The Princess's Carriage

Carriage Rental in Arkansas- part 2

2012-02-16T12:32:00.002-06:00

The difference between one carriage service and the next is all about the extras! and being able to work with someone who is willing to go that extra mile. i.e. Sometimes I get asked to take pictures during our carriage service. A good example is during a prom where mom and dad want lots of pictures but the prom goers are busy enjoying the ride. Another example is a child's birthday party where the adults are very busy themselves. While I am not a professional photographer, when I get asked to take pictures I usually get some really neat shots regardless.

This year in the spirit of going that extra mile I have upgraded my camera equipment. From an inexpensive point and shoot to one step below what the pro's use with a Cannon Digital DSLR costing me several thousand dollars. The crispness of the photos, the things the camera can do, will make pictures this year the best we have ever taken.

Along with custom floral's added to the carriage always included, to special surprises for birthday girls, we have now layered in yet another perk with higher quality photos available upon request! Want something special? just ask!

Carriage Rental in Arkansas

2012-02-15T14:47:00.008-06:00

Just a few tips for customers looking for carriage rental in Arkansas. Well...anywhere for that matter. Unlike the differences between different brands of new cars ( you are sure to get a new car regardless) This same logic can not be applied to a horse and carriage service. What you see on one persons website does not mean that they all are going to live up to the same standards. See our post here on the blog "doing it right, and doing it wrong"

In addition to all that I would say my next pointer would be to make sure you actually get what you want. Unfortunately there are outfit's out there that will intentionally lead you to believe they have specific horses and/or carriage's that they in fact do not have. If you have paid a deposit that you cant get back, and your heart is set on something that they can not produce your in for a big let down.

i.e. a common bait and switch tactic I have heard happening is for a customer to request a Cinderella style carriage only to have an outfit bring you a standard Vis-a-Vis like the one pictured above. If what you wanted was a true Cinderella style ball shaped carriage and you are sure you made that clear, welcome to bait and switch. Another example would be to request a horse drawn hearse for a funeral and get a caisson instead.

So..if your heart is set on a specific style carriage make sure without question that the company you are talking to indeed actually has it. If that slightly cheaper quote you got about the carriage you want is mysteriously always unavailable then you can reasonably deduct that it's existence is little more than a deceptive marketing ploy to get you to make a deposit so you are less likely to cancel with them when you find what you want elsewhere.

The internet is an easy place to false advertise. Some outfits will actually go so far to imply that they actually have specific type vehicles they don't have by having pictures of someone else's horses and/or carriage's on their website. Keep in mind a picture on a website does not "prove" anything. The man I bought my Cinderella from had an outfit in another country using pictures off of his site and claiming to sell the carriage he makes!

I can not repeat this enough, be sure to be specific about what you really want, and make sure they really have it. This truly seems like a crazy thing to have to warn anyone about, but I have had calls from frustrated folks telling stories about this very thing happening to them.

A little about condition. Pay attention! If the carriage has paint missing in their web pictures, chances are it will be that bad or worse with a live viewing. Some of us take immaculate care of our stuff, and some others just use it, and abuse it. While the latter may be fine for a ride around town after dark, it's probably not something you want in your wedding photos. Pictures taken by a professional photographer with today's high end cameras capture great detail. Keeping both horses and carriage's highly presentable for wedding's and special events is a lot of work, a lot of work some outfits are just not willing to partake in.

If you want to be completely sure you are getting exactly what you want, and that it meets your expectations simply ask to see the carriages and/or horses in person. Do it before you lay down any of that hard earned money. No legitimate outfit should have a problem with this request though it very well might require an appointment. Keep in mind, just like with everything, normally you get what you pay for. However.. sometimes you don't, and making sure you do is going to be totally up to you. Hopefully having these tips will make that task just a little bit easier.

Lastly, rest assured that we do indeed own each and every horse and vehicle that is presented on our website. They are always detailed between events, and they are always available for your inspection here at the farm at any time. Good luck & Happy renting! and keep watching the blog because there will be more rental tips to come!

All our pretty horses

2012-02-07T10:05:00.004-06:00

This is a picture of Duchess and Queen two of The Princess's Carriage horses you don't see on the website on our "Our Horses" page which only features Duke, Earl, and Traveler. As it is I have been lazy about getting the rest of our horses added to the site. I know, I know, my bad.

So... I thought for the time being I would mention them all here. Pictured here is Duchess ( the dapple grey) and Queen her pasture mate ( the black) Both are wonderful driving horses, and both are young at 5 yrs old. Not pictured are Clyde our Clydesdale who looks like one of the Budweiser horses except for not having a docked tail. I do not use docked tailed horses as they are prone to suffer without one with the bugs we have in Arkansas.Since our horses all have a lot of free time in the pasture that can be an issue for them.

Also not pictured or mentioned yet on our site are our two newest additions Prince and Pearl. Both white Percheron's and a long standing team that also work single and ride as do all of our horses. These two are very solid, been there/done that horses and we will be using them frequently as soon as we are adjusted to them. They also have a new set of fancy spotted team harness coming in a few weeks.

All in all there actually are seven Princess Carriage horses, and a few of them are not even white! I do hope to have all of them added to the "our horses" page of our site soon. What I need first is for them to shed some of this winter hair so I can get their best "sides"

The Cutie and the Beast

2012-01-08T15:25:00.000-06:00

She wanted to sit in the driver's seat for a picture. We were not moving and in fact the horse had not one but two headers this Saturday for this cutie pies birthday party celebration. Ava is quite the horse girl and spent a good deal of time telling her guests interesting things about horses.

Her reaction? " THIS IS SOOOO COOL!" Technically we are not supposed to allow a rider in the drivers seat and well...to be honest this was the first time we bent the rule a bit. You tell me who could have resisted this little ladies request?, and on her birthday no less! Obviously the little cutie got the best of the beast in the seat next to her.

What they say is true!

2011-12-21T14:17:00.003-06:00

As any lifelong horse person will tell you there is only one way to make a small fortune in a horse business and that is to start out with a large one! Truer words have probably never been uttered.

Horse and carriage service ( assuming it is done properly) is no exception. Regardless of your horse activity horses must regularly eat, be vetted, and receive expensive farrier care on a continuous basis. There is no cutting corners due to off season, a lack of money, not wanting to go out to care for them in nasty weather, or just being plain ole lazy. That might work for some businesses, but not one that employs live animals.

I am very lucky indeed. Besides having family in the race horse hay business which insures me a steady supply of quality fertilized hay no matter what, I am also a gifted with the knowledge, skill, and tools to take care of my horses farrier needs, though I often opt to pay for the service. (I'm getting old what can I say?) Even so, the $180 a week we spend at the feed store for grain adds up quickly over just one months time much less the whole year.

Then of course there are lots of other expenses, winter blankets, feed supplements, salt blocks that got replaced this year at an alarming rate due to the heat and rain combination this year. Then there are wormer's, shots, grooming products, teeth floating, and well...you get the idea.

Something not a lot of people know is "The Princess's Carriage" service was never set up in the first place to "have" to make money to survive. Keeping in mind the cost of properly caring for horses I set up my horse endeavors to be entirely self sufficient without that needing to be part of the equation. I have had horses for 40+ years and have always "flipped" the bill for their care out of my own pocket because of a love of horses, and the want to have, and be with them.

So....the dollars from the carriage service is just an icing for the cake as they say. Every penny goes right back to the horses, and for their benefit. Just ask my tax man who keeps telling me that a business goal is supposed to be to make a profit. Really? Is not having healthy very well cared for horses not a pay check? To me it is!

