Cart shafts popping up

[palindromebaby]

Hi everyone! I have not gotten any search results from Google so here I am. Finally got a cart and harness for my girl. She does great but we have had a bit of an issue literally pop up. Easy entry style cart and out of nowhere the whole cart pops up. How on earth do we fix this?

 

[dalvers63]

Do you have a picture of your cart and harness? There should be an overgirth that buckles to hold the shafts down. Depending on the style of harness it could be a wrap strap instead of a buckle strap. You can see the one on my harness - it sits behind the girth buckle and holds the shafts down.

 

[palindromebaby]

No pictures yet. Only had her hooked up twice and have been put on hold by life getting busy. No over girth to hold it down. I do like that though! There isn't even breeching...as I purchased an old show harness and I had no idea they didn't use breeching. Now I am looking for a new crupper strap and breeching since my strap doesn't even have a spot for the breeching to pass through. Chalk it up to first time buyer woes.

 

[dalvers63]

If you have a show harness they will usually have a long strap that wraps around the shaft and then buckles to the girth. For the show ring this acts as a hold down and "brakes" of a sense as the cart will not be able to move forwards or backwards once wrapped.

I found that Chimacum sells a wrap strap girth - here's a link if you want to see a picture

https://chimacumtack.com/product/belly-band-traditional-with-wrap-straps/

 

[palindromebaby]

Excellent! That was the same link I came up with when searching for something like yours. No idea if my straps are long enough to do that with. We are really just wanting to drive on a paved bike trail so there really won't be much elevation changing so a simple fix like that would be awesome!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

The girth should have a little pocket where the tug wraps can slide through. You might be able to use close-line rope, baler twine, or some other strong, thin rope as a make-shift until you can get the correct thing. If your cart is balanced properly, there shouldn't be pressure on it. Take along a pocket knife in case you need to get it off in a hurry.

You don't actually need breeching unless you are doing a lot of hills or inclines, or a lot of backing.

 

[palindromebaby]

This is great! So glad I posted here! I checked the harness finally this morning and it does have a little loop! But it looks like I have to buy a whole girth set up to get the overgirth so I may as well get one of the newer non wrap set ups. But what are the extra loops that buckle into the overgirth (or what they call the bellyband?) called? https://chimacumtack.com/product/girth-belly-band-padded/ This is the one I was looking at but it doesn't seem to come with the part that would actually connect to the cart shaft.

 

[Margo_C-T]

Hi. LONG time member here; just haven't been over here much in quite a while. Driving since 1985; always trained my own, as I've done with my riding horses since I was age 14, so MANY years! You are correct; what is pictured is the girth(the proper term) and the overgirth(the proper term). Wrap straps are essentially just long straps w/ a single buckle at one end, typical taper and holes for the buckle tongue at the other end. Is your harness leather or beta/biothane? I would STRONGLY recommend a full harness including breeching and the accompanying holdback straps(meaning yes, you'd need a new turn back(back) strap that will accommodate a breeching, along w/ the breeching itself. Shame on whoever sold you a show harness w/o telling you that show harness is strictly 'suited' for showing, NOT for the kind of 'around the neighborhood/town/your own place' driving that most want to do. The horse's comfort is paramount, so yes, breeching IS important for this kind of driving as it is your 'brakes', given proper adjustment. Do you know how your horse was driven before, or are you just starting? Horses need to be trained to accept ALL parts of the harness, and some 'show people' never introduce breeching at all, so unless you KNOW she has been driven using breeching, use proper training procedures to introduce it. I would suggest checking every online reputable harness maker you can find....Yonies makes great beta harness, so does Smuckers(I think both make both that and leather). See it Center Square Harness shop has a website. Do a search for harness makers...some sell by the piece, some do not. Gotta go feed my horses....will come back later! Best of luck!

