Metal jog cart

[shakeytails]

So several years ago I bought this metal jog cart. Well, DH did (and DH has not been allowed on eBay since!) It’s a regular jog cart, not an easy entry type. It might be a Jerald, I’m too lazy right now to go look.

I have this horse I just brought home from the trainers. He was supposed to be my 5-gaited pleasure horse, but he’s squirrelly under saddle. Loves to drive, though! I was thinking about dusting off the cart, replacing the tires and learning how to drive. You would think that owning ASBs I would know how, but I’m not crazy about it so never drove enough to be truly comfortable with it. The horse would make an awesome Country Pleasure driving horse so it’s about time I learned how. I’ve got a show harness (too scuffed up to show in) that I figure I’ll use. I’ll just have a friend come over and adjust everything correctly and get me started.

So, is there really any difference between wood and metal shafts, other than the metal being a little thinner? And will regular wheels hold up to driving around the hayfield, or should I think about motorcycle tires? If so, where can I get them at a decent price?

Oh, and what do you all think about snap-on tugs and such, maybe in beta-biothane? I have a very nice LaSalle bitting rig I use to long line. I could add a few parts and use it to drive in- probably tougher than a show harness!

[D1nOnlyRocketPony]

From another ASB person who just got a metal buggy and always had wood - you will notice when you “tie down” the shafts don’t give nearly as much as wood. Kind of obvious when you think about it, but my wooden ones always gave quite a bit, and it was a surprise to me the difference at how solid the metal ones are. I ordered GREAT wide (motorcycle) tires from Pennsbury. Fit both the Jerald (metal) and houghton (wood) just fine. Also hold up much better as we tend to jog on trails/dirt roads.

Snap on tugs are just fine, use them everyday. I got a WONDERFUL work harness/long lining surcingle (and bought 4 more after the first!)combo from Wayne Walters - I cannot speak highly enough about his stuff. (you might be able to just oredr tugs, tie downs and a breast collar instead of a whole setup, but I recommend the whole setup!)For years we’ve put it through Hades and it still looks like the high quality work harness it is. And one HECK of a lot cheaper than World Champion/La Salle/Walsh, etc. You can pm me for his number, I believe I have it. Good luck and enjoy your boy!

[D1nOnlyRocketPony]

and forgot to mention, there is a lady that visits shows here in NC that re-does older show harnesses - replaces all cracked leather and patent, she can fix anything and make it look like new (was thinking of your older harness). She is from Canada but I think I could get you her number as well if you’d like. She was extremely reasonable for some repairs she did for me.

[horsegeeks]

I started driving in just the type of cart you’re talking about. It worked just fine on flat terrain. In the ring, on dirt roads, and “tractor trails”. Jerald is a good manufacturer and as long as you stay on that type of terrain those wheels should be fine. However, if you start going on any rougher terrain you need to replace the cart. When you start upgrading, you frequently end up spending more money … endlessly.

When I got interested in cross country driving, I sold my jog cart and replaced it with a wooden wheeled road cart. My original cart never gave me any trouble … but I was convinced it was going to if I drove it in rougher terrain.

If you start with your bitting rig and add parts you’ll probably end up spending more in parts than buying a harness … parts are amazingly expensive. Plus, I’d worry about the padding on even a LaSalle bitting rig “saddle” not being good enough to hold up driving.

I had a show harness … rolled traces and all. I would NEVER recommend using that outside of the ring. Its not designed to handle anything except a flat surface. Also, the really fine leather would not be comfortable for your horse once you leave the ring.

Sorry to advise you to spend money, but I believe you and your horse will be happier in the long run.

[Renae]

A metal jog cart is probably a Pennsbury. I would order inner tubes and tires if you need them from them.

I would order the tugs, tie down, traces and breast collar from LaSalle or Terry Bennett and use the surcingle you have for jogging. I prefer the quick hitch French style tugs and tie down for jogging horses versus separate tugs and a wrap strap tie dow.

Kathy St.Croix is the repairwoman the other poster was talking about.

[buck22]

I started driving my Morgan in a aluminum Pennsbury jog cart. My morgan was supposed to be my riding horse, but turned out he had a bad back. He had a really awful past, a lot of undesirable habits, and it was very questionable if he’d ever make it as a safe driving animal. I didn’t want to get up to my eyeballs in debt buying new driving equipment as I was pretty convinced he wouldn’t work out.

As it happens I came across the jog cart, and I came across a nice marathon harness, so I put it together and it served well. Served very well indeed for the two of us as we had a very rocky start and the jog cart was light and easy to pick up and reposition, etc., and didn’t tax him too much right off the bat, and the marathon harness was nice and sturdy and withstood his antics.

