Rural Heritage June/July 2026

ball set-up on the cart in seconds. It allows for moving a trailer or, in my case, my log splitter. There are inserts available at most farm stores and auto parts stores that are compatible with the receiver. There is a plain “drop” with just a hole where the trailer ball goes. This works well for pulling anything with a pin or clevis. There is also one that looks like a hook. A chain or ring slips over the hook for quick hook ups. I use one at times for the garden drag. I also modified a piece of equipment that Harbor Freight sells, called a “load extender.” This is designed to slip into the Reese receiver on a pickup truck. It is sort of L-shaped and sticks out past the tailgate of the truck. This piece of equipment lets you haul 10-foot lumber in a 6-foot bed. The lumber sticks out of the bed and rests on the T-shaped part of the “load extender.” Hopefully this will all make sense after you see my pictures. I modified mine to use for leading a horse behind the cart. All I had to do was drill a hole where I wanted the pin for the receiver to go and add a gusset for strength. I was able to buy the “load extender” cheaper than the metal would have cost to build it from scratch. It works well, but make sure the horse being led is safe. A strong, rank horse could possibly lift your cart off the ground or certainly shake you up a bit. The female receiver welded to my cart allows me to use these things and more. Only my ideas hold me back. These same pieces of equipment can be used on our side by-side, or even the hitch on my truck. This conversion is versatile, economical and useful. Oh yeah, did I mention cheap too?

Tools and other supplies can be brought along with a carrier attached to the Reese hitch.

Two horses can be led behind the forecart using this attachment.

Rural Heritage

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