Driving Carts & CDE

[Standards Equine]

Hi friends, I know this thread has been quiet for a couple of years, but I'm looking to connect regarding CDE-experienced drivers and trainers.

Funny, reading above, the K-bikes, I actually know Kent and his daughter and have gotten to try out his fabrications locally. He's sold the K-bike business to the states so it's more tricky to find them up here now. I have, however, found a bike in fantastic quality, with a basket and I should be able to pick it up in the next week or so.

My daughter and I are going to our first "fun day" and Pace this weekend. It will be our first time doing anything CDE with our littles. We've had them to clinics where they've been introduced to plenty of obstacles and are quite confident. They've now shown in harness, put to, for driving classes in an open show.

Because the club we've joined focuses mostly on the entry-level driver, helping with access to good information, safe training, etc, the fun day will be just a low-key practice for newbies like us. The Pace on Sunday will be different. It's not a 3-event CDE, I don't think we get to try our dressage yet - there's another opportunity next month for a proper CDE.

So, advise is helpful!! Please! Donkey and I will drive, Jasmine (36" mini mare) and my daughter will drive. We have a pony-size easy entry, bigger and more stable than a regular mini easy entry, and should have the K-bike with foot basket. I'll give my daughter first choice of which vehicle she's more comfortable using as they are different seating and bracing positions. I've ordered protective vests and there will be a couple to borrow if ours don't arrive in time for this weekend.

Oh! And CDE in a hyper/K-bike, yes! Kent's daughter's mother-in-law drove her dwarf mini CDE in a k-bike and did really well! The dressage judges didn't like it, but she'd still win because her training and execution of movements was stellar.

I'd love to see pictures of you in your attire driving mini CDE, if you would share! Thanks for your input!!!

 

[Cayuse]

Hope you have a nice time. When we showed Peanut at a couple CDE's the woman who drove him wore a grey and black tweed blazer, velvet helmet, white shirt with a red scarf and a grey lap robe and black gloves I think I used a red harness pad which may or may not have been frowned upon, but I didn't care as it was supposed to be just for fun.
We used my Kingston cart with the motorcycle wheels, wire wheels can only be used at the very lowest levels because of safety issues.

 

[Capriole]

Apologies if I'm hijacking this thread....Standards Equine, do you know who/what company he sold the Kbike business to?
I missed out on ordering one by about 10 minutes (maybe even less...) due to my own stupidity...I'm still kicking myself!
Thank you for any information you can give me

 

[BSharpRanch]

Here's a link to where they are now:

https://www.idriveponies.com/

 

[Capriole]

Thank you so much!
That's where I missed placing my order
Since the email said they had to place an order I thought they were getting them from someone else...
I guess I'll have to wait until next year

 

[BSharpRanch]

Thank you so much!
That's where I missed placing my order
Since the email said they had to place an order I thought they were getting them from someone else...
I guess I'll have to wait until next year

They have one cart left. Hit Mindy Pony Princess FB page.

 

[1roadtoad]

I have a couple of questions regarding the purchase of a new cart and would appreciate anyone offering any advice in this regard. I am just know learning how to drive a cart, as my new horse Pepper (after 5 weeks I finally named him) has been trained to drive. I know I would like to have an Easy Entry cart, possibly with a basket, if that's what it's called . I will use it just to ride around my property and perhaps our back roads, never for showing or anything else. I don't know if I should be looking at carts with Heavy Duty Wheels, Motor Cycle Wheels, or Solid Wheels. I also don't know why one would choose a straight shaft over a curved shaft. I want to purchase a decent cart, but don't want to pay crazy money. First and foremost I would want one that is safe for my horse and me. My boy Pepper is 34"-35" and weighs about 250 lbs. I weigh about 105 lbs., but I don't know if or how much these figures might influence my choices. Any information or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Also, any info about harnesses would also be helpful (nylon vs. leather, etc.) Thanks

 

[Standards Equine]