At any rate we would like to take this minute, this special time of year, at the years end, to thank all the many people each year that use us for their special events. Rest assured you are doing wonderful thing's for our horses, as well as a few others when you do. You see, we also take in underprivileged, often neglected, and sometimes abused horses several times a year as well, though we rarely mention it. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts dear customers, and know ours is a labor of love, not profit.

Thanks again from us here at "The Princess's Carriage" Arkansas finest horse drawn carriage service!

Its a busy time of year!

2011-12-09T14:45:00.001-06:00

This time of year finds us hopping and skipping just trying to keep up with the demand for Christmas carriage rides. Everything from the folks who planned for this since the year before like the group shown here with a church function we have been a part of now for the last 3 years, to the people that apparently wake up in the morning thinking "Horse and Carriage! YES! that would be perfect!" and call me with extra short notice.

We are always prepared and happy to make this special time of year extra special with the thrill of a horse and carriage experience. Getting to share our horses with people is especially rewarding, and our way of celebrating the spirit of the season. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

A real life Fairy Godmother

2011-11-24T01:03:00.000-06:00

This years Cinderella Ball fundraiser for "Safe Places" a safe house for abused women and their children was extra special for us this year. Not only did more ball goers than ever take advantage of our horse and Cinderella carriage for photo's and rides, we were treated to a real life fairy Godmother. That's right a real fairy Godmother complete with a lighted and glowing dress and a magic wand too! Now how cool is that?

Duke putting on the Ritz

2011-10-31T22:32:00.001-05:00

Relax...we really have thought of everything.

2011-10-28T09:47:00.001-05:00

I'm surprised at how often we are asked "what happens if the horse uses the rest room?" Well...first of all if the horse actually used a rest room there wouldn't be a question like that to ask in the first place. Right? lol. I do know what they mean though, and exactly what customers are trying to ask in a polite way.

So..I decided to offer up the trade secret here in this photo which shows the solution to the, ahem...problem. All our horses wear diaper bags, bun bags, manure catchers, or even souvenir bags as some call them. Ewe! At any rate its a piece of harness that either attaches to the horses harness or another style that attaches to the carriage's shafts. Either way it catches any "accidents" that might happen.

It lays flat and is hardly noticeable at all. Like the hoof boots if you don't even know any of it is there if you are not looking. So...did you notice the hoof boots in this photo or did your eye just say that was the horses black hooves? Some people will see them, but most wont pay any attention at all. The bun bag is even less visible from a side view, so I took this photo from the back so you could see it.

Long story short when we come to your event you never have to worry about the fact that a live animal is involved. You wont see any "evidence" while we are there or after we are gone. Just relax and enjoy your special day. We really have thought of everything!

A cutie and a beauty!

2011-10-25T12:34:00.000-05:00

I was lucky enough to snap this gorgeous photo last Saturday at three little girls princess birthday party their mothers had arranged to celebrate at their church. This is not a testament to my photography skills, but rather proof that if the subject matter is good enough anybody's pictures look great! I looked at this one and thought "what a cutie and a beauty!" and that is exactly what it is.

This birthday celebration was for three little girls who were each turning five years old. Each of their families had each pitched in to make it one they will remember for a lifetime. Everyone came, Cinderella, Snow White, Mermaid, Genie, Belle, and all the rest of the Disney celebrities. One little girl was caught whispering to herself "this is really, real" when she saw Cinderellas horse and carriage appear with a gorgeous Cinderella inside along with a present for each birthday girl from Duke her horse. There was also a bouncy house, and of course cake, cookies, and punch.

Great kids, great folks, a great party, and a GREAT TIME!

A way of life

2011-10-13T14:22:00.000-05:00

Horses have been a big part of my life for over 40 years. My 17 yr old daughter Shelby here in the picture has been riding since before her legs were long enough for her feet to reach the stirrups. Having horses and enjoying them is very much a way of life for us. A way of life we sometimes get to share.

Also in this picture is a young man that is a friend of my college age son who came home with Travis to spend the weekend with us. Arnold is an exchange student at ASU from Tanzania, Africa. Arnold is astride one of our six carriage horses all of which are not only trained to pull a carriage but also as solid riding horses. This was Arnold's first time on a horse. Our horses are well trained so Arnold was able to relax and just enjoy himself. Even though riding was a new experience for him Arnold had a natural talent for it.

It was awesome for us to be able to share a glimpse of our way of life with a wonderful young man from half way around the globe. Listening to Arnold speak of how "normal" it is for him to see lions, zebra, and elephants where he is from really brings home how different "a way of life" can be from one person to the next. Maybe someday I will get to go visit Arnold, if not then at least he got the opportunity to ride my horses.

The Eyes have it

2011-09-18T13:54:00.004-05:00

Unfortunately PETA ( People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) harass the horse drawn carriage industry on a regular basis. Especially in large cities like New York where they go so far as to harass the drivers at the carriage stands.

Now to understand this one needs to keep in mind their true agenda. You see they do not want people to eat meat, use leather, or own animals at all. They also have a dream of seeing the day when your pet could be represented by one of their lawyer's and sue you the owner for violating the animals "rights" which are determined of course by them.

Now one of the things the anti-carriage horse clan loves to spout off about is the "sad" eyes on the carriage horses, and the use of blinders which are a useful and traditional piece of harness that has been around for many centuries. Along with a whole host of other uneducated, unfounded, and sensationally untrue claims in an effort to dupe the general public into supporting their causes.

At any rate I posted this very close up picture of my horse Duke's eye at the last wedding we were at just this last Friday evening. I don't know about you, but what I see showing in my horses eye is brightness, intelligence, and positively twinkling with life (blinders and all!) Which by the way don't "blind" anything, but direct his nearly 360 degree vision forward. This helps keep a driving horse from being distracted from the side and helps keep his field of vision forward more like ours. Notice I said "helps". If he wants to see something at his side he simply has to turn his head.

Anyway...tell me what you see. I am welcome to comments. Like they say, "Opinions... everybody has one". So...what say you?

Sometimes I get asked

2011-09-14T13:08:00.001-05:00

While I am happy to add a custom silk floral arrangement to any one of our carriages as part of our service with no charge sometimes I get asked about fresh real flowers. That I can not do myself since I don't own a flower shop.

I am happy to announce I now have a professional florist shop on board that is available to provide that service for you for a wide rage of fees depending on what you want. A Perfect Bloom of Beebe, Arkansas has generously agreed to work closely with us and you for that fresh, professionally done live floral in your wedding colors added to the carriage. They can take care of the rest of your wedding floral's as well as many other wedding related rentals that they offer.

If this is something you are interested in do give them a call. Talk to Kelly who is an Arkansas Master Florist about your live dream arrangement for your once in a lifetime day. (501) 882-2144 and we will handle picking it up, and adding it to the carriage for you!

My life with horses

2011-08-29T14:36:00.001-05:00

If your interested here is a place to read about my, and my family's life with horses. I just got started on this, and have yet to make the slightest dent in the number of horses, stories, and life's worth of experiences with them yet, but if you love a good true short story about horses you just might enjoy!

http://truehorsetales.blogspot.com/

A different kind of formal look

2011-07-08T13:26:00.001-05:00

Meet Queen a young mare we have had here at our farm in training for the last year. This photo was taken in Quitman, Ar. at her first official special event for “The Princess’s Carriage” our horse drawn carriage service. As you can see it was a wedding. The couple requested our rare Disney Princess carriage. We decorated it in a pale blue that matched the couple’s new home as well as their wedding colors. The event was held in their back yard in a gorgeous neighborhood full of spectacular homes sitting on large lots full of mature trees.

