Simon Mulholland Saddlechariot iBex

[ehem User]

Hi.
I have joined this forum because I know that people here are looking at my Pony Access and saddlechariot websites. Unfortunately, as a good citizen of the UK, I speak no other language, and just shout loudly at foreigners, so I must apologise for writing in English.
I have been around ponies for most of my life but only got seriously interested 15 years ago when I decided that my children's small pony, Henry, needed a vehicle. Since I am large 1.85m, heavy, 110kg and a coward, I wanted a safe, one man (Henry was only 1m high) vehicle.
Since there was no safe vehicle on the market, I designed and built the Saddlechariot. I have been driving it happily for 15 years and now, with Obama, my 1.2m, black and white pony, I drive 50 to 60km every week, on roads and cross country.
I also provide wheelchair access, and designed and built the iBex, a safe, pony drawn, wheelchair accessible vehicle.
I want inclusion to be taken seriously in the UK, and I can take people who use wheelchairs on beaches, across Dartmoor, through mud and rivers and fields. Actually, I say I can take people. Obama the pony does all the work.
ponyaccess.com is my main website.
I will be happy to answer any questions.
Simon Mulholland,
Pony Access.

[ehem User]

Hi Simon,

great to see you here! I have actually seen one of your Saddlechariots in Cheltenham, while I lived there. Remember Angus the Welsh Pony and his owner Pat? It is a small world after all!

[ehem User]

I remember Angus very well. He came to me as a totally wild pony, done nothing, knew nothing. This video http://youtu.be/ggj_2-AvAlU was shot as one continuous take. This was after about 7 days of training, and is a classic example of me showing off. But it also shows how safe my Saddlechariot system is, that I can be this stupid, and still put the pony in the Saddlechariot.
And Angus is still great. So are Charlotte and Patrick.

[ehem User]

Swedenfox, the Saddlechariot fits any horse or pony. I have driven 0.8m to 1.8m and it can do bigger and smaller. The iBex is the same. It works with big horses and down to 0.8m ponies. Ponies are better because as the height increases, the brain decreases.

[Candyline]

Hello Simon,

welcome to our forum. you have a very interesting homepage

Ponies are better because as the height increases, the brain decreases.

that is a true statement! i look after a horse and a pony and can confirm that.

[ehem User]

Awwww - that is so Angus! My daughter started him riding and he was just the same - stand still and start shooting forward

Send my regard s to Charlotte end Patrick from the crazy Germans!

Hope you will find a new fanclub for your chariots over here!

[Shieldmaiden]

Hello Simon,

how nice to have a fellow UK citizen on the forum Sadly i'm on the other half of the island in Cambridgeshire, but you never know, maybe one day our paths will cross.

Tina

[lungomare]

wow, Nice to read you! It was me who started the discussion about the saddlechariots as one of my hoofcare clients told me about it! So, I'm looking forward to reading your experiences and information on the SC

[ehem User]

Lungomare, glad to meet you. I can only read the discussion at the moment as I am a new member of the forum and can't post, but there is one major misunderstanding, that the pony is too close to the vehicle. I have no problems at a gallop or even jumping the Saddlechariot. In 14 years I have never had the vehicle touch the pony or vice versa. There is also an assumption that the wheels are too small. Obama likes to gallop across country, on Dartmoor. For choice I use the 400mm wheels as they are safer and more stable than the 550mm. The 550mm wheels and tyres look cool, and are slightly more comfortable on some surfaces, but the minute the going gets tough I revert to the standard Saddlechariot. It is just awesomely good fun.
Most of my serious driving is now done in the iBex as I am concentrating on developing all terrain wheelchair access, but for exercise, I take out the Saddlechariot. Obama has just driven into Exeter City Centre and back, 12km as a nice easy exercise session.

[ehem User]

Tina, hi. We ought to meet up. Obama and I are at the Open University in Milton Keynes discussing animal training next Friday and we may be up there quite regularly as I am working with the Open University to develop a joystick based control system for Obama so the people with disabilities who want to drive but can't handle the reins, have a control system.