Big Horse Carriage Pulling Question......

[Miniv]

Larry and I know a man who just bought a big fancy carriage -- estimated weight about 1000+ pounds. And now the man has bought a QUARTER HORSE to pull it!

The plan is to do weddings, etc....with this combination, so this one Quarter Horse is to pull the carriage with at least three people in it.....maybe even more people, depending on the circumstances......

I'm all set to open my mouth to the man (or his wife) and tell them that I don't think the Quarter Horse is big or strong enough to handle that kind of weight. They either need another horse to make it a team, or should buy a Draft Breed horse....

Am I wrong????

MA

 

[Reble]

Am I wrong????

MA

Found this on a web site:

How much weight can a horse pull?

A horse can easily pull a wheeled vehicle that is six (6) times his own weight,

however most carriage horses are used at only 25% of that capacity.

Our own experience!!!!

If it is just for special occasions, I am sure they are not on long?

Quarter horses range from 1000 to 1500 lbs.

We had a special carrieage made for us that the wheels went right under for turning.

Made for doing weddings, & special occasions, but found out insurance cost could be a problem.

For 3 years, Mall in Kitchener ON. took responisable for liability, so we did take Santa and his helpers into the mall, yes right in the mall and down the aisle. with rugs layed down, he loved it.

He was a 15.3 hands Gelding and about 1200 lbs.

Just at a walk, no harm done. But what excitement.

Pay was good, $200.00 for about a 15 minute job.

Kids interested in the horse instead of Santa.

Had a wonderful time.

: :saludando:

 

[Marty]

You are not wrong, you are very correct. He's going to kill that quarter horse and tear his insides out.

I don't know about driving carts but I do know that I witness this sort of thing all the time up here with this big heavy carriages and wagons that pull a dozen or so people. Insane and cruel. The latest is a man is using a horse to pull him around in his car..........Jerry has had words with this man more than once already. Mules seem to be more sturdy to this and the elements instead of horses, but that's if they are fed.

This guy needs a team of draft horses.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Now hold one there Nellie...back in the days when I was a girl and horses still worked for their living a single horse would easily have pulled a cart with a couple, three people in it- do a google for a Brougham- they are a light carriage built for a single horse. The horses most commonly used were around 15.00hh and cob crosses, they often doubled as Hunters- read your Black Beauty, he was 15.2hh and, although a pair looks much smarter, a single horse was more often used.

Draught horses were cart horses, farm workers- no way would any smart family have been seen dead with a cart horse in the shafts!!

It depends entirely on how big this horse is, how well boned and how well he is fed- exactly the same as with a riding horse.

 

[Pepipony]

Having btdt, it all depends on the carriage. Some are very light and pull easily, some are heavy and thus are harder to pull. Our carriage horses didnt work but about once an hour, for 20 minutes, 5 hours a night, 4 nights a week. The area they pulled in was basically flat. We had an Arab, QH, Perch and a couple Clydes. Each had their own carriage to pull and that was based on what they liked.

I can imagine the carriage you are speaking of, nice white, 2 benchseats, driver perched up higher in front. And the type that the weight is in the pulling and not the horses back? Right? The Arab pulled that type fine, and rather thought he was one fine dude doing it

: The carriage will need to be upkept, make sure all the fittings are greased to they turn better. But the QH shouldnt have any issues unless this is on hills and for longer periods.

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

Hmm I dont know for sure but would have to think in most cases it is very doable I mean come on how often do we see a 250-300 lb mini pulling a 200+ adult sometimes even 2 adults

so i would think a 12-1500 lb horse could do the same?

I dont know again not saying yes or no but I do know I often see minis pulling large amounts of weight and they seem to do fine.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

That would be a Landau- which was traditionally a light horse, pair vehicle. That sort of vehicle, I think, looks really silly with a draught horse in the shafts. I think this horse, if treated with respect, will do just fine.

 

[shminifancier]

He will do just fine.. I knew a guy in Scottsdale, AZ. that kept his horse at that boarding stable where i was, and he had one of those fancy rigs and his horse was just a big quarter horse, Not a problem at all.. These roll real easy and unless the city has lots of hills for going up and down there should not be a thing wrong with it. Gee there are only puling a short time for maybe even a short distance..We aren't talking about hitching this quarter up and going across country with him.......

 

[justaboutgeese]

Not that I doubt the quarter horse is capable of doing the job I personally would prefer a flashier "type" horse for this type of job. The better turnout you present the more jobs you would attract.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I agree completely- a friend of mine has a team of Friesans he uses for funerals and film work- they look OK for funerals but to my mind they are far too heavy for the kind of carriage work they are doing in films- I can assure you NO-ONE would have had a "hairy legged" horse in the shafts, but people do not seem to care about that sort of thing. The new horse of Breanne's- can't remember his name- he is about the stamp of the horses we had working around my way, clean legged, about 15.00 hh, and Cob X TB, by choice.

I also preferr Greys for a wedding- my friend did a wedding with a Landau and a pair of Friesans- not my idea of a wedding rig