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A Day In The Life Of A Charleston Carriage Horse Barn Hand

Featured Image Credit: Palmetto Carriage Works Facebook

At the Big Red Barn, Palmetto Carriage Works has twenty hand-selected, caring barn hands. This is a team full of well trained, knowledgeable, and dedicated people who take the animals care as seriously as their employers do.

A barn hands daily responsibilities are feeding, grooming, harnessing, and hitching twenty-five or more horses and mules. In a week a single horse can go through about 2-3 bales of hay plus about 8 quarts of grain per serving (on average two serving per day). Throughout the day a barn hand tends to many horses and mules, on average grooming a horse takes 7-10 minutes, of course, the condition of the horse can affect that time. Some horses need a full bath in the mornings, while others can just be brushed and are ready to go.

After cleaning, a barn hand would dress the horse in dray (its harness). Putting on their collar and collar pad first, then they would put on the actual harness. Because they use a floating style harness, it is all one piece making it slightly easier to put it on. The hames sit on their collar and then are buckled at the bottom. Once the hames are buckled, the girth (the band around the belly) is fastened and the remainder of the harness is stretched out over their back. Lastly, the bridle is placed on their head.

Again, each horse is different, the horse may be incredibly stubborn, making it much harder to complete this process, while others may be incredibly laid back and let you put on the harness with ease. Most barn hands have their own way of connecting with the animals, some barn hands find that when the animal willingly takes the bit when placing the bridle is a sign of companionship.

Each day in the life of a barn hand can be incredibly different. They always have to expect the unexpected, but they have great patience and a gentle persistence that is key to interacting with the animals.

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palmetto carriage works

Video: Seven Facts About The Care Of Palmetto Carriage Works Horses

Featured Image Credit: Facebook/ Palmetto Carriage Works

It’s no secret that carriage tours are a popular activity in Charleston for both tourists and locals. The horses pulling the carriages may very well be the city’s best ambassadors! If they could talk, we’re sure they could pretty much tell us anything about the history of Charleston, because they listen to it and learn about it every single day!

It’s also not a secret that the support for the carriage industry has declined over the last couple years. People have become skeptical about the care for the horses and the intentions of the carriage industries. But carriage rides are an important part in Charleston tourism and the horses play a vital role. Benjamin Doyle of Palmetto Carriage Works knows that better than just about anyone, since Palmetto Carriage Works is the oldest carriage company in Charleston.

Most often the animals coming to Palmetto Carriage Works have retired from pulling plows all day, usually in Pennsylvania’s Amish country. They semi-retire to Charleston – as so many from that area do – and take up work pulling carriages. The work days are shorter and the loads are a whole lot lighter.

These horses are like family to the carriage companies. They are treated just like you would treat a loved one or a family member. While the horses may not get a paycheck, they get plenty of vacation time and a health care package to boot (or should we say horseshoe?) Doyle carefully selects horses and mules that are gentle, can tolerate traffic and noise as well as Charleston’s warm and humid climate.

Check out what exactly goes into caring for the carriage horses in this awesome video from Palmetto Carriage Works Facebook page.

The Big Red Barn is open to the public and Doyle is happy to show visitors around and explain the process for caring for the animals. Stop by and check it out at 8 Guignard St. near the City Market. Hours are 9 a.m .to 4 p.m. Monday to Sunday.

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