Carriages at the Horse Expo

Perhaps my favorite exhibit at last weekend's Rocky Mountain Horse Expo was the carriage display sponsored by the Colorado Driving Society.

Meadowbrook Pony Cart

A wide variety of carts and carriages were parked inside the exhibit hall, 

Jerald Pleasure Cart for Minis

each with photos...

Jerald Cart in use

 and...

Easy Entry Cart

other documentation that explained the vehicle's origins and uses.

Easy Entry Cart documentation

I am not terribly well versed in the different types of horse drawn carriages,

Hooded Gig

so I found this exhibit to be extremely educational.

I now know that a Gig is a lightweight, two wheeled carriage that can be pulled by either a single horse or a tandem pair.  This was a very popular vehicle back in the day, as its height offered the driver a good view of both the horse and the road ahead.  Today, Gigs are used for all types of formal driving, including Show Pleasure and Dressage.

Gig

 I also learned that Dog Carts...

Dog Cart

were actually designed to transport dogs!

This is a Plantation Phaeton.  It's a luxury vehicle designed to be pulled by a single horse or pair. 

Plantation Phaeton

This particular Phaeton was built in the 1880's by C. Stone & Sons in Chicago, Illinois.  It is now owned by Phantom Dragon Ranch.

detail of the Phaeton's lamp

At the opposite end of the spectrum is the tiny Hyperbike.  Weighing in at just thirty pounds, this vehicle is extremely strong and maneuverable and is very popular with the miniature horse crowd.

Kudos to the Colorado Driving Society for sponsoring this most informative and interesting display.  I really enjoyed viewing the carriages and look forward to seeing them again at next year's Expo!