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{{For|the adjective|Wiktionary:sulky|}}
{{For|the adjective|Wiktionary:sulky|}}
{{about|the type of horse cart|the locality in Australia|Sulky, Victoria}}
{{about|the type of horse cart|the locality in Australia|Sulky, Victoria}}
{{one source|date=October 2009}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2024}}


[[File:Big Red on his way to his Fifth Consecutive win in the Roadster To Bike Class at the 2009 Worlds championship Horse Show (3878767170).jpg|thumb|A modern sulky]]
[[File:Vienna - Trotting racer at the Krieau - 6608.jpg|thumb|[[Harness racing]] sulky (2007)]]
[[File:Simoca sulky.jpg|thumb|Sulky and horse in [[Simoca]], the 'sulky capital' of [[Argentina]] ]]
[[File:Hackney Pony (7714709846).jpg|thumb|Horse show sulky for [[Roadster (horse)|roadster classes]] (2012)]]
[[File:Boy driving a horse in a sulky (I0056400).tif|thumb|Wooden racing sulky (c. 1895–1910)]]
[[File:Animal-drawn grass mower.jpg|thumb|Horse-drawn mower with a "sulky seat"{{r|smith}}]]


A '''sulky''' is a lightweight cart used for [[harness racing]]. It has two wheels and a small seat for only a single driver. The modern racing sulky has shafts that extend in a continuous bow behind the driver's seat, with wire-spoked "bike" wheels and inflated tyres.{{r|smith|walrond79}} A sulky is frequently called a "bike". Historically, sulkies were built for trotting matches and made from wood with very tall wheels and almost no body, just a simple frame supporting a single seat.{{r|carlisle}} Such vehicles were called "sulkies" because they were "said to have been chosen by unsociable people fond of their own company or fits of sulking".{{r|smith}}
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]], [[Planter (farm implement)|lister]] or [[cultivator]].


A horse show vehicle used in [[Roadster (horse)|roadster classes]] is also called a sulky. The drivers dress in [[racing silks]] and show their horses at a fast trot around the showring.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.usef.org/compete/disciplines/roadster |title=Roadster |website=United States Equestrian Federation}}</ref>
==Horse sulky==
[[Image:Zemaitukai.jpg|thumb|Roadster style sulkies in eastern Europe]]
A sulky for horses is a lightweight, [[Two-wheeled vehicle|two-wheeled]], single-seat cart that is used as a form of transportation in many [[rural]] parts of the world. A specializes horse sulky is now used in most forms of [[harness racing]] in Argentina, Australia, Canada, France, the United States and New Zealand, including both [[Trot (horse gait)|trot]]ting and [[Horse gait|pacing]] races. They are reputedly called "sulkies" because the driver must prefer to be alone.<ref name="walrond79">{{cite book |title=The Encyclopaedia of Driving |first=Sallie |last=Walrond |year=1979 |publisher=Country Life Books |isbn=0600331822 |ol=4175648M}}</ref>


Other uses of the term ''sulky'' include:
⚫
Race sulkies come in two categories,
* the single metal seat found on many horse-drawn agricultural implements such as ploughs, mowers and rakes.{{r|smith}}
* Traditional [[Symmetry|symmetrical]] sulkies
* the [[logging arch]], a log-transport tool on wheels, is also called a ''logging sulky'' and may be towed manually or by horses or tractors.{{r|loggingsulky}}
⚫
* [[Asymmetry|Asymmetric]] or "offset" sulkies


== Harness racing ==
⚫
An "improved sulky" with [[pneumatic tires]] and [[Adjustable Height Control|adjustable height]] was [[Patent|patented]] at the [[United States Patent and Trademark Office|United States Patent Office]] by [[W.J. Hamill]] on August 15, [[1893]]. (see [[Google Patents|Google patents]])
{{Unreferenced section|date=January 2024}}
⚫
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 [[Second|seconds]] under the existing mark.


⚫
There are three types of sulkies used in [[harness racing]].
⚫
In [[1990]] the asymmetric sulky was introduced into [[North America]], winning seven of its first nine starts at [[Freehold Raceway|Freehold, NJ]]. Today the great majority of sulky [[Manufacturing|manufacturers]] in [[North America]] are producing asymmetric sulkies.
⚫
* Race Bikes are the only style allowed to be used in races or qualifying heats. They are more compact and [[aerodynamic]]s 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 fibers|carbon fibre]], aluminum, [[titanium]], [[stainless steel]] or, less often, wood.
⚫
* 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 (mechanics)|suspension]] by hydraulic dampers and progressive rate [[coil spring]]s. These give both a smoother ride and higher speeds than traditional types. They are also lighter.
⚫
* Speed carts have a similar design to race bikes in a single seat and [[stirrup]]s for the driver, but have road tires, [[Mudflap|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 flap]]s on the back of the wheels. All race bikes must comply with the relevant procedures and standards to be approved. Race bikes may not have any component that will directly interfere with another horse or driver.
⚫
An additional sulky type is the "team-to-pole" or "pairs" sulky, a lightweight single seat sulky designed for [[draft horse|draft]] by two horses [[abreast]].


