Easy entry cart with short (42-inch?) shafts?

[heidigrex]

Help! I need a cheap easy entry cart for teaching my mini mare to drive. She is 32-something tall and about 33 point of shoulder to point of buttock. My understanding is you add about 8 inches for the shaft length, so that puts us at 41 or maybe 42 inches for the shafts. I am not finding an easy entry cart with shafts that size. I am in the Salem, Oregon area.

Scratching my head, not sure what to do here. Any ideas? She is ground driving well and it will not be long before she is ready for the cart. I hope to eventually have a custom Hyperbike built, but of course she needs to be very solid before that happens, thus the need for a cheap easy entry cart.

 

[heidigrex]

I did email Kingston as they make a cart with 45-inch shafts. However, they say it is for horses 30 inches and under. I did get a prompt reply, but the gentleman only wants to consider height, not horse length, and directs me to carts with 48-inch shafts. I just sold my cart that size yesterday - it is very obviously waaaay to long for her. He also suggested that my "trainer" correctly measure my horse. Um, I AM the trainer. I am ground driving this mare and have the same issue with the crupper strap. All the holes of adjustment are useless as the strap is waaaay too long for her back, so it is sort of tied at the moment pending me punching more holes in it.

 

[ckmini]

What kind of driving are you hoping to do? Typically a cart that is slightly too long really won't hinder them driving over flat ground. I know 30 and under horses that drive just fine in 49" shafts. I'd hate for you to custom order something only to have it not work.

Any Amish near you that you could buy something customized from?

Edited to add links:

http://www.sunriseponyfarm.com/img/38_Metal_big.jpg

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

Shafts can be custom made but I have a 28" mare that drives very nicely in a standard EE with I believe 48" (standard/stock) shafts. She is 38" long and the extra space does not bother her at all.

 

[horsenarounnd]

With shaft length you are way better off with too much rather than too little. Make sure you have the shaft tips positioned correctly, and give it a try. If you still have shafts that are a few inches too long, most of the EZ entry cart shafts are ust metal tubeind anyway and you can easily cut a couple of inches off. You may have to reposition your footman loops if you do this, but that is not difficult either. I have had a couple of very small horses that did need 46" shafts, but 41 or 42 inches does sound very short.