Hickory Knoll Farm manufactures, imports and restores carts and carriages for pleasure, distance and combined driving. Vehicles and accessories are imported from Germany, Poland, and Hungary.
Used vehicles are usually available.
Parts and service: We stock many parts and provide full service for all the vehicles we sell. New vehicles have a one-year warranty that covers everything but damage caused by driver error and accidents. Most parts, such as brake pads, can be shipped to you overnight.
Special orders can be made and are usually delivered within ten weeks of order date.
We encourage fitting and test driving. With three drivers in the family, we have extensive experience in putting together horses, ponies, harness and vehicles. We encourage prospective buyers to try out stock vehicles here at the farm.
Euro exchange rates are always changing. Our prices vary depending on the exchange rate. Prices are quoted for delivery at our shop in Fitchburg. Sales tax applies unless exempted.
We carry an extensive line of Marathon Vehicles sized from small pony to warm blood four-in-hand in weights from 160kg to 380kg. The following are just some of the vehicles we offer.
Marathon Vehicles
Pneumatic tires are a popular option. With quick-change hubs, your vehicle can be switched from pneumatic to solid wheels in less than twenty minutes. The pneumatics are easier to pull in sand and snow and give a more pleasant ride.
VSE sized marathon vehicles are also available and are suitable for pairs of Shetlands and VSEs. Prices start at $3,900 for the smallest 240-pound vehicle.
A Note on Weight
Some of the worst driving experiences are caused by light weight. A light vehicle can be uncontrollable in turns. Those turns may come when you are driving hard in a marathon obstacle or trying to bring down a runaway. The power of the horse can produce enough lateral acceleration that a light vehicle will be thrown from side to side or will slide uncontrollably.
The worst offenders tend to be pair drivers where we have seen good marathons sections slowed because the pair overwhelmed the steering of the marathon as soon as they went fast. We have also seen pair drivers with 200 pounds of scrap metal welded to the grooms platform — not the best thing to do to a carriage.
To complete at the USEF or FEI level you need at least a 330-pound vehicle behind your horse, 495 behind your pony pair and 770 for horse pairs. Horse fours need to pull over 1300 pounds. These limits were established in the interest of safety for advanced drivers. There is no way a beginning or training level driver should consider going lighter than do the best in the sport.
Light also frequently means weak. We use stainless steel to reduce weight, but unless you go to carbon fiber, a strong steel vehicle will weigh around 300 pounds at the lightest, except for mini and a few small pony marathons. Redundant connections are required in marathons to prevent damage under the strain put on them. When you look at any vehicle, find the primary and secondary, and often the tertiary connection points that provide stiffness and security. You may find them easily on our light Bobcat. In a very light vehicle, you may only have one connection point and that is a vehicle where the horse may leave with part of it if something harsh happens.
Falcon
This simple light marathon is suitable for small to medium horses. The weight ranges from 290 to 375 and it is suitable for training.
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Bobcat
We make horse and pony sizes of mild steel or lighter stainless steel. The options allow the vehicle to be configured through the advanced level with delayed steering and fifth wheel brake, or kept simple. Stability and speed are excellent and the weight is quite low.
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Tomcat
This is one of our most popular vehicles. Simple, strong, and adaptable for light pairs as well as driving single. Options include quick change hubs with pneumatic tires. It has four seats and four wheel disk brakes. Extension platforms, lamp brackets and other options are available.
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Tiger
The Tiger is a newer design for serious single horse drivers. It is more sophisticated than the Tomcat and also has a long list of available options including conversion for light pairs.
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Lynx
This is a true world class pony pair marathon. It meets FEI weight limits and has been used in the World Championships. Weights run from 495 to 575 depending on options.
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Horse Pairs
The Leopard, HDS, Bearcat and Buffalo are all pair vehicles of various weights to accommodate horse pairs. While the Leopard meets pony FEI weights, the other three meet FEI horse weight allowances. They all have optional air ride that can be adjusted for training or competition. These are very strong and safe vehicles for larger pairs.
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Trainers
We offer a variety of trainers. Many seating configurations are available, including a wagonette style. While the M340 looks like a marathon the Yale is more of a handy wagonette. A large number of options are available on all.
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Four-in-Hand
We offer four-in-hand vehicles that meet FEI standards for the advanced international level.
Photos coming soon.
Pleasure and Commercial Vehicles
We offer Pleasure Carriages and the more usual type of such as spiders, breaks, and wagonettes, but also some European traditional types such as Linzerwagons and Achenback Jagdwagen. A full line of Draft Vehicles and Commercial Carriages is also available.
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