This winter I started taking driving lessons. Saturday I drove my own horse for the first time. And surprise! My instructor had a lead on a road cart and harness for my horse. I’m picking it up this weekend.
My question: what’s the best way to transport this? I’m pretty darn green with driving. I own a small easy entry cart for my donkey that is super light and easy to throw in my truck. But this is larger and wood. Should I bring my stock trailer?
This is what I do. I have carried a wood wheel cart like this, but it was on a heavy Ford Taurus. If you can’t take the basket off, load it on the trunk with the shafts pointing forward.
If you have a pick-up & some ramps that should be fine. Bring some old towels for padding and plenty of rope.
Red Mares That method of cart hauling is even more exciting than some stuff we have done or seen in the past!!
OP, you probably should get the wheel width, plus hub width if they stick out past the wheels, before doing anything. Wheel width needs to be more narrow that bed of truck so they fit. Using a trailer, hubs and wheels need to fit thru the rear door opening. Older carts usually have older style hubs that protrude out past the wheel rims, adding to the width. 2-wheelers tend to have wider axles/bodies for stability, than 4-wheelers. Low riding carts like Red Mares shows, are not as extremely wide, low center of gravity helps keep the wheels on the ground.
In a pickup, you can put pool noodles over the shafts, rest them on the truck cab. Then tie shafts down with RACHET straps to the bed. Block wheels to prevent them moving during travel. Bungies WILL fail during a haul, so they are a bad choice for tying shafts down. Bungies work for tying down folding seat backs, so they are not bouncing up and down in travel. If you plan to haul cart in truck often, making a wood frame behind cab is a good idea. Two boards upright in the front box pockets, with a cross piece firmly attached is a common method. Cross piece is slightly higher than cab roof to prevent rubbing the roof paint off. A winch in the bed and ramps for the wheels are extremely helpful in getting cart up there by yourself.
Hauling in a stock trailer is a good method too. We have a trailer ramp, so cart rolls in with one person pulling, another person pushing. This is a big-wheeled wooden cart, long shafts. Solid for only one person alone. Though I DID teach the little kids how to block wheels while I got a breath and another hold for pulling! Ha ha We wrapped shafts again, ran the tips up over the center gate and tied them down. Blocked the wheels on both sides, no rolling back and forth. Rings in the floor, under mats, let us rachet strap body down. You want to slightly compress springs down (not a lot, but some) so cart can’t get to bouncing high during travel. You may want to put a block between wheel on floor and trailer wall, to prevent rubbing (paint removal) on wall if cart does move over en route on rough roads.
Lol @red_mares! Luckily I have some larger options.
Thank you both for the advice! I have plenty of ratchet straps. Pool noodles are a great idea.
Neither my stock trailer nor my pickup have a ramp, will some planks of wood work? (Dumb question)
We have transported mine once by flatbed and once in my two horse slant load. When it goes in the trailer, we have to remove the shafts for it to fit but it’s not a big deal.
I have yet to attempt to put it in the bed of the pickup and just drive at home. I’d need a crew to take it and the pony anywhere 
Folding ramps on Amazon are typically very affordable. Mine live in the bed of my truck all winter while I’m transporting my marathon vehicle back and forth to competitions and clinics and store under the carriage during transport.
I also have a hand held battery operated warn winch that I use to load the marathon vehicle (bed of the truck) and presentation vehicle (trailer) by myself. It wasn’t cheap except when you consider it is worth it’s weight in gold
Like most things, it’s not exciting if you do it right! It only takes 4 ropes. I have confused more than one mechanic because I’ve got a carbiner on each of the tow hooks in front and a couple schackles up under the bumper. Those paired with a Yak Rack and I carry almost anything, going 75 on an interstate. I can load & unload a cart on the hood by myself. If it’s on the trunk, I need one other person.
For the real Beverly Hillbillies look, you should see it with two of them on the car at once. 
And, no I have never been ticketed or pulled over and plenty of cops have had the opportunity.
