Carting is a dog sport or activity in which a
dogThe dog is a domesticated form of the Gray Wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The domestic dog has been one of the most widely kept working and companion animals in human history...
(usually a large
breedDog breeds are groups of closely related and visibly similar domestic dogs, which are all of the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris, having characteristic traits that are selected and maintained by humans, bred from a known foundation stock....
) pulls a
DogcartA dogcart is a cart pulled by one or more dogs. The traditional varieties are rare:* Dog carts pulled by a single dog were sometimes used by peddlers....
filled with supplies, such as farm goods or firewood, but sometimes pulling people. Carting as a sport is also known as
dryland mushingMushing is a general term for a sport or transport method powered by dogs, and includes carting, pulka, scootering, sled dog racing, skijoring, freighting, and weight pulling. More specifically, it implies the use of one or more dogs to pull a sled on snow. The term is thought to come from the...
and is practiced all around the world, often to keep winter
sled dogSled dogs, known also as sleightman dogs, sledge dogs, or sleddogs are types of dogs that are used to pull a wheel-less vehicle on runners over snow or ice, by means of harnesses and lines...
s in competition form during the off-season. (Note that the term "
dogcartA dogcart is a light horse-drawn vehicle. There are several types:* A one-horse carriage, usually two-wheeled and high, with two transverse seats set back to back. It was known as a "bounder" in British slang...
" is primarily used to mean a particular type of light
horse-drawn vehicleHorse-drawn vehicles were once common worldwide, but they have mostly been replaced by automobiles and other forms of self-propelled transport.-General:...
.)
A variety of carting is
sulkyA sulky is a lightweight cart having two wheels and a seat for the driver only but usually without a body, generally pulled by horses or dogs, and is used for harness races...
driving, where a dog or dogs pulls a two-wheeled cart (sulky) with a person riding in the sulky.
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Carting is a dog sport or activity in which a
dogThe dog is a domesticated form of the Gray Wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The domestic dog has been one of the most widely kept working and companion animals in human history...
(usually a large
breedDog breeds are groups of closely related and visibly similar domestic dogs, which are all of the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris, having characteristic traits that are selected and maintained by humans, bred from a known foundation stock....
) pulls a
DogcartA dogcart is a cart pulled by one or more dogs. The traditional varieties are rare:* Dog carts pulled by a single dog were sometimes used by peddlers....
filled with supplies, such as farm goods or firewood, but sometimes pulling people. Carting as a sport is also known as
dryland mushingMushing is a general term for a sport or transport method powered by dogs, and includes carting, pulka, scootering, sled dog racing, skijoring, freighting, and weight pulling. More specifically, it implies the use of one or more dogs to pull a sled on snow. The term is thought to come from the...
and is practiced all around the world, often to keep winter
sled dogSled dogs, known also as sleightman dogs, sledge dogs, or sleddogs are types of dogs that are used to pull a wheel-less vehicle on runners over snow or ice, by means of harnesses and lines...
s in competition form during the off-season. (Note that the term "
dogcartA dogcart is a light horse-drawn vehicle. There are several types:* A one-horse carriage, usually two-wheeled and high, with two transverse seats set back to back. It was known as a "bounder" in British slang...
" is primarily used to mean a particular type of light
horse-drawn vehicleHorse-drawn vehicles were once common worldwide, but they have mostly been replaced by automobiles and other forms of self-propelled transport.-General:...
.)
Sulky driving
A variety of carting is
sulkyA sulky is a lightweight cart having two wheels and a seat for the driver only but usually without a body, generally pulled by horses or dogs, and is used for harness races...
driving, where a dog or dogs pulls a two-wheeled cart (sulky) with a person riding in the sulky. This sport offers both exercise and discipline opportunities for energetic breeds. Many working breeds are happier when given a job or task, and carting / sulky driving can be a rewarding hobby for both dog and owner.
Dogs from 15 kg body weight and upwards are able to pull an adult and a sulky comfortably. The general rule is that the total load (sulky and driver) should not exceed three times the weight of the dog doing the pulling. If, for example, the sulky and driver totaled 150 kg, then the weight of the dog pulling would need to be at least 50 kg. Smaller dogs may be used as long as the cart is of a type which can handle multiple dog draft, and the combined weight of the dogs pulling is at least one third of the load being pulled.
Dryland mushing
Dryland mushing is distinguished from sulky driving in that the cart, or dryland rig, is attached to the dog in the same manner as a team to a sled. The cart has three or four wheels, with the driver either sitting or standing, depending on the cart construction. The International Federation of Sled Dog Sports sponsors one of the largest dryland mushing events in the world, the IFSS Dryland World Championship.
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