Kathleen, That was very interesting! Thanks for taking time to post all that information. I enjoyed your website, also. I was looking at your pics of brake carts. I rode on a similar vehicle in Canada, but I don't remember the horse being so far from the cart. Do they do that in case the young horse kicks? The Cape cart is a fascinating vehicle. It appears sturdy and well balanced. The story of the hunt was great! I can't imagine putting four horses in front of a cart, but apparently the driver was a capable fellow! That had to be fun for the horses. Perhaps you can find such a vehicle? Sharon in PA > hi everyone, > > i am in the process of researching having made or finding a 2 wheeled pole > cart with a sliding seat for balance which is the necessary type vehicle > used with a cape cart harness. i can only transport a pair and a cart NOT > a pair and a 4w vehicle so i need this to come together. also, i really > like the challenge of "getting it right". > > the use of mules [pair, 4 & 6] was traditionally correct in south africa > with the cape cart. they were used xcountry to transport everything from > boer war officers to supplies and mail - frequently at the gallop and > certainly usually at the trot even without adequate roads. this harnessing > system was developed so that pairs could travel in the bullock ruts that > passed for roads in the south africa of the time. it is considered a very > safe way to harness a pair and up to a cart. > > if anyone is interesting in reading about the cape harness and carts it is > explained nicely in the book "harness" by john philipson... first > published in 1882 and reprinted in 1971 by acorn press and again in > england recently in paperback. among other carts this book shows a dog > cart set up with cape cart harness system and that is something like what > i want for my mules.... nice but informal. if anyone is interested in > obtaining this book i found it on... > > http://www.abebooks.com/ > > i have some pictures of cape carts posted here... > > http://pbase.com/conklink/cape_cart > > here is an excerpt from the book... "lessons from the varsity of life" > that particularly mentions a cape cart in use.... > http://pinetreeweb.com/bp-varsity3-2.htm > > AFRICAN BUCK SHOOTING > > Talking of shooting I have a very happy memory of staying with a Boer, > Bertie > Van der Byl, at Bredasdorp down near Cape Agulhas. He had a large ostrich > farm there where there was mixed shooting and we even attempted > pig-sticking on the descendants of domestic pig which had gone wild. > > On this farm there was preserved a herd of Bontebok. These were a variety > of Blesbok, which had practically become extinct in Cape Colony. My host > allowed me to shoot one as a specimen. This was an unique occasion, not > only on account of the rarity of the species but also for the manner in > which we hunted them. > > Van der Byl drove me in a two-wheeled Cape cart with four mules, straight > away over the veldt till we sighted the herd. When they saw us the deer > started to gallop away at full speed. Crack, crack, went the whip, and > away we went at a stretching gallop after them. It was an exhilarating > chase, as we bumped over the rough ground sometimes on one wheel, > sometimes on none, I hanging on for dear life and my driver, as keen and > excited as a boy, urging his mules to do their very best. > > For a time it looked a hopeless chase, but as the herd changed their > direction and circled round, we were able to cut corners and gradually to > come nearer to them. > > Two fair-sized hills loomed up in front of us side by side, and as the > herd went to the right of them Van der Byl drove to the left, and when we > neared the gap between them he shouted to me: " Now " pulled in his team, > and I sprang out just in time to get a running shot as the buck passed the > opening between the two hillocks. > > By great luck my shot hit a good buck through the neck and he fell head > over heels dead. Fortunately he was quite a fine specimen. > > Some years later Van der Byl moved to another farm, up in the Transvaal, > taking the herd with him, and here it lived in a large paddock. > > When the Boer War came on the British troops invaded the country and, on > arrival at this farm, they shot the whole herd, seeing the chance of some > good meat. > > I fear now that the Bontebok must be practically extinct. > > ****************************** > > i was actually interested enough to find out that this rare antelope was > not exterminated in the boer war but is protected in south africa... > http://www.sa-venues.com/wildlife/wildlife_bontebok.htm > > this is only one instance of the cape cart being mentioned in terms of > fast travel hitched to a pair, 4 or 6 equines. i have never read about a > cape cart involved in an accident unlike the curricle but i'm sure it must > have happened. > > i'll keep you posted on how this project proceeds.... if anyone has any > input that might help i'm all ears <G> no pun intended <G> > > > kathleen & john henry \ / & agnes de mule \ / _________________________________________________________ To Unsubscribe, change to Digest or Vacation mode go to: http://www.drivingpairs.com/index.php?pg=2 `````````````````````````````````````````````````````````