In order to do a wedding, party, Holiday event or any other carriage activity, we start with well bred, well trained, and well manned horses that are fed, fit and properly groomed. So, we begin with good horses that are bred and raised on our ranch or purchased and shipped from the Midwest or beyond. The horses receive extensive and continual training by a trainer. We believe in showing our horses prior to conducting carriage work because showing gives the horses a wide variety of experience and confidence. Once ready for the jobs, here is a partial list of the most important people and services who help get us to the carriage event:

Our veterinarian (he keeps all of the horses going year round with routine exams and treatments as well as treatment during extraordinary events. (This also includes going to the Dentist on a regular basis!)

Fahrsportkontor – our carriage maker from Wuppertal Germany who designed, produced and shipped our commercial carriages to the US

Carriage Insurance vendor

Horse trailer repair expert (welder and regular maintenance including tires and batteries)

The Ford F350 mechanics/fuel

Local feed stores for the purchase of grain, bedding,shampoo,hoof dye, fly spray,vitamins, minerals,etc.

Our hay broker who delivers tons of hay on a really big truck

Truck and trailer insurance vendors

horseshoer (every six weeks)

horseshoes – made and shipped from Michigan for drafts

draft horse blankets, halters, shipping boots, etc. coming from Shipshewana Indiana (no draft horse stores in Fresno)

Harness – various types for various events coming from Amish harness makers in the Midwest

And, 365 days a year of stall cleaning, feeding, and grooming these incredible animals

Finally, on the day of the event, we start very early with cleaning harness, cleaning the carriage, bathing the horses and then loading harness,carriage and horses. Of course, arriving at the event, we unload the carriage and horses and then harness and clean again. (And, we know where we are going to park to stage for the event because we have already conducted our site inspection on a separate trip days earlier).