Sulky style cart balance question

[RhineStone]

One thing that came to mind, I don't have a singletree, just metal juts that I slip my traces over. Could the lack of movement there cause some of the movement in the shafts as the horse trots?

By all means!

 

[susanne]

If you recall with your EE cart (assuming it had a singletree), when your horse would trot, the singletree would move back and forth along in time with your horse's shoulders. That same rhythmic movement is now being transferred to your cart without benefit of a moving part.

Keep in mind, too, that lack of a singletree means uncomfortable rubbing for your horse's shoulders and chest.

 

[shelterwood]

Aha! Well, I have always driven in carts with singletrees, so that must be part of it then. You guys must think I'm an idiot! On a positive note, at least all I've been doing with this sulky is short, slow training drives on level terrain. All this tells me is that I simply need to make the investment in good equipment, which I knew all along. Do most sulky style carts and jog carts have singletrees? I thought that perhaps the fixed trace holders were unique to this style cart.

Katie

 

[RhineStone]

I don't think the lack of a singletree has anything to do with the style of the cart, only the expense of it. It costs more to put a singletree on. (Ironically, it is not that much....and I can't understand why some builders even build them that way considering the discomfort for the horse, like Susanne said.)

Myrna

 

[hobbyhorse23]

I believe it actually is something to do with the style of the cart- sulkies are the only type I've ever seen that routinely can be found without singletrees. (Yes, quality sulkies have them. Cheap carts of other kinds sometimes don't. But generally speaking, cheap sulkies are the most likely to come without them in my experience.) And yes, not having one might be contributing to your bounce. I drove my Hyperbike without a singletree for many years and was always hypervigilant about my horse's shoulders as I was concerned there would be soring but it never seemed to bother him no matter what kind of breastcollar I used. The cart was so light it simply wouldn't gall! I did eventually decide to press Bob to add one (which he graciously did) and it smoothed the ride cross-country by absorbing jounces and "oofs" from hitting bumps before they could be transmitted to the horse's shoulders but it had no effect on whether the shafts bounced in the tugs.

Many, many show carts come with the singletree so restricted it might as well not be there. Mine could barely move! I had to unstaple the restraining straps it came with, let them out, oil the singletree, then restaple them with enough slack to allow actual movement. I noticed a large improvement in my horse's stride after doing so as he was finally able to move his shoulders. He could stride out in the 30lb Hyperbike okay but a 76lb show cart with effectively no singletree was a different matter. I can't imagine asking him to pull something heavier without a singletree.

Leia

 

[susanne]

I called once about a homemade EE cart on Craigslist. It looked nice, but I noticed it had no singletree. The woman informed me that mini carts NEVER have singletrees, as nobody ever drives minis more than around the yard.

Guess who did NOT buy that cart?

 

[shelterwood]

Thanks everyone!

Yes, as I said this is a cheap sulky, although solid, and I do think it is rather old. That being said, it is light, maybe 40lbs, and my mares seem to have no trouble pulling it. However, I am only using it for training this year, so we have mostly been walking, with just a small amount of trotting, on even ground, so I have not seen any adverse effects from the lack of movement such as galling or soreness.

Leia, the singletree on my EE cart was the exact same way! I thought "what is the point of this, it hardly moves". I also took it all apart and oiled and replaced much less tight, and it worked so much better. Now if only my mares would have fit in that cart, we wouldn't be having this conversation!!

Katie

 

[shelterwood]

Well, I've figured out of to post pictures from my cell phone, so I snapped a quick one of my sulky and will get one of my mare hitched later. Just trying to figure this out first!!

Katie