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Bouncing cart????

13K views 38 replies 9 participants last post by  Horseychick94 
#1 ·
I drive my mini mare, Ruby and every time she goes out in her cart, especially while trotting, the cart bounces all over the place. We got the cart for free. It was used on a fjord but we got the shafts bent in to fit Ruby. Why is this happening?
 
#8 ·
My cart is really bouncy when I'm in it alone. Rides fine when I have more weight/a passenger in it. (not really what you want to do driving a mini, I'm just saying.. I know the feeling of a bouncy cart.)

I also think it's strange that you can fit a horse cart to a mini. Do you have pictures?
 
#16 ·
Please read what CheyAut has said. She raises minis and drives them competitively - in short, she knows her stuff. As she has said, your cart is not designed for use with a mini. No amount of retrofitting is going to change that fact. Your horse is best served by using equipment that is meant for use with her.
 
#19 ·
You are going to get a bounce with all carts. Depending on the horse their action and how you are harnessed it's hard to say without a photo.Does the cart have springs? Shaft loops secured down could be one problem. Shafts to high or to low another.
With a four wheeled vehicle you don't get a bounce because the shafts connect to the axle and shafts are able to move up and down without carrying the bounce to the carriage.
 
#22 ·
Here are some pics my mom took today! Opinions pls! My papa moved the seat back (the seat we didn't know was adjustable!!!!!) and it seemed a lot better :D Please excuse my ugliness and fatness:oops:
 

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#36 ·
I wouldn't say smaller wheels, that is actually harder on a horse to pull.

Have soemone hold the shafts at the level they're at on your horse while you sit in it. If you sitting on it puts weight into the shafts, the cart isn't balanced right for the horse. But the seat is behind the axel, which should shift the weight OFF the shafts, so to me it looks like it's ok, but the only way to know is having someone hold the shafts at that level to check ;)
 
#38 ·
Aside from the cart being not the right size for a mini it sounds like it is not balanced. If the seat is too far back the shafts will lift in the shaft loops allowing the shafts to bounce up and down it the seat is too far forward too much weight will be applied to the saddle and horses back. When you are in the cart and another person picks up the shafts to driving height there should be no more than 10 pounds of weight on the shafts. Also the ends of your shafts should not protrude beyond the point of the shoulder of your horse. If your shafts are too long it could change the balance of your cart.
 
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