This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hi all! Laura mentioned sleighing so I thought I'd tell you about last weekend. Saturday, our family went to the Sleigh and Cutter Parade in Cannon Falls, MN, about an hour from here. It was the first time we had gone to this one. What a friendly group of people (as always with a driving group!). We had a great time sleighing around a groomed track in the park in front of many people who were also there for the dog sled races. It was a partly sunny day and warm by MN standards!
Sunday, we went out again to sleigh -- this time to the St. Paul Winter Carnival Sleigh and Cutter Drive at Phalen Park in St. Paul, MN. This was our second year going to this one. The track was wonderful in that they made it so we could pass if need be. There were at least 60 turn-outs in my estimation!!! Every pony and horse type you could imagine!! You would have been proud that there were at least 10 Fjords there, 3 turn-outs being pairs! I heard one participant exclaim, " What is this -- a Fjord convention!!??" It was so much fun to see all the variety in sleighs, bobsleds and cutters. The whole affair was followed by a potluck lunch with ribbons awarded for every category imagineable. The sun was shining all day. We couldn't have asked for better snow and weather conditions for sleighing! Only 2 mishaps that day -- one, a pony got loose and was found trotting down Larpentuer Ave., a busy thoroughfare, and two, a Shire accident. I have to tell you about it since it happened 4 feet from us. Major (our Fjord) and our sleigh were passing a gorgeous Shire whom we'd passed several times that day. This time, we passed -- at a walk--- by some green electrical boxes that were well marked in the snow with three painted boards. Right as we passed, the Shire spooked and kicked his sleigh further spooking himself. We turned around to watch the whole horrible incident, helplessly. The Shire obviously wanted to get rid of the "thing" he had kicked and leaped and bucked and kicked forever it seemed! We are talking about a tall huge horse!! The driver kept the reins in hand but the action by the horse was so violent that it was sending the sleigh up in the air several feet a few times until the driver was literally heaved from the sleigh and into the snow! At that point, all straps had snapped between the horse and the sleigh, and the horse, relieved that he had freed himself from the awful "thing" behind him, just stood there in the snow looking at his driver as if to say, "What happened?" The sleigh was a wreck. The guy said he had driven this Shire for many years and he had never spooked before. He wondered if the horse had gotten a charge from the electrical box as he went by??? We went by it several more times that day and had no reaction?? Thank God he had a soft landing in the snow and was not hurt, nor was the horse. I sure felt lucky to have my sweet Fjord, Major, that day!! He was so "in his element" out in the snow trotting around that afternoon. Makes me wish we lived somewhere where we didn't have to trailer to go sleighing because I know we would go out more often that way. Hope all of you get to enjoy a wonderful wintery day behind your Fjord this winter! Susan in balmy MN
