The new to me cart :D and a couple questions.

[KLJcowgirl]

Hello all!

I guess I can post this in this section...

I just wanted to share a picture of my newest piece of horse equipment. My family and I took a lovely weekend to go stay with my mother's brother. He had offered this cart to me to use when I first got my little Miss, but we've never been able to meet up. He got it when a friend of his moved and couldn't take his mini with him. I remember seeing that horse once, it was a cute little black stallion. It died before he had a chance to ever hook it up and drive. In the pictures he sent me, it looked like quite a fixer upper, but when we got there it was a different story!



It was of course covered in a thick layer of dust and a few bird poops from sitting in a barn for years. But hosed off and cleaned up it looks quite purdy. The tires were flat, but airing them up has worked so far. The seat has a few tiny holes along the top edge and bottom edge, but nothing huge. The shafts are a bit scratched up, but nothing a touch of paint won't fix. It's also missing an end cap on the left shaft, but again, easy fix.

He also sent me with a harness as well. I'm very grateful for that as Miss May is a little rounder this spring and I haven't been able to do up her girth. I did order a new one, but it's not here yet. But with this other harness, I can get her started driving again and ready to hook up! I did ground drive her last night, and she threw a fit for a moment, but quickly got back into the groove, so hopefully soon!

I do have a couple questions about this new to me harness and bridle, as it's a bit different than the one I have, but I'll get to those later.

And I'm sure I will have quite a few questions about the cart and hooking up once I get to that point.

But for now... Is there something I can do to keep those little holes in the seat from getting bigger? The vinyl it's self is in good condition, so I'm not ready to re-do the seat just yet. Plus it is an absolutely gorgeous burgundy, that picture doesn't do it justice.

And what is the best way to store it? I can't get it into the barn, it's too wide for the doors, (I wouldn't have room in there right now anyways haha). And my mother in law just needs one more thing to take up room in her shed and garage.

Right now I have it in her yard with a outdoor protective tarp covering it. Will that work? Would a cart cover be better? Any recommendations if so?

Thank you!

 

[Cayuse]

Congratulations on the cart! If you are handy and have a heavier sewing machine you can make a cart cover. My husband just made me one out of some tarp material. Not the blue plastic tarp, but one that is a little more tightly woven. He put Velcro on the end to close it. It looks like a triangle shaped envelope and slips over the shaft and pulls over the seat and wheels and Velcros shut behind the seat. It is not fancy, but functional.

If he was not able to make one I was going to buy one as my cart has to stay outside all summer.

We must have the same doors!

 

[jeanniecogan]

i have a pretty large barn, and keeep my cart inside. however it is dirty, no matter what. i have to clean it each time i use it. so i think a cover is a must, inside or out.

about your seat, if they are truly just pin holes, you could try some glue, just to cover the pin holes, and let it dry very well.

oh, i am trying to build a small carriage house in the barn. i have 2 small wagons and my cart. if i stand up the cart i can fit them all in an 8x8 foot.. keeping it dry is the most important , we can always wipe the dust off.

i think your cart is very nice looking, the tires should last forever, you might want to replace the inner tubes., just for safety and well being of your tires. hope you have a lot of fun with your cart.

 

[KLJcowgirl]

Thanks guys. I did find a tear mender glue and tried it out. Turns out a couple of the tears are a bit bigger than I thought, but I still glued them, probably won't hold up. It did work awesome on the tinier holes though.

The tarp I have on it is actually an old pop up shade cover... I think that would make a nice cover. Maybe I can coerce my mother into a little project haha I am NOT a sewer.