The jog cart I have doesn’t have a single tree. I rigged up something with shackles for the traces, and it held fine, but if I ever put the jog cart to use again, it needs a single tree.

I was terribly risky in my jog cart and went off adventuring in it. I have a very daring friend that got me started driving, she will proudly tell you she has broken most bones in her body, and most of it from driving not riding. SHE was admonishing me that I was being too risky in the cart :lol: Now that I’m wiser, I look back on what I did and shake my head.

It really isn’t meant for anything other than a nice big flat groomed surface, like a jog track or large maintained arena. The smallest rut, root or rock will bounce you out of the seat. Combine that with squirrely horse that might be trying to scoot on you and you can get catapulted right out right quick. If you encounter tractor ruts or rocks, etc, in your hayfield you could get bounced right out.

My jog cart also taught me three very bad habits that are plaguing me now in my 4 wheeler. One, I lean forward, bad. The jog cart seat has no back, so to adopt a proper position, you need to use your ab muscles to hold you up, I’m fat and out of shape since stopping riding :lol: so I leaned forward, and now in my 4wheeler I slouch forward. Two, I became terrible with my hands. In the jog cart you are looking up at your horse’s rump, its hard with a green driver with a green horse keeping your hands in a proper position when you feel like your message isn’t getting through. I ended up lifting my hands up, contorting them, swinging them around and now I’m forever trying to break this bad habit. And three, I had a really hard time learning how to hold and use a whip properly seated so low.

Having said all that, I love my jog cart. I love driving in it, I love how free and simple it is, and I loved letting my horse move out in it and feeling like I was gliding along with the wind. For my purposes and circumstance at the time, it was the perfect vehicle for us to get started in. Just be more sensible than me, I’m really lucky I didn’t get hurt bad.

[winfieldfarm]

Buck22 is spot on in her evaluation of jog carts. And I say that coming from the Arab world where our pleasure driving horses also use this type of cart. This cart is not sprung or balanced to go cross country. You will get hurt and your horse will have a very bad experience if you venture off the beaten path. These carts are not meant for anything else but to give a driver a place to sit behind a beautifully moving show horse. Even if you use breecing harness, you are at too many disadvantages in this cart for anything other than flat ground driving.

The only time I even use mine are for the first hitch or two. - if horse has a wingding it’s a light easily replacable vehicle that I can get out of quickly in the moment. I also use it for my seasoned driving horses to jog them in while pulling a light light light homemade wire drag in the indoor to smooth the surface of the sand and give horsey a little weight resistance for strength training.

And yes, once you drive in a properly balanced and appropriately high vehicle, you won’t ever enjoy sitting like an anchor down below and behind your horses hiney. Again, disadvantage. YOur back will ache, you will have to lean around the horse for a clear view, and your whip is useless because you can’t give proper lash cues without bopping the horse with the shaft of the whip.

Keep the cart but consider getting a sturdy well built easy entry or a true carriage. You and your horse will enjoy driving outside your arena much better.

[shakeytails]

Thanks everybody. Renae, I was eye-balling those Tillsbury tugs- easier and not any more money than regular tugs and wrap strap.

Just in case anybody’s wondering- I don’t intend to take this horse off on dirt trails or anything! The hayfield is mostly flat and smooth, especially around the outside edges. He’s been driven plenty outside in big open areas and he’s not at all silly in harness. He’s kinda funny- if I’m long lining him in circles he’ll act goofy at times, but the minute I have a line on either side of his butt and I’m standing directly behind him he ceases silliness. He’s still game and wants to go, but no bucking, leaping or crowhopping.

[winfieldfarm]

Shakey, just be careful out in the field! One groundhog hole and you could have a mighty wreck. Have fun driving but please be careful!!

I just reworked an Amish kids pony for an older client. He’s always been checked up and driven with very little contact. Long lining him without a check until the correct shafts came for the cart was tough. He JUST DIDN’T GET IT! He couldn’t figure out why I was over there and he was over here! We kept at it for several weeks until he tolerated it somewhat. Once the shafts came and he was hitched, he took a deep breath and felt more comfy in the cart. still had to work on contact without argueing and flipping his head but now he’s happy and fun to drive. So I understand a horse whose tolerance of various training setups can make no sense at all.