Queen could not have performed more perfectly. She was completely calm and collected. There was even a tent with well over a dozen tables covered with billowing table cloths from the high winds we were experiencing that day. That type thing can unsettle many a good horse, but she was completely unflappable about all that flapping. lol! Queen has a wonderful work ethic, has proven to have nerves of steel ( for a horse anyway), as well as listens and behaves to the highest degree .

We are very thrilled to have Queen now working as an addition to our company. While she is obviously not a white horse ( our specialty) as you can see her shiny black color adds a different kind of very formal look hitched to a white carriage. We acquired her knowing that we needed a horse we could use as a back up plan in the winter months when occasionally it is just too cold to give a white horse the required shampoo bath to be presentable. We could not be happier with this nice young mare and look forward to many more years of a great partnership with her.

Planning a wedding?

2011-06-27T10:01:00.005-05:00

If your planning a wedding don't forget to check out the Links page on our

website http://princesscarriage.com/links.html We have small but nice collection of wedding and special event related services. Many of which we have personally met, or done business along side with. We have everything! From event centers, local disc jockeys, a couple of harpist's, and even a sketch artist that will paint a picture of your special day. "The Princess's Carriage" website is a great resource to find those many services that you need and desire.

If you have a unique wedding or special event service that you would like us to add to our growing collection of vendors just drop me an e-mail at: Karen@princesscarriage.com and I will be glad to add you to our links.

Leave it to the pro’s you will be glad you did.

2011-06-14T20:11:00.001-05:00

The video man did such a great job for these folks! Just so happens he also caught the magic of having "The Princess's Carriage" as part of your special day.

Courtney & Joshua's Wedding from Bryon Roberson on Vimeo.

Send me a woman to do a mans job!

2011-06-12T10:27:00.003-05:00

Meet Lilly Ice my new farrier. This picture was taken right after she had put four new rubber horse shoes on our downtown horse Clyde the Clydesdale. These are not an easy shoe to apply but that isn’t what’s most amazing about this story. The fact that I went through three local male farriers first is pretty interesting though.

There was one that was overwhelmed and claimed the shoes would not fit ( Clyde is sporting them in the pic) Another was an older gentleman in his 70’s who I have been using for several years who does a beautiful job but had to quit because he said doing the big horses made him sore which at his age is understandable. Then a third that came out once but then promptly fell off the planet and can no longer be reached by phone or capable of returning a call left on his voice mail. Which for some odd reason is a common customer complaint about far too many farriers.

However…complaining is not in order when it comes to discussing my new lady farrier Ms Lilly Ice. She is as tough as the horse shoe nails she uses, showed up when she said she would all the way from Russelville 2 hours away, and not only did the job with two unusually cranky draft horses, she did a nice job, and was even open to suggestions without the “I’m the farrier” attitude one generally gets from the guys. You really could not ask for a better scenario. Next time… send me a woman to do a mans job!

Its that Time of Year...again.

2011-05-22T16:45:00.004-05:00

Busy, Busy, Busy, is the only way to describe things here this time of year at “The Princess’s Carriage”. Last week was a flurry with jobs all through the week and weekend. This Saturday came finding us no less covered up having to split up both crews. Each heading in different directions, One crew was off to Walnut Ridge, Ar. for a wedding on the campus there. Afterwards we explored a world war museum and aviation graveyard where there are literally jet airplanes from all over the world left to be scrapped. If you have not seen one before its really something to see and worth the trip to Walnut Ridge, Ar.

At the same time another crew was off to Belgian Meadows Farm on Lawson Road in Little Rock to provide carriage service for that popular wedding venue and event center. The farm is a beautiful place with a small lake, rolling meadows and gorgeous mature trees everywhere. Pictured above is a picture of Duke on our Vis-à-Vis in front of the lake and one of the many picturesque trees that abound at Belgian Meadows. Contact info for Belgian meadows can be found on the links page of our website if you or someone you know is looking for what they have to offer. http://princesscarriage.com/links.html

Next Saturday wont be any less eventful (pardon the pun I couldn’t resist) with one crew headed to Scott, Ar. and the other to Searcy first, and later to Judsonia for a total of three in one day. Whew! I'm getting tired just thinking about it. lol

One of the nicest things

2011-05-14T18:05:00.003-05:00

About my job is:

Bringing horses up close and personal for kids of all ages.

A great cause

2011-04-30T09:50:00.001-05:00

Friday night found us at the Clinton Library surprised by the number of festivities going on there with the Walk for Life relay for cancer. These fine ladies in the picture decided to take a ride on our carriage shortly after unloading. After the ride the gal on the left explains to us that she herself is a cancer survivor. I started over to a booth to break a twenty for her change when she tells me to just donate it to the cause instead.

Wow! what a good idea! It feels really good to donate to such a great cause, so we decided to donate a quarter of our proceeds towards the cure off of each and every ride we gave! We found a booth willing to take the money and the great gals running it even supplied a Gatorade to my too busy to stop and get something to drink carriage driver. A great time with a great group to help out with a great cause. I hope we can be a part of their fund raisers again!

“ Feed your horse!” umm….I DO lady!

2011-04-26T12:11:00.002-05:00

As anyone who follows us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Princesss-Carriage-Arkansas-Finest-Horse-Drawn-Carriage-Service/110479649001672 already knows we were subjected to this verbal accusation last Saturday night in Downtown Little Rock by a woman who decided to yell out “feed your horse” from across the street in an effort to humiliate us. In her defense there have been some sorry looking horses around town and had her outburst been towards one of their owners it would have been well founded.

However….such was not true in this case, and I would like to set the record straight for us here at “The Princess’s Carriage” with a link to an online picture album of every single horse on our farm and that was taken today 4/26/2011 (after heavy, heavy, rain and tornados) last night causing the mud you see in the photos. In case you are not well versed in horse living conditions I assure you mud is not harmful to horses and is a natural part of their normal living environment after storms and spring weather. The other thing you may notice is that my horses coats are not yet shining due to still shedding off the dead winter hair coat. Id be happy to provide older photos of their shining summer coats if anyone would like to see them. Id be happy to e-mail you some. Just send an inquiry to: karen@princesscarriage.com

Our horses live with us here on our farm and are part of our family. I assure you there is absolutely no abuse or neglect going on. Nor a single hungry horse on the place. In the 41 years I have been a horse owner I have never once been accused of not providing my horses with the best of care. I come from a background of horse ownership that demands my horse’s look far better than the average. Showing horses, judging shows, saddle club president, and long standing horse and carriage service operator my horses have always been in the ribbons as well as the public’s eye. They have to not just look good, but awesome. There is only one way to accomplish that and that is through exemplary care.

Unfortunately, not every single carriage service adheres to the same standards I do, and a very few outfits do give ammunition to radical groups like PETA that often assault the horse and carriage industry as one of their favorite targets. PETA’s attacks towards the industry as a whole are as unfair and unfounded as this woman’s verbal attack towards us was. So….here I offer the open invitation to view my horses online as they were today here on the farm, https://picasaweb.google.com/hrslady59/FeedYourHorse?authkey=Gv1sRgCOzg9Zbig9jZ4gE# Personally come see them anytime, feel free to ask questions, see our carriages, and educate yourself about our operation.

Lastly, If you have actually seen something that makes you concerned about who you take a carriage ride with, well…….make sure you ride with us! Really its just that simple.

