Well, many years ago we had the pleasure of having Teddy Williams, who had been the coach driver/trainer for the Brady family who owned Hamilton Farms (USET), give color commentary on the turnouts during cones at the earlier Gladstone Driving Event. He was calling anything 2-wheeled that was NOT a Park Gate Gig, a Roadcart
Hence a meadowbrook, IS a roadcart, but of a specific design
Now, however, people call rear entry/flip seat carts Meadowbrooks and front or rear entry using an additional metal step or axle step a road cart. Another collective difference is that Meadowbrook springs are usually parallel to the shafts - one on each side, while road carts may have a single spring perpindicular to the shafts, above the axle.
Many people call Meadowbrook type carts “death traps” because you sit IN the cart, surrounded by the shafts. The theory is that you cannot get OUT of them fast if there is need.
Conversely they like the roadcart design that you have to swing between the wheel and seat to get in or step up in front of the wheel to get in.
Admitting that I have my own prejudice here, but. . . I find the road cart design just as unsafe for easy egress as the meadowbrook design
In either case you are bailing out and at risk. Better to not have to bail in the first place
Most of the road cart designs sit you a tad higher than the meadowbrook types. But an interesting thing we have noted in the recent years is that the meadowbrook carts are actually lighter and balance better (lighter weight in the shafts) than many of the roadcart designs. This is said from helping haul around dozens of the carts of both designs
To this point, Our BO has a Spinner and a Mill Run Roadcart while we have a Carriage Machine Shop “marathon cart/meadowbrook type” Hers are large pony and ours is large horse (not draft) Everyone who moves them around in the storage area has commented on how much lighter and easier to move our cart is than hers - and many of the people moving the carts are NOT carriage people. They expect - from the size - that ours would be the heavier
Inherently, due to 2-wheels, there is some instability in both cart types compared to 4-wheels with a larger base of support. But 2-wheel carts track behind a horse more closely and you cant jack-knife them.
So if you are not driving “crazy” its not all that easy to tip the carts. I think the meadowbrook types are a bit more stable, having a lower center of gravity than roadcarts. But if you find a true old meadowbrook or a 20year old flexi-shaft, the nature of the springing makes them less secure cross-country. That design was made to improve the ride on ring and road, but increases the bounce when you bump along XC
The Heyday of the Road cart - historically - was in the 1880’s when American manufacturers tried a lot of variations with designs and spring to improve the ride. We helped with a cart display at the USET where we brought in 6 different old carts. Each was called a Roadcart but all were different in some design feature or spring type or placement
