Sleigh rides this year were a challenge, but we did it!
After several changes to our plans for our 4th annual sleigh ride event due to the changing conditions of Covid-19, we were able to find a balance between offering our fun-filled family event, and keeping everyone safe and healthy. With reduced capacity on our sleighs, spaced out activities in the covered arena, and mandatory masks, we were confident our efforts would still deliver a winter wonderland experience with our horses.
This came with some confusion while booking tickets, and we apologize for that. Hopefully we can return to our original format next season. Then the frigid temperatures hit and with it, came blustery wind and blowing snow. We love the snow, but the weather was more extreme than we’ve experienced in previous years and our focus turned to safety and comfort for our crew, volunteers, guests, and our horses. The wind blew so hard you could no longer see our sleigh trails no matter how many times a day we rolled it. Vehicles were getting stuck in the driveway, snow was blowing inside the barn, and the horses water bowls were freezing. Unfortunately, we had to cancel our rides on Boxing Day, the first time we have ever had to make a cancellation. This was just as disappointing to us as our guests, but we had to get things in order to be able to invite guests back to the farm to enjoy another day on the sleighs.
The remaining days were cold. Our toes froze and so did our phones (sorry if we missed your email or call). But basically everything else was working fine - the fire and hot cocoa sure did the trick by helping keep everyone warm! One thing we know for sure, even when the truck won’t start, the horses will ALWAYS start and happily work without hesitation. The cold weather does not effect the horses like it does humans. Keep in mind horses live outdoors, they grow a coat to protect them from the elements and as long as they are provided with shelter, a wind break, and plenty of fresh water and hay, they will thrive. We made our sleigh route a little shorter on those cold days, and we didn’t trot the horses very much so they were never breathing hard, and they drove like champs every single day. We are so thankful for our incredible horses.
Even though it was a challenging year for us to host our event, we are grateful for the many wonderful experiences we encountered with our guests and we hope many more were had. We are going to take some time now to rest and recover, horses included. Before we even talk about 2022 sleigh rides, I think we’ll be looking for the warmth and comfort that spring will bring us, or at least weather conditions that means we don’t have to “suit up” every time we go outdoors.
Thank you to everyone who supported our event in 2021 and Happy New Year! With your support, we were able to donate to the Canadian Red Cross - BC Fires Relief, and Equisdom Therapeutic Horsemanship Association.