It’s Here!

2011-04-13T14:09:00.001-05:00

We now have the new carriage trailer home. Its 24 feet long with 16 in the back section for the carriage with solid sides and floor tie downs, 81 inches wide and 7'6" to accommodate our tallest drafts, the front 8 feet is rubber matted and padded to either haul 2 drafts facing forward or one riding rear slant. There is a ramp on the back to load the carriage and to 4 foot doors in the sides ( one to load the horse in and out independent of the carriage, and one on the other side for rear access to the carriage section.) We ordered it custom so its perfect for what we do. A big thanks to the folks at Calico trailers in Quitman, Arkansas for doing such a nice job of making it for us!

Downtown Saturday Night

2011-04-03T09:47:00.006-05:00

Saturday night found us in downtown Little Rock with Clyde our Clydesdale. The weather was perfect, the streets lively, and Clyde was told many times how pretty and handsome he is. You can tell he agrees wholeheartedly.

A Princess’s Birthday Party

2011-02-27T11:29:00.002-06:00

Nothing is more delightful than the look on a child's face that has been surprised beyond their imagination. The parents of this little girls birthday party did a great job of making sure that the surprise was indeed surprising. Our Cinderella style princess carriage was stationed just outside the home while all the party goers were shuffled into the garage, told to face the garage door, and to cover their eyes with their hands. The door came up and dad yelled "OK everybody can look now" and the picture above is of the excited faces of the children. You can almost hear their excited squeals when looking at the Cinderella style princess carriage, complete with the sparkling white carriage horse sporting his ostrich feather head plume .

To say that they were happy about the horse drawn carriage rides would be an understatement. Groups of one adult and six children got to ride around the birthday girls Arkansas neighborhood, and wave at the many stunned neighbors that had come out onto their porches to see the unexpected site of a white horse pulling Cinderella's carriage with a load of little princesses aboard. This enchanted evening was as fun for us as it was for the kids I dare to admit.

POSTED BY KAREN GARRIOTT AT 1:07 PM

Horse’s wearing Nike?

2011-02-27T11:05:00.003-06:00

Well...not really Nike, but the equine equivalent to tennis shoes. Having been in the horse industry all my life I pride myself on keeping up on new trends, and better ways of doing things that are always being discovered. Theses hoof boots are one of the innovative ideas that I am really impressed with.

While doing princess carriage rides we are usually working in a mixture of public streets, or private property's. Once in awhile when on the road you will come across debris that you would rather your horse not step on. Broken glass is one. Hence why our horses always wear these protective boots when working. Not only do they offer protection they also allow the horse to go barefoot(without metal horse shoes)when not working which is much healthier for their feet.

Barefoot is a recent trend that has gained popularity with horse owners from all over the world. Barefoot horses receive a special barefoot trim, and/or abrasive hoof trim method utilizing power sanding tools. Coupled with more frequent trims than shod horses, more horses feet these days are being kept healthy, and more natural without the nails required to hold on steel shoes.

Pavement can get hot here in Arkansas, and these boots also provide heat protection, a nice cushion when working on pavement (much like you wearing a good pair of tennis shoes), and are all but invisible in photos. Plus the huge benefit of being able to allow our our carriage horses hooves to be left naturally barefoot when not working. A win, win for everyone concerned. Especially the princess's carriage horses!

POSTED BY KAREN GARRIOTT AT 1:00 PM 3 COMMENTS

I wanna job like that!

2011-02-27T11:02:00.007-06:00

Ahhh the life of one of the princess carriage horses. Since we only do weddings, proms, and other special events in Arkansas our horses only work a few times a month. The rest of the time the horses are in a private pasture totally free to play and relax. They have free access to unlimited hay, extra feed twice a day, warm blankets to wear when its cold, a doctor ( vet) and regular pedicures ( farrier) and even a dental plan when its needed.

Retirement here means going from working a few times a month to no work at all with full benefits. A day of work for them isn't exactly the old grind mill either. While we humans will be working all week to prepare for an event the horses part of the job rarely last more than 3 hours total, and on most jobs a good part of that is standing quietly waiting through photo shoots, ceremony's, dinners, or... that ever famous cue for "here comes the bride".Our horses only travel up to about three miles, and usually much less due to the slowness of a horse drawn vehicle.

Not to mention that during those quiet times alone while waiting for the signal to bring up the princess's carriage, our horses get showered with rubs, pets, and even kisses from our footman who generally is one of my teenage daughters. Our horses have become so spoiled that they will literally turn their heads as soon as we stop to look for their "person". Its quite comical, but also endearing that they have gotten so attached to the idea of constant love and affection at the work place. I wanna job like that!

Doing it Right, and doing it Wrong!

2011-02-27T10:54:00.001-06:00

Yes there is a difference, a BIG difference and for those of you that don’t know what should, and should not be, I’m going to educate you here so you will know. While what you personally expect from a carriage service may vary, what you should never accept is the same for everyone.

While it may not be hard to tell the difference between a dingy beat up looking carriage with a driver wearing street clothes with loose hair blowing in the wind compared to a neat, dressed to kill, top hat and formal wear attired driver sporting a spotless well kept carriage. This obvious difference while IMHO is important its not what really gets my hackles up about a carriage service that’s doing it all wrong.

What I would like to vent about here is the few surviving carriage operators/owners that seemingly give no more care or concern about their horses than they do their turn out, or tacky appearance. They are the ones that give the carriage business a bad name and a bad image.

Thankfully they are very few and far between, but when they are out there on the streets for all to see, and while they are certainly not doing the rest of us any favors, the most disturbing thing is the sad reality for their horses. I’m going to give you some things to think about, and watch for so hopefully if you see such an outfit you will avoid them at all costs and thereby take away their incentive to do more bad business as usual.

Here are the three worst IMO, and three things that you should never ever see!

#1) An underfed skinny carriage horse – there is no, and I mean NO excuse for a horses ribs to be hanging out! If you can see and easily count them all the horse is FAR too thin, and this is not healthy for the horse, or acceptable in any way! Here is a good article that explains it all in detail http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=538 Oh and just in case you didn’t know, the Draft horses you most commonly see used in carriage services are “cold blooded” and of the type that takes less feed that most horses do to maintain weight due to their slower metabolism and laid back attitudes. If anything a responsible owner has to make sure they don’t get too fat!

#2) A lame carriage horse - while most people find it impossible to see at the walk, the trot is a dead giveaway for seeing a lame horse even for a non-horse person. If the horses head noticeably bobs rhythmically up, then down, with each trot step then the horse is lame and in pain. There are zero excuses to use a lame and in pain carriage horse, its just plain cruel.

#3) An unattended carriage horse – No… its not “ok” to walk away from a horse harnessed to a carriage for any reason. It is not acceptable to clip a horse to something handy so you can walk into a building, or jump in a truck to warm up, or even to use the bathroom. Never for any reason should a horse be left without a handler, not even for a minute. Horses are extraordinarily strong and being flight animals when startled are very dangerous if not under a persons control. Even the very best “steady Eddy” types can get bit by a stinging insect, become frightened if a bridle is rubbed off, or startle from something that was totally unforeseen and completely unexpected. Any competent horse owner well knows this, and knows to never say never when it comes to a horse possibly reacting in a bad way to unexpected things. We that “do it right” know its always better to be safe than sorry. A carriage operator is not only responsible for himself and his horse, they are also responsible for the safety of the public around them. If a carriage driver needs a break for lunch, dinner, the bathroom, or to warm up, etc. There should be a ground person to take over staying right there with the horse during their time away.

