Sulky

A modern sulky
Sulky and horse in Simoca, the 'sulky capital' of Argentina

A sulky is a lightweight cart with two wheels and a seat for the driver, generally pulled by horses or dogs. With horses, a sulky is used for harness racing. The term is also used for an arch-mounted cart on wheels or crawler tracks, used in logging, or other types of vehicle having wheels and usually a seat for the driver, such as a plough, lister or cultivator.

Horse sulky

Roadster style sulkies in eastern Europe

A sulky for a horse is a lightweight, two-wheeled, single-seat cart that is used as a form of transportation in many rural parts of the world. A specialized horse sulky is now used in most forms of harness racing in Argentina, Australia, Canada, France, the United States and New Zealand, including both trotting and pacing races. They are reputedly called "sulkies" because the driver must prefer to be alone.

Race sulkies come in two categories:

An "improved sulky" with pneumatic tires and adjustable height was patented at the United States Patent Office by W.J. Hamill on August 15, 1893. (see Google patents) The asymmetric sulky was patented in Australia in the 1980s and came to prominence in 1987 when a two-year-old gelding named Rowleyalla used one to break the then world record for his category, at 3.4 seconds under the existing mark.

In 1990 the asymmetric sulky was introduced into North America, winning seven of its first nine starts at Freehold, NJ. Today the great majority of sulky manufacturers in North America are producing asymmetric sulkies.

An additional sulky type is the "team-to-pole" or "pairs" sulky, a lightweight single seat sulky designed for draft by two horses abreast.

These may also be split into two types:

  • Traditional pole and yoke with draft by traces.
  • Dorsal hitch with draft direct from the saddle to the yoke and, via the pole, to the sulky.

Of the two, the dorsal hitch pairs sulky is the most recent, holding all current world pairs speed records over the mile to July 31, 2005.

Sulkies used in harness racing

Racing sulky

There are two types of sulkies used in harness racing.

  • Jog Carts, used only for training, are bigger and bulkier than a racing cart. These may sometimes be known as Roadcarts. The shafts may be wood, aluminum, steel or stainless steel. They have bigger seats which requires less athleticism to sit upon, and may also seat two. The most modern styles provide full independent suspension by hydraulic dampers and progressive rate coil springs. These give both a smoother ride and higher speeds than traditional types. They are also lighter.
  • Race Bikes are the only style allowed to be used in races or qualifying heats. They are more compact and aerodynamic than a jog cart, have smaller seats that reduce weight, but require more athleticism for the driver to sit upon. Shafts may be of carbon fibre, aluminum,titanium, stainless steel or, less often, wood.
  • Speed Carts have a similar design to race bikes in a single seat and stirrups for the driver, but have road tires, mud flaps, longer shafts and are heavier than race bikes. Some may have a limited form of suspension built into the seat. These are usually made of steel and are heavier than race bikes but much lighter than jog carts.

When it rains, or the track has excessive moisture, trainers and drivers are required to put plastic mud flaps on the back of the wheels. All race bikes must comply with the relevant procedures and standards in order to be approved. In no way can a race bike have any component that will directly interfere with another horse or driver.

See also


This page was last updated at 2024-01-06 23:13 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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