A team of horses and a sleigh at the Horse Drawn Okanagan sleigh ride event on a farm in North Okanagan.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Coralie Nairn Photography
December 17, 2022 - 7:00 PM
One way to embrace the winter weather and holiday season is to take a sleigh ride through the snow, with steaming horses, jingling sleigh bells and chilly air.
It’s a nice way to spend time with family and friends, sing carols and enjoy a hot drink while taking in the snowy scenery.
“We keep the focus on the horses and the connection with the horses and nature,” said owner at Horse Drawn Okanagan, Kelly MacIntosh. “It is about bringing families together and making wonderful memories.”
It is the sixth year MacIntosh’s big draft horses are pulling sleighs for the holidays, with one year missed due to COVID, and she loves it. There has never been a problem filling the sleighs every season.
MacIntosh loves showcasing her beautiful draft horses and celebrating their role in Canadian history, and in the past has enjoyed watching visitors from around the world interact with them.
“Draft horses are heavy horses that have historically been used for transportation and agriculture,” she said. “We depended on them to bring us to the modern world. Owners have them today because they are passionate about them. It is special for us to keep them going and emphasize what they’ve provided to Canadians.”
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She said historically, transportation in the winter was ideal because in spring and fall there was a lot of mud. Often roads were not accessible. Once horses were on the snow, their load was lessened because the sleighs would glide.
While MacIntosh has driven draft horses for many years, the sleigh rides were prompted by interest from the public in family-friendly, affordable sleigh rides during the day to better suit young children and their grandparents.
“We love sharing our horses with the public,” she said. “In some cases, people have never seen a draft horse up close. For some visiting in the Okanagan, it is their first experience in the Canadian outdoors with snow and sleighs. It is nice to share what we have.”
Visitors are pulled through an open hay field for about half an hour and then take photos with the gentle giants, before tucking in around a bonfire for hot chocolate and cookies.
The sound of jingling sleigh bells is a quintessential part of the experience.
“Traditionally sleigh bells were worn to warn oncoming sleighs you were coming, and to let you know when other teams were approaching,” MacIntosh said. “The bells would be unique to the owner so you started to know who everyone was by their sound. Everyone loves bells.”
A team of horses and a sleigh at the Horse Drawn Okanagan sleigh ride event on a farm in North Okanagan.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ Coralie Nairn Photography
Visitors should be dressed warmly to enjoy the ride comfortably and bring their cameras to capture the stunning open scenery and take photos with the horses.
Every year the farm donates the proceeds from the rides to a different charity, and this year the donation is going to B.C. Cancer Foundation.
“We raise money through local sponsorships at our sleigh ride event,” MacIntosh said. “We love the idea of giving experiences as Christmas gifts but giving to a charitable organization is also rewarding. We offer the event as a way to give back to the community by sharing our passion for draft horses.”
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Okanagan Horse Drawn runs the sleigh ride event from Dec. 22 to Dec. 30, not including Christmas day, at their farm at 4735 Grandview Flats Road in Spallumcheen.
“I love seeing the steam off the horses’ backs and hearing the sound of the crunching snow,” MacIntosh said. “I love rides just after dark, under the stars, and simply enjoying the outdoors.”
Go here for more information on Horse Drawn Okanagan.
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