# Hello! I'm Wendy!



## Northernstar (Jul 23, 2011)

Welcome to the forum, Wendy! What a _beautiful _horse! I'm not an expert at driving, so no help there, but I'm sure there will be plenty of others with advice


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## Clayton Taffy (May 24, 2011)

Hi wendy, I love your horse, he looks like a great size, well put together.

I see a few things, mostly what you mentioned already. Lets make a few changes at a time, like you already know, if you adjust one thing it changes lots of other things. 

Starting with the harness, like you said there is a problem with the breast collar. It looks like it is in a good position in the photo, but, of course you know the neck strap needs some work. Either punch more holes if possible or get a smaller one. Some neck straps are made to connect to the saddle like you have yours, but it does not look like yous is that type. 

Saddle looks pretty good, your boy probably has a big barrel that's why is goes forward toward the girth area, but you do have it well behind the elbows, so no chaffing there.

The breeching hip strap where it crosses over the back strap, should be at the top of the horses croup or a tad behind, your is to far forward in front of the croup. Now it looks like is your breeching seat might be too long for your horse and if you move the hip drops back then you breeching seat will be way to big and not even functunal. If that is the case leave it where it is and let's see if you can work around it. Also lower the shat tugs so the shafts follow the line of the traces and don't go so much up in the air.

Try doing those adjustments and take another photo if you can and then let's see what other adjustments need to be made.

I like your cart , I think it looks like it fits him well, don't make any drastic decisions on the cart yet, I feel it will be fine once your harness adjustments have been mede.

Welcome!!


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## loveduffy (Dec 22, 2011)

welcome to the forum, I love draft horse, your harness looks good the only thing I would fix is the shafts look high they should be even with the shoulderother wise looking good


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## G8tdh0rse (Aug 14, 2012)

Looks great to me Wendy but I know next to nothing. I am just starting out on my driving adventure.


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## michaelvanessa (Apr 25, 2012)

*driveing*

hiya so your picking up the reins again as you mentioned there are a few things there with your harness and your shafts.
but i think you will resolve thoes problems when you get your new harness.

my self like wise im doing up my four wheel exercise cart at the mo and i put my new boy in a troting sulky which i break horses in with and i admit its a little narrow for him but he has persivears with it so he has settled in well indeed.
so i will supply pictures of him to and you can see how big he looks in the sulky.
so i have to get a bit of 1-1 box iron from the steel stockests and do a little bit if welding and afix a new break servo as well so things are geting there and i wish you happy driveing your selfs and your horse.


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## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

FlyingDraft said:


> Hi there! I have been reading for a while and figured it was time to jump in. I'm Wendy, I have 4 horses, all drafts or draft crosses. I am getting back into driving for pleasure. I taught my aged Arab to drive years ago, but got rid of my driving equipment after he died, knowing I'd want bigger horses in the future. I sure got them!
> 
> My horses range in size from 16.2 to 18 hands. The newest is a 17 year old, 17 hand Belgian, who came to us already trained to drive. My boyfriend picked up a wooden-wheeled easy entry cart to train in, and we hope to get a more substantial vehicle in another year or so. This was definitely a price-driven choice of vehicle and harness, but I'd love some feedback on our turnout.
> 
> ...


My traces are also overly long, even when buckled at their shortest hole, so I may add slots so they attach to my singletree in a more traditional way. I don't think the traces will be long when you move the horse forward. The shaft should not go past the point of shoulder so it looks like the cart could be moved away from the horse at least 4". The way it is when he turns he will hit the shaft and it will discourage him from turning.

My shafts seem hugely long, so I may shorten them, or even just get replacement shafts. I think the shafts need to be too high to level the cart, so I was wondering if the easiest adjustment would to be to buy a pair of slightly shorter shaft braces. Does that seem doable? It almost feels too easy of a solution.
On training carts they are longer to keep the horse away from the cart. I would leave them as is and use that money to invest in a different cart down the road.

I think this cart and harness would be very usable as is with a few adjustments


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## michaelvanessa (Apr 25, 2012)

*driveing*

hiya hows it going many thanks for the message your doing fine i know there is a lot to do but one step at a time.
its great to hear about your horses and the types of heavys.
the big horse my frend had well it was funny as he was a skinny 4 year old well thay borrowed a set of harness of a frend called jim and it was a bit rotten.
well the big horse took off with my frend chris and his irish frend barney thay had a lunge line atached to the bridle and went to pull john in to the headge but the bridle snaped and he tanked off and well thats when it all started the harness snapped and the cart turned over but chris and barney were ok well i fell about laughing john came troting back and stood frount first in the shafts sniffing them as to say what are you doing there.
well my sides split open barney was mending the harness with baleing twine and he said to chris lets put him in again chris said forget it.
and john was never put to again but was a good rideing horse.


