Carriage shaft design?

[Wally]

Has anyone any experience with half shafts on their cart?

I have just bitten the bullet and ordered a back step bug with half shafts after speaking at length about the pros and cons with the lady who supplies them. They sound like a good idea but I have no experience of them.

Since the cart will be driven mostly by kids it seems a good idea. At least they cannot get the rein wrapped around the end of the shaft neither can the pony get the shaft point digging in her neck if they try to turn her too sharp.

Esther this is the Driving bug you too have been looking at. Ours is going to be bright red I think! No car driver will be able to claim they didn't notice us!......Not when Whiff is wearing her bright red harness too, quiet elegance we will NOT be, but at least the BDS have a better sense of fun than the BHS!:D :D Tradition has its place.

[Esther.D]

I've driven with half shafts before and they were fine (haven't tried them with the shetlands, it was a friends horse that I drove). They seemed a bit strange at first but I found no problem with them. They are very common these days in the driving trials world and I have heard no bad of them.

Let me know how it goes. I am contemplating selling my current two wheeler to buy the driving bug (skint as usual...:rolleyes: ), but need to know that it is going to be worth it. So I am eagerly awaiting your report ;) It certainly sounds ideal. Hmmm half shafts sound good for me too as they would let us get round the obstacles even quicker and they should help stop the tandem getting tangled...you know the things that can happen, wheeler sticks head right down and jams lead reins under shaft end etc etc....

Where is the flashy red harness from? I assume it is webbing? Or is it one of your own creations? I have seen them in Libby's but nowhere else....my colours are black and yellow (again, can't be missed!) and I did contemplate a black and yellow harness as well eventually :D They would certainly see me coming on the marathon!

Actually I am after a new single harness at the moment, preferably black webbing with white metal fittings so it can go with my tandem leader harness....If you know if any reasonably priced sources that also are made to measure or have realistic shetland sizes let me know.....I would love a John Willy leader harness to gp with my single one...but I emailed them and it would be £600 so that might have to wait a bit....

Bobby is a so-and-so to fit harness to as well, he is as broad as he is tall, totally square with a leg at each corner, very short backed and with fine legs and head (sounds hideous but looks good!). All my harnesses totally swamp him, especially the bridles (he has a 3.5" mouth!), backbands and breeching..

[Zingy]

Esther, don't know if it's any use, but Equikits do a shetland harness - black with stainless steel fittings. Got mine about 3 years ago and it was £120 I think. Not sure exactly how it would fit a shetland. Benj has bits of it on its smallest fittings and he's 10.3 but probably a bit finer than a shetland. She did say that she could make it up to order though if a standard size was no good, as I think she only makes them when you place the order. That was certaiunly the case with mine - I just had to wait a few weeks (mostly cos she'd run out of black webbing though!).

Website (www.equikits.com) appears to not be working. Email is equikits@equikits.com so you could try that. Failing that I have a phone number somewhere!

[Wally]

My Leather supplier does Bright red bridle leather. I was making an order for a Masonic lodge of these red belts and Frances saw it and thought it would look flashy (there's an understatement) If Frances decides she wants red harness it will be red leather harness with brass fittings. I made Pants his set.....out of the waste leather bucket! I end up with loads of off cuts which I cannot use up to make things for customers as I like a bridle to all come from the same bit of leather. So I make up all our tack from the left over bits. It's perfectly good leather, just not all from the same butt. The bits that don't show are made up of brown and the bits that do I make from black.

We will have to turn up to the same trial and them we will have red lether and yellow leather, red leather, yellow leather..............:D

[Esther.D]

You'll have to post a pic of the red harness I'd love to see it, especially once he has his red vehicle too;)

Thanks Zingy, I'll try the link/email as I just want a reasonably priced harness like that to get him started, then when I am less skint and I know how he is going I can get a more pricey one if necessary.

I have a 'shetland' size webbing one from another company...and the loin strap and breeching would fit Rupert (13.2hh) :eek: In fact I have seriously considered trying it on him to see if the whole thing fits:D I think they have just got a pony size harness and added a small bridle...:rolleyes: Hence the reason I need someone that will make to order or really understands what shapes shetlands come in!