I find it easy to just pick up the cart (by the spokes) and sort of roll it into the stock trailer. But you need three people for this; one on each wheel and someone holding the shafts.
Surely your trainer has a way to bring home the cart if you can’t?? But your stock trailer should be fine.
They are too impressed to pull you over. 
I’m sure she could, but it’s pretty far away and we are both really busy people. That would add an extra element of complexity that no one wants to deal with right now. 
It will absolutely fit in both… it’s just a matter of how to do it! It’s much bigger than anything I’ve ever transported on my own.
I am feeling a lot more confident after starting this thread. I think I will bring the stock trailer; the lower entry makes me a lot more confident I will be able to get it inside.
I don’t think this was mentioned. Take some polo wraps with you. They are great for wrapping up cart parts.
All of the methods mentioned would work - in bed of truck - stock trailer - or even on top of a professional horse van. Just a quick lifting up • one person in front with shafts and one on each wheel ~ wrap shafts /raise them and secure off the floor - secure wheels and head home !
My carts have traveled in all the listed ways at one time or another … don’t worry just secure it !
ENJOY !!!
Unless it’s predicted to snow or rain - I’d go the easiest way - lifted into the back of your pickup truck. Secure it • that’s the main thing !
Gloves ! And extra - bath towels or ??? To wrap shafts (preventing shaft damage and or truck )
Extra soft ropes / thick lead lines - - bungee cords - snaps * DUCT TAPE TO SECURE THE WRAPPING ON SHAFTS - just a bag of extra securing items just in case you need them.
Don’t forget a small bag of the best snacks to hand to your helpers for a job well done ! Think gummie bears; chocolate bars; beef jerky/ wet towelette too and a frosty bottle of water !
A fun trip/ assignment ~ such delight in bringing one’s new jog cart home ! * no matter how many jog carts one buys ~ always great !
Electrical tape is better than duct tape. It doesn’t leave the nasty residue duct tape does.
Duct tape for wrapping towels on the shafts only - I don’t want any tape * duct tape nor electrical tape on my bare shafts - all tapes leave residue and will ruin paint !
Tape goes around the towels - does Not touch the cart shafts !
The cart made it home!
I used my stock trailer and it takes up the whole thing. I’m going to have to get creative when it comes time to show!
Great !!! ? Purchase protective covers and put it in the back of the truck bed on its wheels / shafts up towards the top of the truck cab hood ?! … works with most trucks.
can you install a roof rack on the trailer?
I worked for a saddlehorse farm that showed several horses in harness, we transported the carts on the roof of the trailer
A road cart would be too heavy for the top of trailer. Besides, it would take 3 men & a boy to get it up there.
Horse size Road Cart on trailer roof, would also likely be too tall for bridges and overpasses with the bigger wood wheels. Most have between 40 to 54 inch tall wheels, plus cart body is high enough to see over horse, look ahead when hitched.
Saddlebred, Morgan, Arab, Western breeds use carts with smaller wheels with tires, single person, low seating on the body. So those type carts, very light weight as pictured in Red Mares photo, can fit on trailer top with few issues.
There are some welders who have created an extra gate frame, using trailer back door hinges to hang it from. Gate is outside the trailer, behind rear door/ramps. Cart is supported on the gate, fastened in place, shafts up, for hauling. Gates I have seen photos of had smaller wooden Meadowbrook or Road Carts, used with Arabs, big ponies or minis.
Not seen any big Road Carts like used with draft horses on a back gate. Those big carts have long shafts, 84-96 inches plus cart body for a full length, along with the big wood wheels, 54-56 inches tall. Those long shafts might catch a lower bridge or walkway! Lot of weight too, for lifting and hanging it on the gate frame. We back the big cart into rear of stock trailer, block and tie it down, close the back door with shafts sticking out above the locked rear door for hauling. Tie the padded shafts down from the outside.
The cart is so heavy that two of us could barely roll it up into the trailer! The roof is definitely a no go.
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
