Drafting

Google 'drafting cart plans':

http://www.twilightbmd.com/Drafting.htm

Are you planning to have him pull you or just the cart?

More ...

http://www.bmd.org/working/draftreg.html

(I'm looking for a particular picture I saw years ago!)

Ok, I'm just gonna put all these in one post.

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/smmarcus/pvccartp.htm

http://www.sonic.net/~cdlcruz/carting/pvccart.htm

http://www.ikonsuspension.com/images/customer-projects-dog-sulky-4-lg.jpg

He would likely only ever pull young kids. We eventually want to enter into our local Santa Clause parade, and we would have a kid or two in the cart. It`s just for fun I want to do it though.
 
Thanks for the links, a bunch I`d already seen but not the one with the good plan!
 
-sarah

I got this hand drawing from the lad from whom I bought a pattern to make an x-back racing harness. You might use it as a base to start from and extend from the back to carry more weight.

I know it's not much and I believe the measurements are in centimeters but it's a basic design that you could certainly improve upon.

You'd be surprised at the weight a dog can pull.  At 82 pounds my husky can pull 140 at top speed.  Not forever but he can make that sled get air time.  Since you won't be going for speed I would think that this much weight shouldn't be much trouble at all.  Crusher was pulling at 10 months, mind you it was on snow not pavement.  And he wasnt always running.  But then his breed was meant for pulling.  Crusher's brother was putting on miles a day pulling that weight at a run for a good part of it.

If you are walking beside him and he doesn't need to learn any commands other than a good heel, you should be in business pretty quick.  Get a good harness.   Sorry I know nothing about draft harnesses.  But I do know that an insufficient or improperly fitted harness can chafe and cause injury.  Start slow but after he is comfy with the noise and the feel of pulling, progress is usually pretty quick in the weight area.

Have fun!

Just wondering if the small carts meant for Miniature Horses would work for the larger breeds of dogs like Berners and Newfies? Seems like they are similar size. A different harness would need to be used.

Wooh! Look what I found:
http://www.pacifier.com/~carriage/

I don't think they have plans, but maybe you could look at their products to get a better idea of what you'd like.