Welcome @1roadtoad with fantastic questions! I think driving is a major attraction for most of us with our littles. I know it is for me!
The first lesson in driving is that safety is (usually) not cheap, and cheap is downright dangerous. Invest in your, and your little's, safety and comfort.
The second lesson is leather breaks. Stay away from leather unless you're going into a turnout class in a show. Biothane is choice 1, nylon is choice 2.
From there, custom is as you like it to be. I've got a lady up here fabricating a custom nylon harness for Jasmine, but the donkey has a custom biothane harness. I've tried a bunch of different style of collar and found the donkey likes the Eurocollar and the pony likes a breastcollar. Both work appropriately with the line of draft for our vehicles. Our vehicles are an easy entry - pony size, just a bit bigger (and more stable) than your commonly available easy entry carts. What I really like about it is that the basket is set more in front of the bench seat so I don't feel that my legs are camped underneath me. I feel stable and safe. The shafts are straight and it does have spoke wheels, but they're larger, motorcycle-type.
Our second vehicle is the K-bike with foot basket. The only thing I don't love about this vehicle is the bar across the sides of the basket. It makes it super great for bracing in turns, but you have to lift your leg quite high to get in there. Also, one seat. More secure feeling than a bench for sure, but I can't take anyone else for a ride. This vehicle is fully customizable though, and breaks down for storage or transport and uses only 1 size of bolt (in Canada - in the states, she sets up an alan key). It's expensive, but I think it's worth it for the comfort of my animals and my own safety. Certainly there are more expensive and customizable options - Frey, Patty's Pony Place, etc. I have no experience directly with either except I did have a toboggan (calf sleigh with shafts attached) from PPP. It was a great entry-level vehicle for winter time.

PS, I understand Kent still does some fabrication for the K-bikes, but I'm not exactly sure what pieces that is.
PPS, unrelated, his daughter is the coolest thing. She does extreme cowboy racing with her molly mule - Jessica Rabbit.

 

[Cayuse]

I have a couple of questions regarding the purchase of a new cart and would appreciate anyone offering any advice in this regard. I am just know learning how to drive a cart, as my new horse Pepper (after 5 weeks I finally named him) has been trained to drive. I know I would like to have an Easy Entry cart, possibly with a basket, if that's what it's called . I will use it just to ride around my property and perhaps our back roads, never for showing or anything else. I don't know if I should be looking at carts with Heavy Duty Wheels, Motor Cycle Wheels, or Solid Wheels. I also don't know why one would choose a straight shaft over a curved shaft. I want to purchase a decent cart, but don't want to pay crazy money. First and foremost I would want one that is safe for my horse and me. My boy Pepper is 34"-35" and weighs about 250 lbs. I weigh about 105 lbs., but I don't know if or how much these figures might influence my choices. Any information or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Also, any info about harnesses would also be helpful (nylon vs. leather, etc.) Thanks

I have a Kingston cart with the heavy wheels, motorcycle I think. My cart came with straight shafts which I prefer but I believe their carts can be ordered with curved shafts. This cart has proved to be a good cart for driving in my field and small shows. As far as harnesses go, I prefer leather as I can not manipulate the synthetic straps with my hands as I have arthritis. I do have a nice synthetic harness from Yonis Harness that is very well made if you want to check them out, I was very pleased with the quality.
My biggest suggestion would be to get the nicest driving bridle you can afford. You really will get a bigger bang for your buck with a properly fitted, nice headstall that is comfy for the mini that you don't have to fiddle with even if it costs a bit more. When I bought my Yoni's harness, I had the headstall custom made and it is the best piece of tack I ever bought.
Second biggest suggestion is also purchase a leather punch, you will need it when it come to adjusting things as you go along .

 

[Standards Equine]

Second biggest suggestion is also purchase a leather punch, you will need it when it come to adjusting things as you go along .

Yes! Oh, and if you ever do decide to participate in a CDE, a spares kit is required and a leather punch is on the list. Perhaps a discussion for another day as the inconsistency of spares kit lists drives me a little nutty...

 

[Abby P]

I also have a Kingston with the motorcycle wheels. I think those are the wheels that are best for trails and off-roading, the pneumatic tires give some additional cushion over bumps. They are quite heavy-duty. I would definitely avoid the bicycle-type tires unless you're just going on pavement.