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## michaelvanessa (Apr 25, 2012)

*driveing*

hiya again i have broken all mine in except charlie who belonged to chris he was a welsh section c he was a bay gilding barney broke him in before trying john he took to it like a duck to water.
john was a hackney cross cob he was a rone.
i broke my old mare snowy and had eight lovley years with her she was a welsh x arab section b and i took my time and broke her with titbits and that was sucsesful i brought a governess cart for £500 and it was made in 1904 and thats what i broke her in with.
i also broke my gilding tricky in he was more of a challange he was beat through the skull and was head shy and had strangles and had shoes twice the size of his hoof nailed on with roofing clout nails we dont know how he was not lame.
well he gave strangles to john excallaba he was a exmore pony charlie strayberry he was a section a welsh and hazle she was a welsh section c as well but snowy had it before.
i also broke tammy to harness as well and she was a cremello she was a welsh cross and belonged to vanessa.
tricky and tammy drove in tandem with my troting sulky and to my exercise 4 wheeler i drove them as a pair but thay kept raceing each other and my frend chris was ill to he was helping me that year he lost charlie he was 29 years old nad my frend chris passed as he had a hart attack i miss him so much he was more a father to me than my father was.
all the ponys and horse have passed on all in loveing memory.
john aged 21 years cob x hackney multipul problems kidneys and other problems.
strawberry aged welsh sec a old age.
hazle welsh x sec c old age.
snowy welsh x arab sec b 36 years old age.
charlie welsh sec c aged 29 collic twisted gut.
tammy welsh x section b passed away old age 34 years old. her owner passed on my girl frend 24 years old so i hope thay are to geather now.
excallaber wereabouts unknown. 

tricky is doing very well at the age of 27 years old welsh sec a.
and quincy aged 4 cob broke to harness will have picture when 4 wheeler
referbishments are done.

the ponys that have passed and the horse except tammy are from our old small yard at stamford road tottenham london.
the old stables has been coverted in to a house.
tammys yard was bricket wood hertfordshire near vanessas house the yard is closed and in a vandleised and decrepid condition.


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## michaelvanessa (Apr 25, 2012)

*cart and adjustments.*

yes it would just that little refineing thats all it needs have you thought about cuting the shafts and placeing shaft tips on them and like you said a couple of crew holes on your traces will help to.
and you have a lovley horse and you will have a great turn out there.
many thanks for shareing your picture i have a few in my albums as i cant display them on here but feel free chec out all the folders and many thanks and a pleasure to chat and share pictures.
michael tricky and quincy.


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## FlyingDraft (Oct 6, 2012)

Well, I solved one issue! I took my harness apart for cleaning today and figured out the previous owner had switched the straps on the breastcollar and breeching! So now I won't have such an issue with a too loose breastcollar and high breeching! I made a set of harness pads today, too. So if the weather holds tomorrow, I will get out for a drove and take an updated photo.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Clayton Taffy (May 24, 2011)

Looking forward to new photos!


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## FlyingDraft (Oct 6, 2012)

Okay! I finally got an updated photo! Now how do I add it? 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Clayton Taffy (May 24, 2011)

click on GO ADVANCED button and then click on the paperclip at the top of the box then follow the prompts. Can't wait to see.


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## FlyingDraft (Oct 6, 2012)

*Here's the new photos!*

Our boy Link, with his improved harness fit. We've taken him around driving, even through town to the ice cream shop with the kids. He is a joy to drive. We did get a lot of comments from passing cars. Everything from compliments to, "Is that Legal"? Haha. I feel like I need to post the vehicle codes on the back of my cart next to my slow moving vehicle sign! We also got bicycle lights to add to our visibility.

Of course in the photos, we had just stopped quickly, so his traces are loose and his shafts are too far forward.....but we still make little adjustments each drive.


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## Clayton Taffy (May 24, 2011)

Very nice looking boy!! nice feet too. 
Yes it takes several times and adjustments to get harness adjusted correct especially a beginner. Cart looks like it fits him well, and of course you could tighten the holdstraps some. 
He looks like a dream to drive. 
I really like your cart. Do you get in from infront of the wheels or behind?


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## FlyingDraft (Oct 6, 2012)

*Thanks!*

Thanks! His feet are fantastic, and thankfully, he'll even let me trim him with a grinder if my farrier is too busy!

The cart is a solid seat, so we enter in front of the wheels. It's just the basic EZ entry from (now defunct) American Cart & Harness, with upgraded wheels. I also just got a new set of caps for the end of the shafts. $2.98 at Home Depot! Cheapest part of driving!


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## Clayton Taffy (May 24, 2011)

I like the upgraded wheels., even flushubs, nice.


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