RACING SULKY
Framework and wheels painted yellow.
This type of two-wheel cart was used for exercising and racing trotting horses. Built as light as possible with practically no body work, these sulkies were really mere frames supporting the single seat.
From mid-19th century, trotting parks and race tracks were established in the New England states. These were the natural outgrowth of the impromptu brushes between drivers on the road. The trot is the most comfortable for the driver and the easiest gait for the horse in harness, and then too the New England Puritan conscience could be quieted with the explanation that light harness racing was in reality an attempt to improve the breed of trotters. Races at local fair grounds gave breeders a chance to see their home-grown stock in action and competition with the “experts” on tour. A prize-winning performance on the track always influenced prices, and many a farmer dreamed of raising a trotter that would one day bring him real fame.
