Carriage Rental in Arkansas- part 3

Of course if you have decided you want a horse and carriage for your special day you would like to actually be able to have one. Carriage rental in Arkansas part three is about avoiding procrastination. Simply put...don't do it. By the very nature of this business you can only be so many places at the same time. Always a first come, first serve service, and not worth possibly losing out over waiting until the last minute.

Certain times of the year this becomes critical. Prom season, and the popular wedding months of June and September, and of course the Christmas season. Give as much advance notice as possible. Even if you do not have the deposit money right away ask to be penciled in and called if someone else calls about your date. There is nothing I hate more than having to tell someone who called back wanting a date that it is now unavailable. It is disappointing for you I know, and it honestly makes me feel bad too. 

Some people will book a whole year before their service. Theses folks almost without exception get their date and time reserved. The further out the date is, the more like an insurance policy it works. Just the opposite is true of last minute bookings. Long story short reserve your date and time as soon as you can. If there is a momentary problem with cash flow don't be afraid to discuss it with us we will do all we can to accommodate individual situations. Remember...we are on your side, and want to be a part of your special day!

Carriage Rental in Arkansas- part 2

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

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

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"