Roading with a UTV

[Scott Linden]

Titan is sending me a UTV for use on my show (keep it to yourself - I KNOW it's a dirty job). I want to start roading my dogs with it and sure could use your advice on rigging it right. Tips, ideas, recommendations on gear anyone? Thanks.

[SCT]

I built my apparatus out of wood, but I think my next will be out of iron. You just need to make sure the dogs are far enough out in front to where there is no chance that they, or a leg, can get under a tire. There are several good harnesses on the market. I'm teaching my 7 month old pups to turn by roading them off foot. They like it, it's great exercise, and they are learning to turn to my voice commands, as well as sending them forward with one toot of the whistle.

Steve

[Neil]

I mounted square tubing on the dash just outside the upright rollbar on my 1998 Kmule, (1"3/4" inside a 2"), then another coming out of a hole I cut in the bed, so I could road 4 dogs at a time off to the side.

Got a new 2012 Trans Kmule and the front is much different, so I am going to an in front set up, Which I don't like.

I will build it out of alluminum tubing to keep it light, as it is going tb 10 feet or so out front so you can see the dogs.

So it depends which UTV.

[Saddle]

My setup slides into the receiver hitch on the front of my Arctic Cat.

[Neil]

I looked at their site, if it is the Explorer you could attact to the front bumper or front rack and road from the side. If the Scout. I think you are going to have to go out front, like saddle said, a receiver hitch will work, although with heavy use they are prone to break if you don't have an upper support, like another receiver on the top roll bar.

The goal is to keep the dogs in sight at all times and ensure no matter what happens they can't get under a tire. Safety first.

[DGFavor]

My set up:

http://www.vimeo.com/59545508

[Scott Linden]

I looked at their site, if it is the Explorer you could attact to the front bumper or front rack and road from the side. If the Scout. I think you are going to have to go out front, like saddle said, a receiver hitch will work, although with heavy use they are prone to break if you don't have an upper support, like another receiver on the top roll bar.

The goal is to keep the dogs in sight at all times and ensure no matter what happens they can't get under a tire. Safety first.

Yep, Scout. Thanks for the suggestion.

[Ghosted3]

My set up:

http://www.vimeo.com/59545508

Nice! Was that a home made one or a bought item?

Corry

[DGFavor]

Nice! Was that a home made one or a bought item?

Some of both...can't remember for certain but pretty certain I got it from LCS, pretty standard two bar receiver set up with 4 extension bars...I gave a buddy two of the extension bars as I didn't need them (I don't like roading dogs on passenger side of ranger as can't keep an eye on them as well). I didn't like the distance (too close) nor the height with the setup "as sold" so took the extensions to a welding/fab shop and had them put bends in the bars to give me about another 8" of rise and or drop depending on orientation as well as welded on about a foot of length to each to get them away from the rig a little more. I got the idea to mount the rear one behind the cab from Doco on here - he does/did his a little different but opened my eyes to the possibilities.

I think it's probably dependent on where you "road" but I like the dogs on the side - I pretty much work them down a few mile straightaway then do a 180 degree turn to come back...I think it's easier to sharply turn them on the side than swinging them around off the front...where I do it, I'd be dangling them out over an irrigation ditch to make the turn. I'd prefer them out front if I had a nice long loop course with gentle turns.

[Neil]

The only way I would want them to the front is if I had to road in thick woods with a narrow trail.

[DGFavor]

The reason I think out front would be nice is they'd all be working abreast in a line...in my setup, during the summer the back dogs suck in some serious dust at times and in the spring take on some serious mud at times...be nice to give them all "clean air". I think I'd be a nervous wreck I was going to run them over though having them out front!

[Ghosted3]

The reason I think out front would be nice is they'd all be working abreast in a line...in my setup, during the summer the back dogs suck in some serious dust at times and in the spring take on some serious mud at times...be nice to give them all "clean air". I think I'd be a nervous wreck I was going to run them over though having them out front!

Maybe there is a way to design it to have just enough rope or whatever material that you would use to tether them to the rig in front of the UTV that if the dog was to trip it would still not be able to go under the UTV. Rigging might have to go 4 feet in front of the UTV, with a 10 inch tie out or something, but I am sure that it could be done by someone with decent fabrication skills.

Corry