wrote in message
...
I need plans for horse drawn vehicles.

I am serious about this. With gas being in the $2.50 to $3.00 a
gallon range, and likely to get much higher, I am looking for ways to
avoid having to buy the stuff. I have already done all the usual
things, such as tune up the car, properly inflate tires, use the car
(which gets better milage), than the pickup truck, whenever possible,
and avoid unnecessary trips to the store, etc.

All of this helps, but I want to cut back even more. Not only is my
wallet suffering, but I am real tired of supporting these corrupt oil
companies who are raping us financially. If oil is in low supply, why
not limit us, rather then continually raising the price. I already
know that limiting gas would not affect most average drivers, but
would only affect those who waste gas with "performance" cars, large
gas guzzling boats, and other unnecessary machinery.

Anyhow, my point in this message is not to discuss oil prices, but
rather to find alternatives to using it. I already own horses, which
until now were pets and for recreational riding. But in the past,
before motorized vehicles, people relied on their horses for
transportation. I think this is going to become a reality again for
many of us. While I realize I will have to continue to pay these
crooks for their oil if I need to travel distances, I know that half
of my gasoline usage is for short trips to town. This is where a
horse drawn vehicle would help. Whether it's a trip to the grocery
store, or any other short trip to town, I can use the horse. I live
in a rural area, and am about 5 miles from town. This is an ideal
distance for a horse drawn vehicle, and a total 10 mile per day trip
is not too much for the horse, and seems like it would be enjoyable
too.

Therefore, I am looking for plans to build a horse drawn vehicle out
of wood and the axel and wheels/tires from one of the old farm
implements I got laying around. Does anyone know where to get some
plans?

This message may not be exactly on topic to some of the newsgroups I
am posting to, but is related.

Thanks

Mark


Assuming for a moment that you are serious, please consider all the
excellent posts to date. I will repeat only one of them. Gas is a lot
cheaper than feeding a horse.

Now on to reality 101. Horses that are saddle broken are generally not
harness broken or trained. They frequently do not have the physical stature
to pull. There are riding horses, work horses and carriage horses. The
latter two are somewhat interchangeable.

The carriage will be the least of your expenses in money or time. The
harnesses will be expensive and must be maintained with frequent care and
oiling. Rivets and tears must be replaced and you will need a nice dry
place to store all this stuff. The time required to harness your horse(s)
will add 1-1/12 hours to each trip you take and if you are a responsible
owner another hour per trip to care for your horse.

Colbyt