Well….. off my soapbox, there are lot’s of things I see that I don’t agree with but these are the three major ones I think we can all indisputably agree on.

A Great Day at the Princess’s Carriage farm

2011-02-19T18:57:00.001-06:00

Today was nearly 60 degrees so here at “The Princess’s Carriage” we enjoyed a day outside horsing around. A good friend brought over three of her granddaughters ages six, five ( shown in the picture) and two. The girls had a blast riding horses, petting and brushing horses, and getting cart rides around the farm. Here Aaleigha gets a gentle nuzzle from Duchess after giving the giant horse a kiss on the nose.

Some of the best kept secrets

2011-02-18T19:31:00.008-06:00

Last night found us at Willow Wind event center in Searcy, Ar. for their open house. We dropped off a carriage to add to their landscaping which is Southwestern in style and absolutely breathtaking like the rest of the place. A horse drawn carriage fits right in! At their modest rental prices for events they are without a doubt the best kept secret in all of Arkansas. Talk about a great place for unique and picturesque event photos. www.willowwindarkansas.com

Today found us on the phone with Bobby at Arkansas’s Pro Dj’s. One more of Arkansas best kept secrets! http://www.facebook.com/arprodj Bobby provides entertainment, lighting, Master of Ceremony services, and of course Disc Jockey’s for all sorts of events and receptions with weddings being a specialty. He was contacting us to get the ins and outs of making sure his clients could be guaranteed a horse and carriage if they so wished to have one. Bobby is on top of things that’s for sure. His enthusiasm is contagious and his desire to please his customers more than apparent. We are really looking forward to the chance to get to work with him.

We are growing!

2011-02-10T12:18:00.002-06:00

Actually I’m talking about our business “The Princess’s Carriage” and not the size of our family. All those children in the picture enjoyed our custom Cinderella carriage for a tiny Princess’s birthday party which is just one of the many things we do here at The Princess’s Carriage. Busy all last year with weddings, birthdays, proposals, anniversaries, ball room dances, quinceaneras, and even some charity work for the Make a Wish folks. The year was ended with our very busy Holiday season that left us exhausted and ready for the winter weather break we are currently enjoying.

Last year we literally could not keep up with the calls we were getting and since our availability is limited we unfortunately had to turn far too many folks away. So this year we are expanding!

We have a new booking agent on board to help out with scheduling, contacts, and keeping everything running smooth. We are excited! Even with two crews there will still be some limitations as to what we can provide, so if your heart is set on a certain carriage ( we have 4 different styles of custom carriages) make sure to book your event early!

C.O.N.A.

2011-02-09T20:43:00.001-06:00

You probably are wondering what C.O.N.A. is, right? C.O.N.A. stands for Carriage Operators of North America http://www.cona.org/ This year C.O.N.A. is having their annual convention in Memphis, Tenn. This year is the first time it has been anywhere close enough for us to go. We are very excited! C.O.N.A. is not only a great organization the conventions are a great place to get ideas, learn about the industry, and keep up to date on the latest news. We will be joining C.O.N.A. and look forward to enjoying this great organization.

Snow, Snow, and more Snow

2011-02-09T19:00:00.001-06:00

This is Arkansas today. Looks more like Canada if you ask me. Can you believe we have nearly a foot of snow here at “The Princess’s Carriage” our home base and farm in Rose Bud, Arkansas? Drifts outside our back door are up to our knees! The horses love this weather they have been running around and playing like its just the best thing. Us humans however don’t think its so great. The photos were snapped during their mid day feeding. All the rambunctious play ended abruptly when lunch arrived.

New Customers or Old Friends?

2010-12-15T22:03:00.003-06:00

Had a super great time tonight with new customers that already feel more like old friends. Thats Trent in the picture with his wife in the pink coat ( it was her birthday and Trent had surprised her with the carriage ride) and his daughter is hugging Dukes head. These folks also have horses and were a total blast to have on board. I really think Ron and I enjoyed ourselves as much as they did.

Then we get home stop for the mail and I got the nicest thank you card from a job we did 2 weeks ago that read:

To The Princess's Carriage- Thank you so much for coming out and supporting A Royal Night Out! Your discount and carriage ride helped us raise $33,000 for the kids!! Its supporters like you that make it possible! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

The Community Connections Team

Does life get any better than this?

A Quinceanera in El-Dorado, the city of great riches.

2010-11-29T10:54:00.003-06:00

Friday found us in El-Dorado, Ar. We were in the city of great riches to celebrate with this young lady her Quinceanera. Our carriage was followed through the main streets and around the courthouse square by the biggest white Cadillac Limousine. It contained her hilariously rowdy escorts. ( well sort of they we all hanging out the windows, and sitting on the limo's doors) What great fun we all had, and the young beauty even got her photo taken by the local newspaper!

A trip to El-Dorado

2010-11-27T10:45:00.008-06:00

El-Dorado, spanish for "The Gilded One" A legendary city or historical region of the New World, often thought to be in South America, that was fabled for its great wealth of gold and precious jewels and eagerly sought by 16th- and 17th-century explorers, including Sir Walter Raleigh.

Well....in this case its in South Arkansas, but the experience certainly yielded a great wealth of good times! Being nearly a four hour drive south of us we decided to leave the morning before and overnight at the Bar J Ranch of El Dorado where both we and our horse could stay together fresh and ready for the next days carriage service for the young ladies Quinceanera in town. For those of unfamiliar with what a Quinceanera is you can read about it here, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinceanera

At the Bar J we could literally open the door of our very nice hotel room in the horse barn and look right at Duke happily munching away at his hay. Just how cool is that!

The staff at the Bar J are dedicated to personal service and let me tell you they know how to do it. Everything from where to park, help with unhooking the trailer (even in a down pour), where to put our horse, to home cooked meals in the mess hall we had someone there within seconds to help. We started out being happy to just find a place to stay for a job the next day and ended up with an experience that leaves us hungry to return another day for a fabulous western style vacation. I really cant say enough good things about the Bar J experience but I can give you a pictorial glance of it from the pictures I took on our brief visit

http://picasaweb.google.com/hrslady59/BarJElDorado?authkey=Gv1sRgCPuAzNCgvaeh1AE#

You can learn more about all they offer on their website here: http://www.barjranch.biz/

This is a place that I would HIGHLY recommend to anyone who enjoys outdoor activities, horses, and the western lifestyle. Family oriented and kid friendly too!

Willow Wind of Searcy Arkansas

2010-10-20T11:04:00.002-05:00

Here is a recent picture of our Cinderella carriage sitting in front of Willow Winds event center in Searcy Arkansas. This photo only captures about a fourth of the true size of this gorgeous adobe house. Inside boasts gorgeous southwestern design throughout and a full sized swimming pool as well. Already becoming a popular place for weddings and receptions ( the grounds are as gorgeous as the house) I cant imagine a more perfect place to celebrate a Quinceanera in Arkansas! The owners are about as nice, thoughtful, and accommodating as folks can get, and I highly recommend Willow Wind for your next special event!

Young and Old Beauty

2010-10-11T16:04:00.003-05:00

This photo was taken in front of the 100+ year old Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in downtown Fort Smith Arkansas. The carriage is our Disney Princess. The dark purple roses and silver butterflies really looked good on the Disney. The bride was simply gorgeous and seeing her on the seat was the icing on the cake!

