Dog Walking Carts Catching On Fast

Dog Walking Carts Catching On Fast AG WORLD 27-3-23 If you've got a dog that needs more exercise, and you're the kind of person who likes to entertain your neighbors, the growing "sport" of dog carting may be for you. Manufacturers of dog-pulled carts say business is booming. R.J. Walsh and Sons have been making harness racing carts for horses for 40 years. A few years ago the company discovered there's a market for dog carts, too. The company now makes a variety of carts to fit all kinds of dogs. Darlette Ratschan, Santa Clarita, Calif., who has used a Walsh cart, has been dog carting for more than two years. She says some people like carts they can ride in. Others want to walk alongside. Unlike traditional double shaft carts, which hang from the sides of a harness, Walsh's dorsal hitch extends up and over the back of the animal to a point just behind the front shoulders where it attaches to the harness. The adjustable sulky seat and footrests are carefully balanced over the wheels to produce a slight negative pressure on the animal. "The dorsal hitch is easier on the dog, and he isn't restricted as he is in a straight shaft cart," explains Ratschan. "If another dog rushes up, your dog can turn to meet it. Also, your dog doesn't get knocked over sideways if the cart turns over." Currently, Walsh makes the Millennium Mini and the City Mini. Both are priced at $651 (U.S.) plus $180 shipping. The City Mini is slightly smaller with a narrower wheelbase for the confines of city spaces. The sulkies feature a stainless steel chassis, 24-in. reinforced nylon wheels with industrial ball bearings, steel axles and springs, pneumatic tires, a molded plastic seat and Ikon shock absorbers. Extras include disc brakes, a speedometer, 26- and 28-in. steel-spoked wheels and padded seats. A multiple hitch for up to three dogs is available. Ratschan has developed her own harness for the Walsh sulkies, which she makes and sells for $90 through her company TZLites. "It is like a mini bareback pad for a horse with padding for the hitch and big wide webbing for the harness," she says. "The dogs wear reins which attach either to a halter or to a dual ring collar." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, R.J. Walsh & Son P/L, Box 229, Padstow NSW 2211 Australia (ph 612 9707-3411 fax 612 9707-3629 ; email: jimw@comcen.com.au; website: www.rjwalsh.com.au/mini) or Darlette Ratschan (ph 661 255-2657; email: tzlites@aol.com; website: http://hometown.aol.com/tzlites/tzlitesp1.html).

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