Sorry, kind of long!
[QUOTE=nightmoves;4248694]
This is almost funny because I just logged on to ask about these http://www.flickr.com/photos/hfsh/3733900396/sizes/l/ Purpose and what are they called?[/QUOTE]
This is a Gig, with Gig shafts rather than just curved shafts. The bend is much more pronounced in true Gig shafts. Big curve adds to the stylish look of the nice vehicle. I would say this is a very nice turnout for looks.
As TFP said, the poking is getting more attention than is needed. Any vehicle that has shafts ending at the point of shoulder, will need horse to push it over at some time with his shoulder. Horse should NOT object, it is part of the job managing the vehicle as a driving horse! 2-wheel cart or 4-wheeler, the shaft will be pushed over to make turns.
Short shafts, on both 2 or 4 wheel vehicles allow much sharper turns for competition driving. Horse can bend at the saddle, not held rigid thru barrel like with long shafts. Being short, these shafts change the equation in the mechanics of harness and vehicle. The shaft ends need to be secured to prevent falling out of tug loops in going forward, padded to prevent running into the horse’s ribs on sharp turns. Traces need to be adjusted so horse is not pulling shafts from the tug loops, causing saddle problems.
"But marathon shafts are also attached to the cart differently - they are hinged, and the horse can walk them around so you almost make an L-shape.
With a standard cart with straight shafts, they are attached to the cart in a fixed way, and not hinged. You don’t use a cart like that for going through tight zig-zag obstacles as fast as possible - you are in a ring, on the road, maybe even in a field or path through the woods, etc. but it’s a different use."
Not quite sure what is meant here. A cart ALWAYS has two wheels, NEVER would have hinged shafts. A hinge in the shafts would have the 2-wheeled vehicle on the ground! Short or long shafted, a CART has rigid shafts from front to the back of vehicle. Shafts could be springy, but there is no hinge in them anywhere.
Competition 4-wheelers have independent shafts, which means they move individually on their hinge, not like buggy or cart shafts. Right side can be straight up, while left side shaft is in the tug loop on horse. Buggy shafts are always parallel, so right side beside horse means the left side is required to be on the other side of horse also.
These 4-wheeler vehicles have got a full-fifth wheel as the hinge point for turning. This hinge under the vehicle body, is what allows the tight turn radius of the vehicles. Whether that competition vehicle has long or short shafts, it still will allow a short turning radius.
I will agree that the width of shafts, curves in the length to fit horse, will allow horse to turn or bend inside them with varying degrees of success. Better vehicle shafts often are curved several ways for a good fit.
Looking at shafts from the side, the lines tend to follow or match the lines of vehicle body. Straight, flat CART shafts looking at them from the side of horse, front to back, go with the common Road Cart, Meadowbrook types. Yet if you stand in front of horse, the shaft tip starts with a outward flared curve, then inward at the saddle area, then an outward curve again to go wider around the barrel, stifle and hind legs.
Long shafts SHOULD have the tip even with the horse’s point of shoulder. Not ahead of shoulder, or behind by the chest area.
Short shafts are fitted variously, depending on how the shaft ends, ring, loop, round tube with blunt end. I would say they all need a pad of some sort behind them, covering the saddle area. There are specialty pads that cover a lot of area, smaller “lilypads” that just fit behind the end of shafts so they don’t go into the horse barrel on sharp turns. What you may want in padding, is going to depend on how the shafts move on your horse in motion.
If you are just planning on pleasure driving, maybe some pleasure showing, I would go with the longer shafted vehicle, that allows horse room to bend between the shafts. Can be either 2 or 2-wheel vehicle. Design is tried and true, well tested over many years. Typical harness is designed to work well on these vehicles.
Modern vehicles are REALLY new thinking. They may take some tweaking to get it well-fitting, SAFE, comfortable for horse. You probably will need some help to figure out problems that will come along later. You will need specialty items on your harness, like quick-release tug loops and the extra padding. It changes balance and pull on the animal himself, especially if you use a 2-wheeler. Could lead to odd sorenesses from pulling with the saddle instead of the traces.
There are many dynamics involved in making your vehicle and harness choices work for you. You have to decide what your goals are FIRST, get equipment that is suitable for that use. You might change your mind later, expand your driving horizons, in which case you will need other equipment then.
There is no one vehicle that is going to suit ALL driving needs excellently. Many vehicles can do a wide variety of driving activities and make you quite happy. Same vehicle is hated by other drivers doing the same stuff you do!! Sorry, I can’t point out any that will make you all happy! You learn about of vehicles by looking, asking questions, seeing vehicles in use. Driving one if the opportunity comes up.
Just didn’t get it from my brain to my keyboard in an accurate way. Thx.
(especially since I’m looking at Small Shetland Sized stuff)