Another Homecoming Celebration

2010-10-09T09:35:00.003-05:00

10/9/2010 found us in Little Rock at the JA Fair High School in Little Rock for their homecoming game. We did a photo shoot with the horse and carriage and all the queens court including the Princess's elected from each respective grade.

Let me tell you that is one school that has more than its share of gorgeous girls! The grand finale was when the extraordinarily beautiful young lady in the above picture was crowned 2010 Homecoming Queen and took a victory lap around the track in our Cinderella Carriage.

Homecoming Parade

2010-09-24T20:09:00.003-05:00

One of the nice things about having a horse and carriage service is that once in awhile I get to use one of the carriages for my own family. This time it was to showcase my two teen daughters who were in the homecoming parade at school due to being nominated as sophomore and junior homecoming maids for their high school. Our horse was perfect, and we even got some great pictures!

Happy Birthday My Lady, Your Carriage Awaits!

2010-08-16T10:50:00.003-05:00

Princess Morgan of Little Rock turned 4 years old this Saturday and boy did her family make it a birthday she will remember! Not only did all her friends and family show up in royal attire, her mother had invited Snow White, Belle, and Cinderella!

Each of the famous Princesses took turns riding with the little ones on our Cinderella carriage through the neighborhood and teaching the girls "elbow, elbow, wrist, wrist, touch your pearls and blow a kiss!" to the waving neighbors and passing cars. What a fun time!

Doing it right, and doing it wrong!

2010-04-22T20:52:00.019-05:00

Yes there is a difference, a BIG difference and for those of you that don’t know

what should, and should not be, I’m going to educate you here so you will know. While what you personally expect from a carriage service may vary, what you should never accept is the same for everyone.

Here are the three worst IMO, and three things that you should never ever see!

#3) An unattended carriage horse – No… its not “ok” to walk away from a horse harnessed to a carriage for any reason. It is not acceptable to clip a horse to something handy so you can walk into a building, or jump in a truck to warm up, or even to use the bathroom. Never for any reason should a horse be left without a handler, not even for a minute. Horses are extraordinarily strong and being flight animals when startled are very dangerous if not under a persons control. Even the very best “steady Eddy” types can get bit by a stinging insect, become frightened if a bridle is rubbed off, or startle from something that was totally unforseen and completely unexpected. Any competent horse owner well knows this, and knows to never say never when it comes to a horse possibly reacting in a bad way to unexpected things. We that “do it right” know its always better to be safe than sorry. A carriage operator is not only responsible for himself and his horse, they are also responsible for the safety of the public around them. If a carriage driver needs a break for lunch, dinner, the bathroom, or to warm up, etc. There should be a ground person to take over staying right there with the horse during their time away.

Well….. off my soapbox, there are lot’s of things I see that I don’t agree with but these are the three major ones I think we can all indisputably agree on.

First its this, then its that!

2010-03-06T11:23:00.001-06:00

Kiss the Bride Expo- bridal show in Little Rock, Sunday March 14th from 12 to 5 pm.

I’m sure you know the feeling, first its one thing, then another, and the next thing you know your head is spinning off and you don’t know where to find it.

The month of March has found us busier than busy bees. While only 6 days into it, its already a whirlwind of calls for carriage service, website problems that had to be fixed, the delivery of a horse we sold to out of state, as well as getting ready for the above show we will be attending in Little Rock 45 minutes north of us where we will be bringing 3 carriages for display. Just the three trips to get them there is taking some major planning.

My daughters Shelby 15, and Cody 16 will be in the fashion show modeling bridal gowns on the runway. The girls are really excited about this opportunity. Of course that leaves even more planning on how to get them where they need to be while still getting the carriage booth set up.

What else can we find to do these days? Exasperated in Arkansas!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

2009-12-10T10:08:00.001-06:00

Hoping each and all of you have a Very Merry Christmas, a joyous holiday season, and a Happy New Year! From all of us here at The Princess’s Carriage. http://www.princesscarriage.com

Duke says he cant fly!

2009-12-09T09:06:00.005-06:00

Santa has been giving Rudolff some well deserved time off since the upcoming Christmas eve he will be working all night around the world again. However....Santa never seems to quit promoting the most special day of the year! You see him everywhere!

Here Santa was found in Heber Springs Arkansas giving carriage rides for donations to the Animal Shelter and Foster Childrens association. Our horse Duke was happy to give Santa a classy ride to do that in even if he had to explain to Santa that he couldnt fly!

How did I do that?

2009-11-18T18:47:00.008-06:00

This was one of those "How did I DO THAT?" moments with my new camera that I barely know how to use. The truth is Im pretty sure something was not set the way it was supposed to be to make this come out like it did.

Regardless....when I saw it I was delighted! Not only was I lucky enough to get a real life Cinderella to photograph with our pumpkin carriage, the "mistakes" turned out to be pretty awesome. Too bad thats not generally the case when Im messing up. Oh well.......

A Trip into Narnia without a Wardrobe

2009-08-14T11:38:00.008-05:00

Imagine a trip to Narnia right here in Arkansas! That's what it felt like driving through the stone entrance of The Elms Plantation in Altheimer, Ar. Right up until entering the gates the landscape was bean fields and farm ground. Once through those gates it was like stepping into another world. The gorgeous house is on the National Register of historical places, and the grounds are just as old and equally unbelievable. Huge old trees dapple the whole property in a blanket of shade, and the water side swings and landscaping is truly gorgeous making this place feel truly magical. A perfect place for a wedding, and the mystical feel of our Cinderella carriage was just the perfect touch to a perfect day for this enchanted couple.

To learn more about The Elms Plantation look for thier information on the links page of The Princess's Carriage site.

Even the good guy's horse wasn't always white

2009-07-04T17:43:00.036-05:00

After having so many people ask questions about the post "Our next white horse, say what?" I thought I would include here a few pictures showing the process a Percheron horse goes through to become an all white horse.

The first picture is of my 2 yr old Percheron filly Duchess who is still almost all black. In the picture to the right of her is our 5 yr old mare Countess who is in whats known as the dappled stage of gray.

The last picture on the bottom is of Duke who is 12 years old and by now pure white with the exception of a few very faint dapples on his hip. All grey horses turn white, and most accomplish this by the age of ten.

So....you see, even the "good guy's" horse probably wasn't always white!

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

2009-05-09T07:40:00.012-05:00

Is it ever going to stop raining in Arkansas this spring? By now most of us here in the "natural state" are tired of all the "natural" weather. This photo was taken with blurry rain drop covered lens last Saturday at a wedding we were a part of.

Not only was it wet, it was cold, and after standing in it for several hours waiting for the wedding to start we were pretty well drenched everywhere our ponchos didn't cover. The hats we switch to in order to keep from ruining a top hat in rainy weather are made of wool and fend off the wet for a lot longer than one would imagine, but even they can only hold so much rain.

However.... we are proud to boast that our bride and groom were dry and cozy inside our antique Victoria. Between the clam shell top, waterproof lap robe, and a little planning to pick up from under an overhang they were as snug as bugs in a rug even with the constant downpour.
Today we have a two jobs in two separate towns and its predicted to start raining again about the time the first job starts and continue throughout the evening for the entirety of the second event. Its going to be another soggy one for us. This time we are hauling the Cinderella with its full rain cover installed to keep our prom goers dry. We will switch crews so that each event has a dry driver and footman. At least to start out with.

Not to sound like we are complaining ( ok..ok... a little bit) One of these days the weather will be splendid, if for no other reason than the law of averages at some point this has to subside. Until then, we will be singing to ourselves "rain, rain, go away" I think at this point we will even skip the "come again another day" part.

