Sunday, June 21, 2009

Chariot Measurements

So you want a chariot and don't know where to start? Of course you need to know if you are going to use one or several miniature horses and how large they are. You also have to take into account your height and weight.One way to figure out some things is to observe what other chariots look like and actually measure them. At the Central Pony States Club this weekend (June 20th and 21st) I was able to measure a chariot that D. Carlton brought to the show. This was the second of three chariots he has had built. This one is really designed for one rider, but the third was a little wider and could accommodate two riders easily.


Below is the vertical shaft that is welded to the frame. This image depicts just one way you can connect the frame base to the shafts.
In the next photo you can see how a single hitch fits over the vertical

shaft. The vertical shaft is about eight inches long with multiple pin holes drilled into it. This allows
adjustments based upon the the height of the
team.

The photo to the right and the one below this column shows the connection of the shafts to the chariot.



Finally another view of the hitch for a single horse is shown below. The team horse hitch was not at the show, but this single hitch may give you some ideas.


Notice that the wheels on this chariot are about 26 inches. If you increase the diameter of the wheel you may need to adjust the heigh of the axles. You do not want to have the chariot too high off the ground in relation to the size of the horses.


Also, the height of the chariot is 31 3/4 inches from the frame base to the top of the shell. The shell is made of a shower liner. The trim was purchased from a trophy shop, they sell the top and bottom trim in four foot lengths. The little knobs on top were cabinet knobs. Obviously you have to be creative.
The owner of this chariot will be at H.A.M.E. show and hopefully I can take movies at the show.
Other views of this chariot: Slideshow

Other images of chariots:
Details of Bo's, Hal Bryants, and several others. Other Chariot Photos

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