Horse Drawn Slides or Sleds

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Assorted Horse-drawn Slides or Sleds - a pictorial display from Qld

Most poeple tend to make their own slides. The sizes of the slides pictured here vary from 1.2 to 1.65 m long, and 0.9 to 1.2 m wide. The length of a bale of hay makes a good width for a slide. The best design is to have the chain from the front attached outside the runners, not between them. Runner height is usually 20-28 cm.	Some have timber runners which are quieter, and some have steel truss-type runners. Almost all have steel bar underneath the runners to prevent wear. All have a timber deck, with the planks sometimes running lengthways, and sometimes widthways, and occasionally exterior plywood or form ply is used, but it tends to be slippery and doesn't last as well as solid timber planks.


This slide is 940 wide x 1500 long and 200 high




Below is a scan from a page of The Australasian Coachbuilder & Wheelwright trade journal from 1913. This particular set of measurements is interesting-useful-but at 16" or 40cm, it is considered rather high off the ground in today's heavy horse world in Australia. It is also a good idea to attach the chain or links to the outside of the runners, rather than in between them as shown here. Many people these days make them a bit wider than shown here, too-as wide as an average square bale of hay-so that the driver can sit on it, or use it to safely carry several bales without them overhanging the sides and getting caught on gate posts, fences etc.

Graham Green has kindly drawn these plans, based on photos above, at 940 x 1500 x 200mm but you could alter a scale to suit yourself...