010)

Relic said:


> We've used this brand of EE for a couple of decades WWW.CTMPRODUCTS.COM it's priced reasonable but for us up here with shipping/GST and duty comes close to a thou bucks so have bought a EE from a mini tack place selling them up here different brand and to late because l needed one fast for a mini going out to train. lt came shipped flat in a box and needs screws to hold the shafts that came in 2 pieces together l prefer the one piece shafts for safty reasons as we found thats one of the first things to bend if not solid and you have a mishap also the metal grating for your feet is second rate and bends when your in the cart putting weight on it and as for the wheels well l better stop l already know the whole thing is a pile of unsafe crap for horse and driver..l have 2 from CTM on order for the new year which should last us another few decades.


Just a quick note for anyone in Canada, Greenhawk sells a very inexpensive EE that is not too badly built. It is for sure nothing too fancy but for training purposes I find it adequate. You should be able to find a store somewhere nearby so save shipping too but they do sell from the internet or their catalog too, it will just cost a bit more to ship the stuff. Not any help to you O So sorry.


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## MiLo Minis (Dec 7, 2010)

I really like the EE pipe carts from Ozark Canada and although I can't vouch personally for the ones from Ozark in the States, Leia came on the earlier thread about carts and said that it is a perfectly good little cart so I would say it likely is! Less expensive than the CTM or Frontier as well.


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## hobbyhorse23 (Dec 8, 2010)

MiLo Minis said:


> I really like the EE pipe carts from Ozark Canada and although I can't vouch personally for the ones from Ozark in the States, Leia came on the earlier thread about carts and said that it is a perfectly good little cart so I would say it likely is! Less expensive than the CTM or Frontier as well.


My understanding was that Ozark sells the CTM cart in their U.S. catalogue.



And yes, it's a nice little cart!

Leia


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