Making Wishes Come True

2009-05-01T17:05:00.003-05:00

When the Make a Wish foundation contacted us, the whole crew here at "The Princess's Carriage" was absolutely delighted to be given the opportunity to be a part of making a special little girls wish to be a Princess come true. We were an unexpected surprise for the tiny little 4 yr old's birthday party.

While she was eating cake and opening her presents we were hiding in the back waiting for the signal to bring the carriage around to her. The moment came and as you can see she was both surprised and excited about her royal ride.

The photo is of one of our footmen leading her and her slightly older sister to the Cinderella for her magical princess ride. Our happy little birthday girl rode the carriage on every lap that picked up each new group.

Our heart felt thanks to the Make a Wish foundation for inviting us to be a part of this beautiful little girls special day. A party we will never forget, and truly a blessing to get to be a part of.

Our Newest white horse. Say what?

2009-03-26T11:00:00.005-05:00

Meet The Duchess of Missouri, our latest white horse purchased for future use with us as a Princess Carriage horse. About now you are probably wondering if we are color blind so let me explain. First off let me tell you a little bit about Duchess. She is a registered Percheron draft horse who is about to turn two which means shes still a baby.

We purchased Duchess from Robert Sparrow of Missouri who is not only a top breeder of Percheron horses he is very active with the Percheron horse association of America as a board member. Roberts father is the famous teamster who drove the 40 and 48 horse hitches in top parades all around the country in the late 70's through mid 80's. The elder Mr. Sparrow holds the guiness world record for these feats. His son Robert whom we purchased the filly from was also involved with his dad in the record breaking heavy horse hitches. You can read about the Sparrows here http://www.zearing.net/sparrow.asp

Back to the color mystery, Percheron drafts come in two colors either black, or grey. All grey horses in this breed are born black, as they age they turn grey, and as the white hairs increase in numbers over the black hairs the horse turn from dappled grey which is the equivalent of salt and pepper in human hair to all white. So...believe it or not Duchess will be a white horse. To be born black and turn grey and horse must have at least one grey parent. If you look closely at Duchess tail in this picture you can see that it is turning white already.

By the time Duchess is old enough for us to actually use as one of "The Princess's Carriage" horses she will have been through several years of special training to prepare her for all the things she may encounter while doing carriage work. She must prove to be fearless in traffic, crowds, noise, camera flashes, and not only brave those things but enjoy the work as well. We only use horses that have good attitudes, and happy expressions on their faces. Lets face it, who wants pictures of a horse with its ears pulled back and sour look on its face in their wedding pictures? Not only that, we want a horse that thouroughly enjoys the attention it will get from people, and not one that despises being petted and pulls away,

We picked Duchess specifically because of her friendly attitude, happy work ethic, and calm demeanor. Whether or not she will work out is yet to be seen, but we feel we have chosen well and would be quite surprised if she didn't. If she proves to not like carriage work, then we will find a job she does enjoy and she will be steered in that direction. We are dedicated to having not only healthy but also happy horses here at "The Princess's Carriage"

Hey Horse! did you know you had a turn signal out?

2009-02-19T21:40:00.007-06:00

Just kidding, this isn't a case of traffic violation but instead a post about how wonderful the local police are, and how appreciative we are for their help in certain situations. Sometimes a route will have a potentially dangerous spot for a slow moving vehicle. Which is a big part of the reason we pre-drive each and every job in our car first. One of the main objectives for this is to look for any such areas in the route. When we identify one we discuss our concerns with our clients, and offer suggestions on how we can either avoid them, or ways to deal with them safely.

One such often remedy is with the help of local police. We have found them to be more than obliging as long as they are given enough advance notice. Always polite, and very professional the police can and do add a big element of safety when the need arises. As in this photo where this small part of the road includes a hill in combination with a sharp curb where a motorist could be startled to come upon a slow moving vehicle, and have little time to react. The policeman was gracious enough to stay behind the carriage for the short distance the route was compromised making it totally safe for everyone involved.

Our top hats off to the local police, those that have helped us, and those that will. Our thanks to them cannot be expressed enough. Oh...and Earl did you know you had a turn signal out?

Christmas Spirit

2009-01-01T18:15:00.006-06:00

The Holiday's are right around the corner. Don't forget to book one of our horse drawn carriages for your holiday gatherings. Sleigh bells ringing and friends and family singing from the cozy seat of a carriage is a great way to enjoy the season.

Nothing quite like a carriage ride to feel the spirit of the season!

Of Kings and Queens

2008-11-30T21:10:00.006-06:00

When a local Arkansas senior citizens retirement home hired The Princess's Carriage to be a part of their royal festivities we jumped at the chance. The staff was amazing and had put together a real afternoon of fantasy for all. Besides carriage rides for over a hundred fully costumed residents, the foyer was adorned with a castle, and the dining room decorated in a medieval theme.

Groups of six at a time boarded our Cinderella for a 10 minute ride that took them around the building where the back drop was a beautiful town park.They were very organized and everyone got to ride. Even residents in wheelchairs and on walkers were helped into the carriage so as not to be left out. Our Cinderella carriage offered the perfect touch to the day’s theme, as well as easy entry as it sits only six inches off the ground. It was a windy day so we had attached the sides of the rain cover for a wind break which you can see in the picture if you look closely.

Besides the fun everyone had riding in The Princess's Carriage the most amazing thing was the number of people that spoke of remembering when a horse and carriage was how folks actually got from one place to another here in Arkansas.

Horses wearing Nike?

2008-11-30T13:00:00.006-06:00

Well...not really Nike, but the equine equivalent to tennis shoes. Having been in the horse industry all my life I pride myself on keeping up on new trends, and better ways of doing things that are always being discovered. Theses hoof boots are one of the innovative ideas that I am really impressed with.

While doing princess carriage rides we are usually working in a mixture of public streets, or private property's. Once in awhile when on the road you will come across debris that you would rather your horse not step on. Broken glass is one. Hence why our horses always wear these protective boots when working. Not only do they offer protection they also allow the horse to go barefoot ( without metal horse shoes) when not working which is much healthier for their feet.

Barefoot is a recent trend that has gained popularity with horse owners from all over the world. Barefoot horses receive a special barefoot trim, and/or abrasive hoof trim method utilizing power sanding tools. Coupled with more frequent trims than shod horses, more horses feet these days are being kept healthy, and more natural without the nails required to hold on steel shoes.

Pavement can get hot here in Arkansas, and these boots also provide heat protection, a nice cushion when working on pavement (much like you wearing a good pair of tennis shoes), and are all but invisible in photos. Plus the huge benefit of being able to allow our our carriage horses hooves to be left naturally barefoot when not working. A win, win for everyone concerned. Especially the princess's carriage horses!

Posed Pictures

2008-11-30T11:57:00.004-06:00

I'm always amazed at the beauty of our great Arkansas professional photographers posed pictures. One would think that by taking the spontaneity out of a shot that it would leave the picture feeling fake and posed. This is not the case at all from what I have seen. The pictures that I have had shared with me by some of our clients are incredibly beautiful. They actually reach out and tell you a story. Besides....there are just some things the photographer has no control over at all. Like the genuine smile on this beauty's face as her prince charming kisses her hand in front of the princess's carriage.