That said, I did end up with a bent shaft after a fairly minor wreck (he got his leg over a shaft). I was able to bend it back almost into shape and it was startlingly easy to do, so, there is that. The cart itself and the wheels seem pretty durable but the shafts do bend easily! I have the curved shafts. Maybe you'd want the straight ones if you were going to use a harness with wrap straps instead of shaft loops?

In a perfect world I'd have a Frey.

I got my harness from Chimacum and I've been very happy with it. It fit perfectly (made to order based on measurements). The only complaint I have is that I wish the bridle adjusted a little bit more, I changed bits and it made it really hard to get the cheek pieces short enough while still having the blinkers in the right spot and being able to use the noseband. It can be done but just barely. It is also possible that I flubbed his head measurements when I ordered, he really did not appreciate having his head measured for some reason. So the bridle might just be a little too big for him to begin with.

 

[1roadtoad]

Wow, thank you all !! So much new information to absorb. I've never even heard of Biothane, I'll have to look that up! It sounds like the Kingston cart with motor cycle tires would be ideal for the type of driving I hope to do. Of course, I was aware of the many parts of a harness, but I assumed that you would just buy the complete harness "off the rack" so to speak. Now I'm thinking that I should piece together the different components and have them custom made to get the proper fit. I'm thinking that I need to do a bit more research . Does anyone have an opinion or reason as to why someone would choose straight shafts over curved shafts or vise versa? You can tell by my questions, that I really know very little about driving, but I have taken 2 lessons so far and I'm really excited about the prospect of driving my little horse around my property. Thank You.

 

[Cayuse]

I'll try to explain the shafts but pictures really help more than words with this I think, I'm not a good "explainer"! Straight shafts usually are used with a harness that has "wrap straps" that wrap around the shafts at the shaft carrier loop of the harness to hold the cart secure, IIRC curved shafts are used mostly with a shaft carrier loop (aka as a tug I think) that lets the shafts float a little. With the curved shafts the cart balance has to be pretty good as it's not secured down with the wrap straps. Having the cart balanced is important for the comfort of the pony.
I personally prefer a harness with wrap straps and a cart with straight shafts even though they are old school, and both my minis seemed happier with this set up too.
Hopefully someone will chime in with "more better" info but maybe this helps a little.

 

[Capriole]

Thank you, BSharpRanch
I'll try that!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Second the suggestion of a good bridle! Sometimes the ones that come with harnesses have terrible blinders and are difficult to adjust. And beware the bit that sometimes comes with those bridles--poor quality and the fit is not correct.
I got lucky when I ordered my harness 22 years ago from Big Dee. It was made in Mexico, back when most equine leather equipment was made there. Lovely leather and the bridle is the best. Not sure they have the same quality now, but there are a lot more to choose from than there was back then.
I have the "bicycle tires" on my Jerald EZ. I do have a handy husband who can install a new tube in less than ten minutes. We get the heavy duty with Slime inside. The only trouble we have with them is the valve stem can fail after year or two. I had my wheels powder coated many years ago, and they still look great. The solid wheels are trouble free, but you can't go over uneven ground well with them. Not sure what kind of cart I would shop for now, but when I got mine, the choices were slim and the internet was new.

 

[Abby P]

I personally prefer a harness with wrap straps and a cart with straight shafts even though they are old school, and both my minis seemed happier with this set up too.

It's so interesting that you say this, Cayuse, because I have been wondering if Rowan would have preferred this setup too. He seems to just like everything really snug and stable.

1roadtoad, you can buy a harness off the rack for sure, but a lot of the makers do ask for measurements and then it will probably be a better fit! I don't think Chimacum necessarily is doing a fully custom harness but rather taking the pony's measurements and then putting together all the correctly-sized pieces to fit. That's not to say that a basic off-the-rack harness wouldn't be just fine in many cases. Not sure where you are located but if you're anywhere near me I'd be happy to have you come and take a look at my cart and harness.

