# carts stored for 14 years last show about 15 years ago.



## michaelvanessa (Apr 25, 2012)

heres were my 2 show carts are thay have not seen the light of day for 14 years.


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## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

I think I have one like the front cart! I don't have a tub cart like that, it looks beautiful!
The tub cart is the prettiest color combination!

Thanks for showing us...now get in there and dig them out!!

Nancy


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## G8tdh0rse (Aug 14, 2012)

Carts of any kind are hard to find where I live.


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## Clayton Taffy (May 24, 2011)

I love them! Maybe it's time to let them see some sun.
Is that a tub cart, or a governess cart, or a governess tub cart?

Can't see the green cart to well but that tub is a real gem.
Shines like a new penny!


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## michaelvanessa (Apr 25, 2012)

*tub cart.*

thay got the name tub cart as a nick name as its shaped like a tub.
thay were designed for the house hold as the governess took out her charges (children) and thay enterd by a door in the back of the cart.
the governess drove the cart siting sideways as there is a cut out in the seat on the opersit side to were she sat.
a good honest horse or pony was imployed and put to the shafts.
i will have to get them both out and take some pictures of both of them.
the wheels were rebuilt re channled and retired as well and thay were firedand shrunk on to get a tite fit on the wheel and the felleys.
he also changed a spoke as well he was a crafts man.
the wheels went via currier and droped back by currier.


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## Clayton Taffy (May 24, 2011)

So are all tub carts governess's carts?


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## michaelvanessa (Apr 25, 2012)

*governess/tub carts.*

thay are but most people call them tub carts.
the mud guards (fenders) are steam bent and shaped.
also the top rail is steam bent to and inbetween the top rail and the top of the cart is leather.
the upholstery is green velvet with green furicher studs on the inside of the top rail and the seats.
on the reverce the seats are black leather with black fernicher buttons.
the four wheel dog cart waggonett has shafts and a pole and also team bars so i could drive a team of 4 or other multipuls.
and has black leather upholstery and back rests and wooden block brakes and the brake handle is on a ratchet system.


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## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

I cannot WAIT to see them out!!

If I can get into the carriage house (since my DH cleaned out the garage, I have a bad feeling about where all the stuff went) I will take pictures of mine- NONE as nice as those, though!

Nancy


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## michaelvanessa (Apr 25, 2012)

*many thanks.*

you both have a great collection of carts to and beautiful horses to match.
taffy clayton and green tree you both have awesome turnouts indeed and i would like to thank you for shareing your pictures.
i think as drivers here we have a libury of carts between us and its great to let other people see them. 
and hopefully thay give imspration to up and comeing drivers.
and all the other drivers to in driveing horse ponys donkeys and mules and also resteration works on carts thay have found and loveingley restore and go to the lengths of keeping a heratage alive.


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## jimmy (Aug 26, 2009)

they used to call them tub traps as well, the reason being if a horse took off in one, the occupants were well and truly trapped


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## michaelvanessa (Apr 25, 2012)

*tub/governess cart.*

the victorian princable was the designe to keep the children in a safe place as to not come in to contact with the wheels.
good horses and ponys were chosen to pull this type of veichel.
although the entrance was from the rear and problems could occure if the horse or pony propeled whilst the children were boarding.
so a groom on the estate would keep the horse pony quiet and in check.
and thay would eather go into town or to school ect.
thay are quite a sturdy cart.
this paticaular one had a miss hap it was my fault some one got in to dificaltys with a rideing horse and i asked trick to stand.
he decided to help to and hit a big wooden gate post and he hit it in walk and the wheel rode up the post and turned it over.
he draged it for about 10 yards i asked him to shut down and woah and he stood with the harness twisted and a shaft underneath him and on his back.
we got him out and a few of us rited the cart and serveyed the dammage.
the mudguard was smashed and the top steam bent suround was dammaged.
i phones round and found a carrage restorer and had it fixed for £700 odd.
thay used traditinal methods.
i think or thank my lucky stars i got it restored.
on the whole the shafts are ash and very flexable.
judgeing by what tricky did and reading jimmys post and looking at and how the cart suvived and thinking if an axedent with small children occured.
i think judgeing by it thay would be safe on the odds of it overturning and hiting the ground the impact would be cushend by the hub and the wheel and the mudguard.
and the probabilatys of the children roleing clear with none or minor injurys.
and also if the horse or pony comeing to an abrupt halt with the driver still in controle.
looking at it from this way i the safty of this type of cart was good in its day.


