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["Gloria Morris" <gloriamorris59 AT gmail.com>]

I have not seen forecarts that cheap locally, but honestly I've not really
looked much for forecarts, as I've been thinking of road use more than
homestead use. Frankly I've thought of forecarts only as something to use
with farm implements requiring a 3 point hitch. That's how I've seen them
used by the Amish. But clearly they have other uses, as you point out!

I like the idea of lights on the buggy, wagon, etc. That would be MUCH
safer.

Where we live, the traffic is not that bad. We live off a county road that
is traveled, but the speeds are not scary. It is about 5 miles to the
nearest town. The speed limit in town is heavily enforced. The town is too
small to have even one traffic light, but they have a police department. The
officer on duty usually sits along the main drag with radar running. I would
guess it is a major source of revenue for the village!

There is a small grocery store in town, which is good for basics. There is a
little post office and a bank too. It isn't much of a town from a city
person's perspective, but it is plenty big enough for our needs. It has what
we really need other than health care - if we need THAT it won't be readily
available except by driving on into the city, which is really way too far
away to consider taking a horse, as the miles are many and the traffic along
the way would be terrifying - to me and likely my horse!

There is not presently a hitching rail at the grocery store in town, nor at
the post office or bank. There is a bar / restaurant in the area that has
hitching rails, though! I expect that will be a growing trend. My horse
ground ties pretty reliably. Before I'd drive him into town, I'd want to set
up a portable hitching block to tie him to - just for added measure. Or, I'd
want to ask the shop keepers if they'd be willing to have a hitching rail if
I'd build it.

I expect as gas prices continue to climb that traffic will continue to
reduce. People will have no choice. And I'll bet that if more businesses put
up hitching rails, the horses in our area will be in town more often!

Gloria

On Sat, Apr 12, 2008 at 6:47 PM, <Clansgian AT wmconnect.com> wrote:

>
> Gloria, I'd be very much interested in how this is in your area:
>
> We have a forecart and utility wagon which serves as a buckboard, even to
> the
> point of having DOT approved lights and brakes.  Such wagons are cheap and
> plentiful, I think we paid $300 new for it.  We could park the truck now
> as far
> as horse and equipment go.  But taking the rig on the highway out of here
> (US
> 421) would be suicide.  Cars and trucks tear along it at riduculous speeds
> with no heed at what might be around the next bend or over the next rise.
>
> Although I spent the whole of today in the potato patch planting (what
> else?)
> potatoes.  From there I can see the county road and usually on a warm,
> sunny
> spring Saturday, the road stays hot with traffic going no place in
> particular.
>  Yet today, almost no cars at all on the road.  I think it was three over
> a
> six hour period.  Happens every time gas goes over $3.  When it goes over
> $3.50
> people start moving out.  Can't wait to see what happens when it goes over
> $4
> (or more) here soon.
>
>