Some years back, there was a dedicated search by Barb Lee, of the harnessing and draught book fame, to find a “balanced” cart with constantly floating shafts. She was being heavily influenced by an Australian and his talking of the “perfect float” at all times, ideas. She modified her personal cart, and put on stuff no one else would use to get the float she wanted. I was on a Forum with her, heard and saw photos of her successes and failures, in getting her horse to work in this vehicle. Barb was a harness builder at the time, tried lots of modifications with harness, line of draught, all trying to get her particular horse happy in driving. He had issues of many types. She also was developing a lot of the ideas for what turned into her book.
She did some things like sliding seats on the cart, so passengers could modify the balance to suit the ground. Barb is big into LONG drives and 20 miles is not uncommon in the Parks and back country roads in her State. Lots of mountains, rough ground, so horse is WORKING and needs to be comfortable and unsore.
She did get the “float” in shafts a lot of the time, but having float all the time is impossible. One thing came up after she said how well she was doing, was the KIND of tug loops. I had to ask MANY questions to get that basic information exposed, because it was the key to her success and other folks inability to copy her. Her tug loops were modified, not what you get at any American shops. The Australian version is very elongated, 6" or more, which does allow a LOT of space for shaft float, in even bouncy moving horses. Her Morgan had a lot of vertical motion, so these modified tug loops were extremely helpful in her goal of floating shafts.
I have come to the conclusion that there is not going to be float 100% of the time, just physically impossible in all situations. Kind of the “Great Myth of Floating Shafts” that is promoted, but not achievable in real life all the time. You try, but don’t kick yourself if you don’t have float all the drive, especially if you are out on the roads and tracks having fun. Float is a goal, you just work on it, praise your horse when you get it during the drives.
We have gotten some 2-wheel vehicles with good floating action. Much of the ride can depend on the horse and his action, the ground you drive on, road surface, passengers. We definately work to make the vehicles balanced when hitched, so horse has little weight when the shafts come down. There is always some extra weight on shafts when people get in and out. Horse has to tolerate that well, stand quietly, not every person can quickly leap into the seat. Good training to wait for commands is your best tool here.
Design is a huge factor, getting the pivot point of axle correctly placed. In the past the crank where seat/body was moved, greatly helped balance the vehicles.
If I had to choose, I also would go with 4-wheels. The ride is better, more stable, little or no bounce. With independent shafts, no horse gait will influence the ride. Husband can’t tolerate the bounce of 2-wheelers, actually painful. We use the carts a few times on a flat, groomed surface with a new driving horse, then change to the light 4-wheeler. He is experienced as a driver, training new driving horses, his horse is ready for the change, so we don’t have problems.
I would NEVER advise a new driver or others training a young horse to drive, to start with 4-wheelers. Totally unsafe with no experience driving.
2-wheelers have a lot of good things about them. Just not what makes us happy here. We only have the two carts for breaking horses, one a racetrack jog bike, the other a nice Road Cart, 54" wheels, never use them at other times.
We like the ride of 4-wheelers, both hard springs of modern and the soft sway (grampa cars) of antiques.