2008-11-30T11:28:00.003-06:00

Where to park?... "The Beast"

2008-11-29T20:52:00.001-06:00

One of our biggest dilemmas bringing the princess's carriage service to your Arkansas event is finding a parking spot. We have to have both room to unload as well as turns that are all wide enough to get in, and out of. Our trailer is a total of 38 feet long, and the truck adds about another 10 feet to the problem. We have nick named our horse trailer "The Beast" and believe me it can be a real headache trying to find a place to park it and unload the princess's carriage.

Sometimes we also have to "sneak" so nobody will catch on to the fact that we are there. That always adds yet another interesting wrinkle to the parking dilemma. Just how do you hide something that big? Luckily we have gotten quite good at it. We always drive each and every job in our small car to scope out where we feel is the best place to dock the road yacht we will be driving when we show up to do a horse and carriage event.

A Very Surprising Valentines Day

2008-11-29T16:20:00.004-06:00

She was so surprised she just couldn't believe it! Her hubby of many years had secretly rented us for a very special Valentines Day. We had decorated the princess's carriage with red roses, red feather hearts to symbolize ever lasting love.

He had plans for them to take a long quiet horse drawn carriage ride after a nice dinner at a local Arkansas steakhouse. He whisked off to the the rest room with his cell phone after they were finished with dinner to call us to the door just as they were about to exit.

Out they come, and she instantly gasps " Oh my! look at that! isn't that romantic! there must be some real lucky gal in there tonight" At that exact moment hubby says " there sure is a lucky gal, and shes right here with me" and motioned for her to get on the princess's carriage. She gave him that "quit teasing me " look, and a light smack on the arm. He says, "no... really, its for you!" and she comes right out this time, and tells him to quit messing with her. After the third unsuccessful attempt to convince her, he sat down inside the princess carriage, and one last time motioned her in when she looked up questionably at me.

I said, "yes its for you" before she believed a word of it. What a wonderfully splendid, even if unbelievable surprise for her, and who says chivalry is dead?

After You, Duke

2008-11-29T15:47:00.006-06:00

This shot on the right was taken by me from the driver's seat of the princess's carriage we call "The Cinderella". I had hooked up the team attachment, and took carriage horses Duke and Earl on a relaxing spin down the Arkansas country gravel roads where we live. If you look closely you will notice that Earl's head appears to be slightly behind Duke's. (Earl is on the right)

That's because it is. Earl is no dummy. He has figured out that if he hangs back that Duke does all the actual work pulling the princess's carriage, and he can just walk along and profile without ever breaking a sweat. I swear I could here him politely saying "after you, Duke" in an English accent. Our carriage horse Earl seems to have conveniently forgotten the team part of teamwork. So...whenever I drive the princess's carriage horses together I have to pay close attention to my traces to make sure to remind Mr. Earl to do his part of the pulling.

They are a comical pair. Sometimes Duke gets angry with Earl's laziness and lets him know what he thinks of it with a very grouchy look (if looks could only kill). Even though Duke has a wonderful work ethic, Earl has mastered the art of slacking off. Even so..the two horses really do love each other, and will even eat dinner together out of the same pan. They are true partners, and the best of friends all slacking aside.

Lots of Pretty Angels

2008-11-29T15:30:00.008-06:00

This was one of the absolutly funnest Arkanasa weddings we have had the pleasure to be a part of. The mother of the bride who hired the princess's carriage was so happy she was literally bouncing with joy, and full of hugs for everyone (including us). This was her baby girl's big day, and what a grand event she had put together. We brought our horse and carriage in front of the church after the couple was inside preparing for the ceremony.

As we did we watched about 30 of these little girls of all ages dressed in white angel dresses, complete with wings on their backs enter the church. What a sight it must have been inside that church. Let me tell you, this family knew how to wow their guests. Lots of pictures were taken of the princess's carriage with the newlyweds, and our horse Duke even got his picture taken with some of the pretty angels.

Later we got the nicest card from this family thanking us for making their day. Seeing all those pretty angels sure made ours.

Awaiting the Cue

2008-11-29T15:12:00.004-06:00

I just love this picture! My footman snapped it while we were waiting for the cue to deliver this bride while we waited on a quiet Arkansas back road on the way to the wedding ceremony. The bride to be took the time to settle her nerves by giving our carriage horse Duke some much appreciated love and petting. Often we are asked to make a grand horse and carriage entrance with the bride exactly on time as the wedding's music starts to play. Since carriage horses don't move very fast pulling a horse drawn carriage we find a close place just out of site, and wait for an exact time on the clock, or a perfectly timed cell phone call for "here comes the bride" and we then deliver the bride in royal style in a princess's carriage.

I never get tired of the delighted faces on the guests when they see the princess's carriage bringing in a beautiful bride. Usually just one person sees it first, and gasps, then a second later all the guests are turned and watching the bride arrive in the horse carriage in utter surprise. This was one such occasion as the guests were all faced the opposite direction of our grand entrance with this bride and her father. Later we took the Arkansas newlyweds away from the ceremony, and to the reception.

A Good Looking Bunch

2008-11-29T14:52:00.002-06:00

The photo above is a typical scene for us everywhere we go here in Arkansas. As we are unloading the princess's carriage and getting ready for a job our carriage and horse never cease to draw the attention of all that happen to see it. We always arrive early to harness up our carriage horse, and clean every speck of dust on the princess's carriage that may have been acquired during transport. While this is going on we get visitors. The neighborhood's kids are always sure to come by and ask if they can pet the carriage horse. Its always a pleasure to let the kids pet the velvety soft muzzle of one of our carriage horses. For some of the kids this is the closest they have ever been to a real live horse. We take the opportunity to answer lots of questions and tell the kids a little about our horses, and their lives here on our Arkansas farm.

A Quinceanera

2008-11-29T14:33:00.002-06:00

For those that don't know what a Quinceanera is, its the equivalent of a sweet sixteen birthday party for a Hispanic girl thats celebrated on the day she turns fifteen. Its a beautiful event and family's save for years to have a Quinceanera for their beloved daughters. These events are often more planned than a wedding. There is much pomp and circumstance and also lots of beautiful traditions that go along with the festivities. A Quinceanera celebrates a young girl becoming a young woman to the world.

We here at the Princess's Carriage were honored to provide one of our horse and carriage ensembles for a spectacular Quinceanera here in Arkansas. The young men were dressed in white military style suits, and the birthday girl wore an incredibly beautiful dress, and tiara. She truly looked like a princess on her big day. I was awed, and amazed with the gorgeous outfits everyone adorned. A proud stepping carriage horse delivered her in style in the princess's carriage, along with her escorts to the reception hall where the celebration was just getting started.

2008-11-29T13:07:00.004-06:00

Fall Outdoor Wedding at Lake

2008-11-29T12:52:00.001-06:00

Last Fall in November we had the pleasure of doing a grand entrance and exit for a bride in a beautiful state park here in Arkansas. The day was spectacular, the fall foliiage in full swing, and the most gorgeous backdrop of mountains, lake, and the clear Arkansas sky glowing a perfect blue.

While the wedding was quite simple with the couple exchanging their vows on a rocky flat area in front of the lake, a trellis, and teak torches flaming, were the only human touches to the scene, for the rest, mother nature provided the most gorgeous backdrop imaginable that only a place as beautiful as Arkansas can provide.

A tear was brought to our eyes as the young daughter of the bride of no more than five years old asked " "Can I call him Daddy now?" as the princess's carriage and horse took the mother, child, new husband ( and daddy) off for their bit of quiet time before the reception.

God was truely smiling down on this young couple that day.

I was able to snap a few photos with my inexpensive camera which some of which are shared in the wedding photos in the gallery section of the princess's carriage website.