⚫
Race sulkies come in two categories:
⚫
These may also be split into two types:
* Traditional pole and [[yoke]] with draft by traces.
* Traditional symmetrical sulkies
⚫
* Asymmetric or "offset" sulkies
⚫
* [[Dorsal hitch]] with draft direct from the [[saddle]] to the [[yoke]] and, via the pole, to the sulky.


⚫
An "improved sulky" with [[pneumatic tires]] and [[Adjustable Height Control|adjustable height]] was [[patent]]ed at the [[United States Patent and Trademark Office|United States Patent Office]] by [[W.J. Hamill]] on August 15, 1893. (see [[Google Patents]])
⚫
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]].
⚫
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 Raceway|Freehold, NJ]]. Today the great majority of sulky [[Manufacturing|manufacturers]] in North America are producing asymmetric sulkies.
===Sulkies used in harness racing===
[[File:Vienna - Trotting racer at the Krieau - 6602.jpg|thumb|Racing sulky]]
⚫
There are two types of sulkies used in [[harness racing]].


⚫
An additional sulky type is the "team-to-pole" or "pairs" sulky, a lightweight single seat sulky designed for [[draft horse|draft]] by two horses abreast.
⚫
* [[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 (mechanics)|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 [[Aerodynamics|aerodynamic]] than a jog cart, have smaller seats that reduce weight, but require more [[Athletics (physical culture)|athleticism]] for the driver to sit upon. Shafts may be of [[Carbon fibers|carbon fibre]], [[Aluminium|aluminum]], [[titanium]], [[stainless steel]] or, less often, [[wood]].
⚫
* Speed Carts have a similar design to race bikes in a single seat and [[Stirrup|stirrups]] for the driver, but have [[road-going tires]], [[Mudflap|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.


⚫
These may also be split into two types:
⚫
When it rains, or the track has excessive [[moisture]], trainers and drivers are required to put plastic [[mud flap]]s 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.
* 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.
==Dog sulky==
{{tone|date=July 2021}} {{verbosity|date=July 2021}}


⚫
==See also==
[[Image:Hundewa.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Sacco Wagon]]
⚫
* [[Roadster (horse)]]
[[File:Goat racing.JPG|thumb|Juniors racing feral goats that are pulling sulkies]]
⚫
* [[Horse-drawn vehicle]]
⚫
* [[Carting|Dog carting]]


⚫
==References==
Sulkies can also be used with dogs, both for racing and as transportation. The dog driving sulkies can be divided into two main types:
⚫
{{reflist|refs=
* Conventional two-shaft carts attaching to a harness on either side of the dog.
* Single-shaft dorsal hitch carts, which attach to a single point on top of the dog's shoulders.


<ref name="carlisle">{{cite book |title=The Carriages at Shelburne Museum |first=Lilian Baker |last=Carlisle |year=1956 |publisher=[[Shelburne Museum]] |isbn= |ol=6215577M |page=50}}</ref>
A further distinction may be made between sulkies with the axles rigidly connected to the vehicle, and those with the axles insulated from the vehicle by springs and dampers. Those with springs and dampers may be further divided into single-axle sprung carts and "independent suspension" sprung and damped carts.


<ref name="loggingsulky">{{Cite web |url=https://www.recoftc.org/sites/default/files/publications/resources/recoftc-0000226-0001-en.pdf |title=Manually operated sulkies |publisher=RECOFTC - The Center for People and Forests |year=2015}}</ref>
Construction materials can be made from timber, through powder-coated steel tube, aluminum tube, and stainless steel tube. The very latest types (currently undergoing field tests in California) use nanotechnology-based stainless steels of prodigious strength-to-weight ratio.


<ref name="smith">{{cite book |title=A Dictionary of Horse Drawn Vehicles |first=D.J.M. |last=Smith |year=1988 |publisher=J. A. Allen & Co. Ltd. |isbn=0851314686 |ol=11597864M |pages=92, 157 |quote=Sulky. Any type of vehicle or farm implement with room on the driving seat for one person only, rather than having a shared or double cross-bench. Said to have been chosen by unsociable people fond of their own company or fits of sulking.}}</ref>
The great majority of driving sulkies available have the wheel axles rigidly affixed to the frames. This makes for a rough ride on anything but smooth surfaces such as pavement. But in recent years lightweight, single shaft, independent suspension, driving sulkies have been introduced. These allow safe high speed use in off-road conditions.