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## Chevaux (Jun 27, 2012)

They're neat looking but I am very ignorant about driving so please excuse my questions. How old are they actually? Are they extremely expensive (I'm not trying to get what you paid for them out of you - in other words are they closer in price to a saddle or to a horse trailer)? Is there more wood or more metal in their construction?


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## michaelvanessa (Apr 25, 2012)

*prices and matirials.*

thanks for enquireing and ill be glad to supply some imformation to you.
the governess cart came from a man caled jonny woodard he had a pony called excaliba his nick name is dumpy he was an exmore pony.
he had it for sale for £500 it was the first ever cart i brought.
the construction is wood ash and not to sure what other types went in to it so im not going to guess but for its age its a sturdy cart indeed and for its size its very light in draft.
the metal work on the shafts and on the hubs and door handle and is brass.
the springs are temperd steel.
the rest of the metal work is iron and the shaft splinter bar brackets i think are steel and so is the rein rack also the upholstary is green velvet with buttons and turned over is black leather with buttons and a leather trim between the top of the tub to the back rest.
it realy sets the cart off and i think out of all of the tub governess carts i have seen looks the prittyest.
the manafacturers stamp is on the axle arm and is dated 1904.
so she is 109 years old.
and is as good as new.
the wooden waggonett is made of cast iron axles and a wooden body the seats coushens are leather and so are the back rests.
the brakeing system is a ratchet system and also cast iron i think.
so you have to be a little quick on the draw on that one with the reins.
and it joins a through bar which goes to each of the back wheels.
which inturn has a wooden brake block each side the shafts are ash and cast iron and are independent.
the pole i beleave is ash and the tandem bars could be hickory.
the turn table (fith wheel) is cast iron and i think oak.
the hubs are black cast iron and have a square nut and have a small locking bar.
the makers ignitials are on the axle again.
the date of manafacture is 1894 if i rember rightley so she is 119 years old and i have only shown it once.
i found it for sale in a carrage sails on the computer in soham in suffolk.
it beloned to clare bourne she was a british driveing society instructor and a bds commishoner.
and i brought it for £1200 and i have shown it once at the london harness horse parade in battersea park.
i had the front axle built up and machined as it had a lot of ware by a company in southhampton and a front wheel checked and repaired.
i have pictures of me and chris driveing tammy.
i started driveing them as a pair but both of them were so forword going thay seemed to race each other for there age thay were a great pair of ponys.
we were going to train them as a pair as thay went as a pair on the lunge lines with identical foot falls.
thay were exelent in tandem to my exercise waggonett that quincy drives in and the power of thease ponys was quite fonomanal and thay were so light to drive as well and so responsive to my voice.
you could liken them to a pair of locomotives in tandem working togeather.
my frend chris fell ill and and had an alta i think i have spelt it wright nearley burst in side him so he had stents inserted and he broke his anckle as well.
and he passed away with a hart attack in the london hart hospital.
so that was the last time thease carts saw the light of day.
so thay have remained stored.


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## michaelvanessa (Apr 25, 2012)

*rideing and driveing.*

on the lighterside.
well love at first sight i fell for my frends daughter christine.
and it was the wow factor and that was how i got in to horses.
i saw her with her cob called john.
well i sprung in to action and brought my first saddle.
when i look back now i think i was nuts i had no horse ?.
i payed £250 that was 33 years ago now that was from theydonbois saddlery thay are long gone now.
i brought the stirrop irons and leathers came from westessex and kernow saddlery.
and my first bit i ever brought is in my draw at home is a falmer snaffle.
my bridle is a mixture the nose band is a sheep skin drop nose band with the bit came from thomas tack in barnet thay are long gone as well.
my the head piece and the cheek peices and the reins came from westessex and kernow saddlery thay were in chingford out side london.
but have moved to clavering newport essex.
i went to the small barn were she was and asked if thay had a spare stable thay said no.
and i got to know them overt a good few monthe and coughted christine and with her dad we brought a rescue pony called snowy she cost me £35.
i was working with christine dad with his transport company.
the saddle is still in good condition for its age and so is the bridle and stirrop leathers and as like the bit i still have the stirrop irons to.
many thanks for reading.
and i hope you like this bit of history.


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## michaelvanessa (Apr 25, 2012)

*rideing bridle.*

sorry i forgot to mention the browband is a steel clencher browband that came from thomas tack.


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## mudpie (Jul 15, 2011)

I read this as "cats stored for 14 years" and became inexplicably confused.


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## michaelvanessa (Apr 25, 2012)

*carts stored.*

sorry carts stored not cats.


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## Chevaux (Jun 27, 2012)

Good information and good stories -- thank you!!


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