Vanderveen carts

[Abby P]

Can anyone who owns or has used one say a few words? How do they compare to the Hyperbike or KBike in terms of dimensions, feel, etc.? I had a Hyperbike and had a devil of a time fitting the shafts properly to my larger mini, and also due to the very wide wheel base and shaft style, there was a lot of "bump steer" on uneven ground. I have a Kingston EE now which is OK to get along with but always looking for something life-changing.

And I guess more importantly, are they still being made? Web site and Facebook seem to be current but not 100% sure. Thanks!

 

[Standards Equine]

I have a friend who has a Vanderveen and adores it. Currently he has my k-cart to start his 2 minis in because a Vanderveen is not ideal for starting drives… I’ll ask him his thoughts about fitting.

 

[Standards Equine]

He reported back that the Vanderveen ride is smooth and has been simple to balance on small and tall. Mindy from Chimacum has a good video on YouTube.

 

[Abby P]

Thanks! I'd be interested to know how wide the wheel base is. I think part of the issue with the wide (48") wheel base on the Hyperbike was the fact that the shafts didn't fit Rowan - they were way way too long and so every time one wheel went over a high or low spot Rowan got shoved by the shaft. Might not be such an issue with the marathon-style shafts though.

 

[Standards Equine]

That's a big reason why I got a K-cart. The shafts are curved and adjustable. I'm not sure how Vanderveen shafts would do bent for a more slight animal as opposed to stout. I have several different animals I use mine on, it's the #1 for starting first drives. Matter of fact, I'm considering another small pony now to have as a resale project. The K-cart will be his first vehicle too.

 

[Abby P]

Those look attractive as well, I'm just not sure how available they are in the US at the moment! Realistically this is not an immediate thing for me anyway.