Articles about horses, carriages, and events
Our Blog
Welcome to the Carriage of Occasion blog. We’ll be sharing a range of stories over time to help you get the most from your use of horses and carriages for your special events, as well as taking you behind the scenes to meet our horses.
Dave
There are times, when this game, specifically the horse training element of it, just seems too hard. When things are going well, everything seems wonderful,
Time to come clean.
I was a bit cocky. When I purchased Monty and Luna, I thought I would have them working and pulling a carriage within 6 months.
Forward is not always the answer
Forward is not always the answer…. There I said it, and I’m feeling the wrath of many horse trainers who are reading that opening statement.
Working through the fog.
I’ve been a bit absent in the blog writing department of late, I apologise. But the truth is, I’ve been struggling. In many aspects. Life
Welcoming the new team members
I’ve said it many times before, this small business journey is a rather tough gig more often than not. It seems the easiest way to
A week to forget (and maybe even throw in the towel)
Having horses as wonderful as Henry and Angus, it is very easy to take for granted that everything will go smoothly at a job. Having
The one that got away
Stanley was a spunky little dude, who I kind of feel got a bit of a raw deal from me. He was an inquisitive, bold,
Where to from here??
It’s only just dawned on me, but by the end of last year, I was close to burnout. This carriage business has been my main
Giving up on the Fairytale
In the words of the great Kenny Rogers, ‘you have to know when to hold ‘em, and know when to fold ‘em’. Unfortunately Boris has
Farewell Nibbles and Tabby
With Henry out of action, and Christmas looming, I’d decided to bring Nibbles and Tabby back into work. I’d discussed with Leanne, who offered them
Boris and the cart wreck
With horse training, it is so often the case of one step forward two steps back. You may have read in my other blogs, that
The bumpy road of training Boris
Following dreams can be a bumpy ride. Sevenish years ago, long before Nibbles and Tabby entered my team, I purchased a grey Percheron mare from
It will be easier once it’s more familiar, and other lies we tell ourselves.
We get along ok. I’m pretty proud of the service we provide. Even after 13 years, I could count on one hand how many times
To enter 2023 tourism awards or not to enter… that is the question.
Our first attempt at tourism awards, back in 2021 was very much a learning experience. I was happy with my submission, and excited that it
The quandary that is Boris
I have to be honest, Boris is testing my resolve. If you’ve followed us for a while, you’d know of Boris. I purchased his mum
How much weight can a horse carry?
How much weight can a horse carry? The general recommendation is no more than 20% of their body weight. Meaning a horse that weights 600
Horse Beach Experience
My ‘Horse Beach Experience’, seemed like a really good idea at the time. From the dreamer ‘everything is awesome’ part of my brain, came the
Say What??
It’s always easier to see things from an insiders perspective, but I think what we do is fairly self-explanatory. We use one or 2 horses
The Disappointment that was The Royal Adelaide Show
You know when you have a brilliant idea and think it’s infallible, but then it is just a huge letdown on every level? That about
How much does it cost to own a Horse?
This is a great question, I’m really glad you asked! We actually get asked this a lot. The answer however is not a simple one.
The tentative step into offering lessons
If you have read some of my other blogs, you will know that we started from scratch. We are self taught at this whole harness
Boris and the battle of the horse float
If you have been following us for a while, you will know of Boris, who is one half of the pair affectionately known as the
Angus and the Sunday Vet Bill
You may have seen our ‘Vet Bill Special’ recently. This blog is to explain the reason for this! Each morning my first job for the
Can I use my own carriage?
Let’s face it, our horses are brilliant! We have such a lovely team of well trained, patient horses in a variety of colours. It takes
SA Tourism Awards- Gala Night
Following on from our previous blog, we managed after much sufferance, to submit an entry for the SA Tourism awards. While all entrants were invited
2021 Tourism awards
Sometimes I have really good ideas. I would say that deciding to enter the SA tourism awards, was perhaps not one of them. I guess
Horse Drawn Christmas Light Tours
It’s the most wonderful time of the year…. Or at least that’s what the jingles and festivities want us to believe. We started Christmas light
Types and Variations to Harness
A very important, but rarely mentioned component of our equipment is our harness. Without a harness we wouldn’t be able to attach our horses to
Horse Drawn Carriages and Traffic
A common question we are asked, is how our horses deal with the traffic. From our point of view, a better question would be; how
Horse Shoes and the job of the farrier
If you have owned or ridden horses, you would know about farriers and hoof maintenance but hoof maintenance is a question we get asked about
We’re going on a bear hunt!
If you come to Strathalbyn during the school holidays, you’re sure of a big surprise, we will go over, around and through this gorgeous town
But what about the weather??
This is a question we get asked for almost every booking, and quite rightly so. One thing we have absolutely no control over is the
The Expanding of a Hobby
Established in 2009 and initially a hobby, Carriage of Occasion literally plodded along for a number of years, with our beautiful Calvin and his stunning
COVID and the creation of ‘No Frills”
At the start of 2020, we were sure it was going to be our year. We had finally moved our workshop home after years of
The Burden of Sand
Horses are amazing, beautiful, useful animals. Their digestive system however is complex, relatively fragile, and totally inefficient (which is why their poo makes great fertiliser).
“Living the Dream”
It is often said to me that I am living the dream. While I guess it could be perceived from the outside that indeed I