 

[1roadtoad]

I'll try to explain the shafts but pictures really help more than words with this I think, I'm not a good "explainer"! Straight shafts usually are used with a harness that has "wrap straps" that wrap around the shafts at the shaft carrier loop of the harness to hold the cart secure, IIRC curved shafts are used mostly with a shaft carrier loop (aka as a tug I think) that lets the shafts float a little. With the curved shafts the cart balance has to be pretty good as it's not secured down with the wrap straps. Having the cart balanced is important for the comfort of the pony.
I personally prefer a harness with wrap straps and a cart with straight shafts even though they are old school, and both my minis seemed happier with this set up too.
Hopefully someone will chime in with "more better" info but maybe this helps a little.

You explained the difference between the 2 different shafts perfectly. I am currently taking driving lessons using curved shafts that are placed through a leather loop and yes, they do float a bit. I don't know enough about driving yet to know whether my horse would be bothered by this movement or not. Maybe the straight shafts with the wrap arounds would be the way to go. Thank You.

 

[1roadtoad]

It's so interesting that you say this, Cayuse, because I have been wondering if Rowan would have preferred this setup too. He seems to just like everything really snug and stable.

1roadtoad, you can buy a harness off the rack for sure, but a lot of the makers do ask for measurements and then it will probably be a better fit! I don't think Chimacum necessarily is doing a fully custom harness but rather taking the pony's measurements and then putting together all the correctly-sized pieces to fit. That's not to say that a basic off-the-rack harness wouldn't be just fine in many cases. Not sure where you are located but if you're anywhere near me I'd be happy to have you come and take a look at my cart and harness.

I just took a look at Chimacum Tack, I think I may give them a call. Thanks for the information. BTW, I am in NW Connecticut. Thank You

 

[1roadtoad]

Second the suggestion of a good bridle! Sometimes the ones that come with harnesses have terrible blinders and are difficult to adjust. And beware the bit that sometimes comes with those bridles--poor quality and the fit is not correct.
I got lucky when I ordered my harness 22 years ago from Big Dee. It was made in Mexico, back when most equine leather equipment was made there. Lovely leather and the bridle is the best. Not sure they have the same quality now, but there are a lot more to choose from than there was back then.
I have the "bicycle tires" on my Jerald EZ. I do have a handy husband who can install a new tube in less than ten minutes. We get the heavy duty with Slime inside. The only trouble we have with them is the valve stem can fail after year or two. I had my wheels powder coated many years ago, and they still look great. The solid wheels are trouble free, but you can't go over uneven ground well with them. Not sure what kind of cart I would shop for now, but when I got mine, the choices were slim and the internet was new.

Thanks for the thoughts on bridles, I will definitely make a getting a good bridle at the top of the list. Do you have an opinion on flat blinders vs. the cup type? I noticed that some of the flat ones actually push down on the horses eyes, this can't be comfortable. Thanks again.

 

[Carrie Wind]

I know that this topic has probably been brought up multiple times but all the threads I can find are pretty old
and didn't quite answer my questions. I have a 32" mini mare and am looking into getting her a new cart.

I really want to start taking her to some CDE's but I don't think our current cart would be well suited to the cones and marathon.
I have been interested in the Hyperbike for a long time and my question is can you drive it in all phases of the CDE?(has anyone done so?)
I've been leaning towards it over some of the other EE carts because of its lighter weight design.
Does anyone know if it has easily collapsable shafts? Another reason I am searching for a different cart is for ease of trailering.

If not the hyperbike what would you recommend for someone looking to start CDE's; have a light weight cart; and be easy to load in a trailer?
Any advice would be much appreciated thanks

I have shown extensively in CDE's and use a Bellcrown Aerolite. It presents well in dressage and fit well in my trailer by laying the cart back on the seat with shafts pointing up. I drive a 35.5" mini so the shafts aren't that long and don't hit the ceiling. A 32" mini would have even shorter shafts. Are you in an area where there are no hills? 32" is pretty tiny for CDE and the demands of marathon but may be ok on flat land. I'm in New England...no such thing as flat land!