One of my passions has always been animals and especially horses. I grew up riding Western and English, had a pony named Silver who drove a sulky and then a buckskin named Amigo who was as nice as a horse can be. Then came the thoroughbred Lancer who would fly like the wind and could never walk back to the barn. Then I rode Sundance, who always had to be the first horse in the front of the pack and could do rearing tricks. I had to give horses up while I attended college and then worked in Boston. After I moved back to the Upper Valley, I immediately came back to my passion of having horses in my life. My father Carl and his wife Candy own a farm in Ocala FL and breed Shires and have taught us how to drive.
This past weekend we did a wedding for some friends in Woodstock, Vermont. Crusader and Prince Baron are two horses Carl and Candy bred and trained on their farm in Ocala FL. Carl designed the new white carriage and it was imported from Poland. We had the show harnesses made in Indiana. Prepping for this event starts days before and includes washing the carriage, stocking the trailer, loading the carriage, washing the horses and being sure to get their feathers on their legs nice and white. Our good friend Emily Anderson helped us get everything ready on the big day. Ingrid drove the bride and all of her bridesmaids and flower girls to the top of the hill for the ceremony. Chris walked alongside the carriage to be sure all went well. After the ceremony we picked up the bride and groom and drove them back down to the reception. It was amazing to see all of the smiles in the crowd, the enjoyment of the ones who were riding in the carriage and feel the pride that the horses exude at being part of such a spectacular event.