 

[palindromebaby]

@Margo_C-T Yes it is a shame this person sold me this harness as "complete". The harness is leather. This little lady I will be driving was trained by for lack of a better term rednecks though these rednecks and their training did make her pretty much bomb proof. Videos from previous owner show her being driving with breeching properly attached and an overcheck. She has been through pretty much hell in her short life but is a such sweet mellow girl I have yet to present her with anything she has even blinked at. I do think I will be getting breeching as well but had issues finding breeching and what I know as the loin strap? Maybe that is what chimacum calls a hip strap? My cart came with hold back straps so we are set there just have to get the harness parts to connect to. Ready to sell this harness on and find something more complete! Though for not too much money I can make it complete and don't have to fiddle with adjusting everything to her again!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

@Margo_C-T Yes it is a shame this person sold me this harness as "complete". The harness is leather. This little lady I will be driving was trained by for lack of a better term rednecks though these rednecks and their training did make her pretty much bomb proof. Videos from previous owner show her being driving with breeching properly attached and an overcheck. She has been through pretty much hell in her short life but is a such sweet mellow girl I have yet to present her with anything she has even blinked at. I do think I will be getting breeching as well but had issues finding breeching and what I know as the loin strap? Maybe that is what chimacum calls a hip strap? My cart came with hold back straps so we are set there just have to get the harness parts to connect to. Ready to sell this harness on and find something more complete! Though for not too much money I can make it complete and don't have to fiddle with adjusting everything to her again!

Most of us have tweaked our harnesses by exchanging/adding parts over the years. Doubt many of us have a whole, original harness! I might have an extra girth with wrap straps; let me look next time I go out.
If the crupper is buckled separately onto the back strap, you would just need to order a new back strap with your breeching. If the crupper and back strap are all one piece, that is different. If your crupper is a nice one, I'd try to keep it; some of the newer harnesses do not have really nice cruppers. On my original harness, the crupper is so nice, that any work I've had done to the back strap, the leather guy prefers to keep that crupper; he just sews it to the new backstrap.

I have a friend who drove for many years with no breeching. She won many ribbons showing and also drove around town and in parades with no breeching. I think it depends on what kind of driving one intends to do, and what kind of vehicle, too. Horses can do a little backing and hill work without breeching.
Your girl sounds like a gem!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Hi. LONG time member here; just haven't been over here much in quite a while. Driving since 1985; always trained my own, as I've done with my riding horses since I was age 14, so MANY years! !

Margo, so glad you are here to share your amazing experience and knowledge!

 

[palindromebaby]

@Marsha Cassada She is a gem! Almost sold her as life was so busy for a time barn time wasn't happening for my riding mare much less getting all the equipment to drive. My husband said if I was that upset about selling her I wasn't. She is young what was potentially a few months sitting and growing up more. Yes, crupper comes off the backstrap so plan is to get new back strap for breeching. Crupper seems nice enough not too hard pliable enough to seem a comfortable fit. Paved pretty flat multi use trail is the plan but there is usually some sort of slope to get on the trail. Nothing bad enough that pulling the cart up or down the hill before hooking her up would be an issue. We took her for a walk with the dogs a week back to be sure all the bike traffic wouldn't be an issue and everyone loved her! The double takes were hilarious because we had 3 dogs with us and her. Little 34 inch pintaloosa her. Felt like we crawled at times because everyone wanted to visit.

 

[dalvers63]

This is great! So glad I posted here! I checked the harness finally this morning and it does have a little loop! But it looks like I have to buy a whole girth set up to get the overgirth so I may as well get one of the newer non wrap set ups. But what are the extra loops that buckle into the overgirth (or what they call the bellyband?) called? https://chimacumtack.com/product/girth-belly-band-padded/ This is the one I was looking at but it doesn't seem to come with the part that would actually connect to the cart shaft.

The link you have there is for the type of harness that has an overgirth strap on the saddle. If you need the wrap strap type you'll want this one:
https://chimacumtack.com/product/belly-band-traditional-with-wrap-straps/

I personally feel that having breeching is always a good idea as it is better than the chance the cart will run up on the horse if something happens.