[buck22]

[QUOTE=winfieldfarm;6224437]
Shakey, just be careful out in the field! One groundhog hole and you could have a mighty wreck. Have fun driving but please be careful!![/QUOTE]

must echo this. You might think, oh if something comes up I’ll just steer out of the way, etc. but you really can’t see much, and when you’re going at a speed where it really matters (good trot), you won’t have time to steer out of the way :lol: Really, ask me how I know, well actually don’t because then I’d be revealing a lot of dumb things I did… but suffice it to say I drove wearing leather full seat breeches so my butt stuck to the vinyl seat better and I didn’t go airborne quite as much, and I would curl my toes around the sides of the stirrups to keep me locked in better. Not advised!!! I got lucky I never got hurt.

A branch the size you would play fetch with, or a rock not much bigger than a pack of cigarettes is enough for you to loose control over if the circumstance is just right.

Safely done, it is fun as heck though.

[Zu_Zu]

DAVID LASALLE FOR PARTS AND ENJOY !

DAVID LASALLE FOR ADDITONAL PARTS :yes:[/B] [B][/B] [B]SAFE DRIVING REQUIRES A GROOMED DRIVING PATH WHETHER A RING OR BRIDLE PATH THROUGH THE WOODS.

ONE MUST WALK THE DRVING PATH AND ‘GROOM’ SAID PATH TO ENSURE SAFETY ```

ENJOY !!! :D:yes:

[emgjoker]

I agree…go to LaSalle for either a work harness or parts. Our bitting rig backpads are our harness backpads…and our long lining backpads. All the same, nice and comfy for the horse, and they last FOREVER! Some of ours are over 20 yrs old and are used every day 6,8,10 times a day. They are well worth the $ and sell quickly if you decide to sell it later on. We keep the traces on the cart. Tugs on the harness, tie down separate and with cart.
Make sure someone helps you to adjust the bridle so your blinders are correct and your horse isn’t going to catch a glimpse of you:) Make sure you have plenty of help there the first few times you hook your horse, be careful, and have fun! Driving is a blast!!

[red_mares]

[QUOTE=shakeytails;6223776]

Oh, and what do you all think about snap-on tugs and such, maybe in beta-biothane? I have a very nice LaSalle bitting rig I use to long line. I could add a few parts and use it to drive in- probably tougher than a show harness![/QUOTE]

I have the World Champion version of this and it was a great investment. It is MUCH, MUCH tougher than show harness. Mine has been through a wreck and came out with very little damage. My really rough-on-harness mare couldn’t break it, and she tried. I love it for day to day driving.

I kept the traces on the cart too, having them snap at the shoulder made hooking much easier when hooking a horse solo. I used to on the manure spreader path in the back field and never had a problem.

Have fun. You can always put an orange triangle on the back & hit the road. My ex-show horse loves it, and she’s a bit squirrelly under saddle too.

[shakeytails]

@red mares;6226342

I have the World Champion version of this and it was a great investment. It is MUCH, MUCH tougher than show harness. Mine has been through a wreck and came out with very little damage. My really rough-on-harness mare couldn’t break it, and she tried. I love it for day to day driving.

I kept the traces on the cart too, having them snap at the shoulder made hooking much easier when hooking a horse solo. I used to on the manure spreader path in the back field and never had a problem.

Good to know the World Champion stuff is decent. And they have the parts I need, though I didn’t see traces in the “parts” list. I guess I’ll just have to call Chuck and see what’s what. I hate to buy a whole new harness since I don’t need a bridle or lines

Have fun. You can always put an orange triangle on the back & hit the road. My ex-show horse loves it, and she’s a bit squirrelly under saddle too.

LOL, I don’t think so! This horse has never been to a horse show ('cept when he was a weanling), and he’s one I didn’t have my Amish dude start so he hasn’t seen enough to deal with the occasional idiot on the road. And somehow I think my farrier would give me the hairy eyeball if I asked him to put drill-tek on show shoes!

[red_mares]

[QUOTE=shakeytails;6226617]

LOL, I don’t think so! This horse has never been to a horse show ('cept when he was a weanling), and he’s one I didn’t have my Amish dude start so he hasn’t seen enough to deal with the occasional idiot on the road.![/QUOTE]

My road warrior was so nuts as youngster, they (the pros who raised her) couldn’t get her hooked (successfully) I sent her to an Amish guy at 10 and she took to it like a duck to water. Except for 10 speeds; Harleys are fine. Go figure

And somehow I think my farrier would give me the hairy eyeball if I asked him to put drill-tek on show shoes!

My show trainer is subcontracting with an Amish guy to get my big mare driving again. Last time I was down there, he & the blacksmith were talking about pulling her shoes, they just looked at me when I reminded them put to borium on her plates.:lol: