Quick help please

[MajorClementine]

I hope it's okay to post this. I found this add for a mini sulky that I'm interested in...however, I'm not sure of how you'd attach the horse to the sulky. I asked the seller over the phone and she said she wasn't sure because she was selling it for her sister. Can you take a look at the pictures and see if you have any ideas. Does it need a whole different style harness like they use for sulky races? Thanks!

https://www.ksl.com/?nid=218&ad=36973186&cat=&lpid=&search=buggy&ad_cid=5

 

[Rocklone Miniature Horses]

Sulkies are usually attached via the shaft so need a specific harness.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I have a sulky sort of like this. I have a harness I use with it. They are made to go forward on pretty even surface so the harness is designed for forward work. Mine has thimbles for braking. It is basically a saddle with a breast strap attached it.

If you can find a harness, sulkies are lots of fun!

 

[MajorClementine]

Thanks for the quick replies. You guys are awesome. So when I took Clementine to driving training the gal who trained her used a sulky almost exactly like this. I went back and found my photos of Clementine hitched to her cart. She also used my harness but without the breeching. Her sulky had tabs welded onto it for the traces to slip onto. Then there was a hole in the tab for a cotter pin so the traces couldn't slip off.

My dilemma is that the sulky is 2 hours away from me. I don't want to go all the way out there if it's not something that will work for me. In the pictures it didn't look to me like the type that hooks to the saddle at the end of the shafts but I can't be sure...

The gal who has it is going to let me know if she sees any hooks or tabs on it that may be used to attach the traces. In one of the photos it looks like there may be small hooks above the foot rests but I'm not sure. I'll let you know how it goes. If anyone else has any input in the meantime I'd be happy to hear it.

 

[Rocklone Miniature Horses]

I would not use a sulky with traces..

They are designed to go fast, so they need to be as safe as possible. The safest way is the least contact.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Sulkies do not come up for sale often. I think you could make it work.

You'd have to rig up some kind of breast strap. If you could get a harness guy to attach some D rings to a saddle, he could easily make a breast strap, too.

Sulky shafts do not go level like regular cart shafts; they are tilted up for balance. What kind of harness does the seller use? Maybe she has a picture so you could decide if it were doable before you drive over, though it sounds like she doesn't use it either, for lack of tack.

In my picture you can see where the breast strap clips to the D rings on the saddle. It's pretty simple. I have a quick-hitch setup, but I don't see why girth straps wouldn't work.

The sulky is actually my favorite to run about in. It's up close and personal, light for the horse, and great for simply going out to enjoy or exercise.

Ask her about the wheels, if they are in good condition; age (they might need new bearings). She might knock the price down if the wheels are older.

Hard call, since it's not close by to look at. Though it might be fun to visit and see her horses, talk horses, and see her other vehicles, even if you don't like the sulky when you see it in person.

 

[paintponylvr]

Well, however it hooks up, it's a cute cart! I can't tell from the pics how it actually hooks or if it has "tabs" for the traces.

There are a lot of different styles of training sulkies out there, not just the racing type - for all sizes of horses. They are used for exercising and training.

I have had one of a different style since 1997. Got it in the package when I purchased a 12 hh Hackney mare. It was WELL used when I got it, no name plate on it, so have no idea who it was made by. I used it for many years with a variety of ponies from 35" tall to 13 hh. It came with a training "quick hitch" harness that hooks up like any other harness with traces - except instead of buckles it had heavy duty, brass snaps. No breaching. The traces hooked to the cart with the little tabs, but no cotter pins.

I had it stripped and repainted, seat redone in 2000. Then in 2013, took it over to OH to have the broken/spit circle bar repaired and ended up having a whole lot of refurbishing done - to include having a single tree installed. Honestly, even w/o a back support, this cart is one of the most comfortable one I've driven and I've often driven it for up to 5 hours at a time.... It's light weight, easy to hitch & unhitch and easy to load/unload from either the trailer or the bed of the truck. Since it was for a larger pony(s), it has longer shafts that I didn't get shortened...

I agree with Marsha. See if you can get pics, see if you can go see it in person and maybe meet someone new. Could be a lot of fun.

 

[MajorClementine]

Thanks for the input everyone. I'm thinking this is a training sulky and not a racing sulky. @ paintponylvr, I didn't even think about adding a tree myself. It shouldn't be hard to do since I live next door to a welding shop. $30 for a steel single tree and $10 for welding and I'd really have something I think. I have decided to go out and take a look at the cart at least. There is a restaurant out that way that we love but don't get to eat at very often and also the "country boy store" that my son loves to go to so we'll just make a day out of it. I can't afford a hyperbike right now so this may be my lightweight option until I've saved enough pennies for the brand name.

 

[MajorClementine]

She just sent me a picture close up.the shafts do have trace hooks on them just in front of the foot rests.

 

[MajorClementine]

Okay sorry for the multiple posts. Here is the pic she sent me this evening. So it looks like (to me anyway) that these would be trace hooks. So, like when Clementine was in training, I would use her regular harness with out the breeching. The price is right so I think I'm going to go get it and try it out. I may decide to add a tree later on if we have problems with shoulder rubbing from the harness.

Is it possible/safe to weld loops onto the shafts for her breeching should I want to use this on slightly hilly terrain? Or would I be better off to use thimbles?

 

[paintponylvr]

Since the shafts on our cart are wood, we added the footman's loops for the the hold back straps and the tug stops for the wrap straps at the saddle.

If you have a welding shop, don't see why they could weld on a little footman's loop on each side for the hold back straps.

**********

Here is my sulky before it was refurbished. The "trace nubs" are on the shafts right in front of the circle bar and the dash screen.

Here is a pic of Flower. We are "test driving" the new harness and the cart. I totally didn't realize until I put the harness on her that I didn't have hold back straps on my new harness! I'd gotten custom breast collar, custom work (buckles put in instead of conways) on the harness and the headstall/lines and forgot that a lot of Amish harnesses don't come with hold back straps

. You can see both the single tree (sort of) and the footman's loop (right in front of her flank and the breeching ring). **adding pic, forgot ***

I wish I had had the screen dash replaced, too! Didn't even think about it...

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Have you checked the pressure on your horse backs? I think sulkies need to be tilted up more, not level like carts. Maybe it is just mine?

 

[MajorClementine]

Thanks for the pics. I totally forgot I can get bolt on footman loops. Weld or bolt on I think either would work. I'm really getting excited about this little sulky cart. Have you noticed a big difference in the comfort for your horse after you added the tree to your sulky? And is the harness in your first picture one you braided?

I'm guessing that the level of the shafts would depend on how far forward or back the seat is wouldn't it? A more forward seat would need the shafts raised up and a farther back seat would make the shafts more level?

My mother got me a surprise Spa Day tomorrow so I'm actually going to get my sulky on Wed. You know I'm going to have to try it out first thing Thursday so I'll post pics!

 

[paintponylvr]

Thanks for the pics. I totally forgot I can get bolt on footman loops. Weld or bolt on I think either would work. I'm really getting excited about this little sulky cart.

Have you noticed a big difference in the comfort for your horse after you added the tree to your sulky? YES And is the harness in your first picture one you braided? YES

I'm guessing that the level of the shafts would depend on how far forward or back the seat is wouldn't it? A more forward seat would need the shafts raised up and a farther back seat would make the shafts more level? I think so, but I also found when it was hooked to the larger Hackney mare it was automatically raised higher. When I had it refurbished, I also got larger wheels and that affects the height of the shafts as well.

My mother got me a surprise Spa Day tomorrow I"M SO JEALOUS!! Hope you enjoyed your day!! so I'm actually going to get my sulky on Wed. You know I'm going to have to try it out first thing Thursday so I'll post pics! Looking forward to it.