<ref name="walrond79">{{cite book |title=The Encyclopaedia of Driving |first=Sallie |last=Walrond |year=1979 |publisher=Country Life Books |isbn=0600331822 |ol=4175648M |page=259 |quote=Sulky. A low single-seat vehicle which is built of tubular steel and has two small pneumatic-tyred wheels. It is used for trotting and pacing races. Early Sulkies were built with a single seat on a high framework above large wheels. They were so named because of the solitary confinement of the driver.}}</ref>
The most recent designs are of the single shaft type, as proponents believe that this type gives the dog(s) greater freedom, less possibility of injury, and a quicker and easier training regime. A single shaft dog sulky, made of stainless steel tube and fitted with independent suspension and disc brakes, weighs a little under 18&nbsp;kg. The highest speed so far recorded in one of these sulkies is 64.8 kilometers per hour.{{cn|date=April 2022}}


}}
⚫
==See also==
⚫
* Dog [[carting]]
⚫
* [[Roadster (horse)]]
⚫
* [[Horse-drawn vehicle]]


== External links ==
⚫
==References==
* {{Cite web |title=Evolution of the Sulky |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1vavsN9xz8 |date=May 25, 2009 |publisher=PostTimeShow |via=YouTube}}
⚫
{{reflist}}


{{Horse-drawn carriages|state=expanded}}
{{Horse-drawn carriages|state=expanded}}

Latest revision as of 04:02, 18 September 2024

For the adjective, see Wiktionary:sulky.
This article is about the type of horse cart. For the locality in Australia, see Sulky, Victoria.

Harness racing sulky (2007)
Horse show sulky for roadster classes (2012)
Wooden racing sulky (c. 1895–1910)
Horse-drawn mower with a "sulky seat"[1]

A sulky is a lightweight cart used for harness racing. It has two wheels and a small seat for only a single driver. The modern racing sulky has shafts that extend in a continuous bow behind the driver's seat, with wire-spoked "bike" wheels and inflated tyres.[1][2] A sulky is frequently called a "bike". Historically, sulkies were built for trotting matches and made from wood with very tall wheels and almost no body, just a simple frame supporting a single seat.[3] Such vehicles were called "sulkies" because they were "said to have been chosen by unsociable people fond of their own company or fits of sulking".[1]

A horse show vehicle used in roadster classes is also called a sulky. The drivers dress in racing silks and show their horses at a fast trot around the showring.[4]

Other uses of the term sulky include:

  • the single metal seat found on many horse-drawn agricultural implements such as ploughs, mowers and rakes.[1]
  • the logging arch, a log-transport tool on wheels, is also called a logging sulky and may be towed manually or by horses or tractors.[5]

Harness racing

[edit]

There are three types of sulkies used in harness racing.

  • Race Bikes are the only style allowed to be used in races or qualifying heats. They are more compact and aerodynamics 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.
  • 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.
  • 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 to be approved. Race bikes may not have any component that will directly interfere with another horse or driver.

Race sulkies come in two categories:

  • Traditional symmetrical sulkies
  • Asymmetric or "offset" sulkies

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.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d Smith, D.J.M. (1988). A Dictionary of Horse Drawn Vehicles. J. A. Allen & Co. Ltd. pp. 92, 157. ISBN 0851314686. OL 11597864M. Sulky. Any type of vehicle or farm implement with room on the driving seat for one person only, rather than having a shared or double cross-bench. Said to have been chosen by unsociable people fond of their own company or fits of sulking.
  2. ^ Walrond, Sallie (1979). The Encyclopaedia of Driving. Country Life Books. p. 259. ISBN 0600331822. OL 4175648M. Sulky. A low single-seat vehicle which is built of tubular steel and has two small pneumatic-tyred wheels. It is used for trotting and pacing races. Early Sulkies were built with a single seat on a high framework above large wheels. They were so named because of the solitary confinement of the driver.
  3. ^ Carlisle, Lilian Baker (1956). The Carriages at Shelburne Museum. Shelburne Museum. p. 50. OL 6215577M.
  4. ^ "Roadster". United States Equestrian Federation.
  5. ^ "Manually operated sulkies" (PDF). RECOFTC - The Center for People and Forests. 2015.
[edit]
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