Art Harrison: January 2011

Our First Carriage Job

by Art Harrison

On December 18th, 1999 Colonel, my near 23 year old half quarter, half morgan bay gelding and I had our first professional carriage job. We were hired by Pete Johnson and wife Dora, owners of First City Carriage Company in Seminole, Al. to drive for a wedding in Defuniak Springs, Florida, about 80 miles East of Pensacola. The job included picking up the bride and groom, flower girl and ring bearer at the First Baptist Church in Defuniak and delivering them to the reception held at the bride’s parent’s house located on a beautiful lake surrounded with lighted Christmas decorations. We were also contracted to give rides to guests around the lake during the reception. Pete had 3 other carriage commitments this same day. My wife Mary and grandson Jeremy both agreed to give me a hand with this venture.
Pete dropped off the carriage with the trailer which is especially equipped to haul a carriage and horse at our house on Friday morning. I was not at home because I had to go to Chumuckla Fl. that morning to trim some horses . On the way back I picked up grandson Jeremy at his house in Pace. We had some hot dogs at the Tom Thumb store and then picked up my tux and we headed home. Jeremy washed my truck and then we hooked it up to the trailer. We made sure all the lights were working properly. We made sure all the tires on the truck and trailer had 30 psi. We unloaded the carriage and wiped it down. The carriage looked like it was made just for weddings.   It was a restored , 100 year old turn of the century white carriage with one seat for the couple, a canopy top, two side candle lanterns, and high front open seat for the driver . I later found out this carriage was valued at about $11000.00. We then loaded and unloaded Colonel in the trailer to get him use to it. With the weight of the horse my truck bumper came down quite a bit so I decided to unload some of my heavier horseshoeing equipment. We then reloaded Colonel and started to take him for a little ride when we realized my dog Dingo was out and would probably follow, so we had to stop and put him back in the yard. We drove around for a while and when we got back we noticed Colonel was trembling pretty bad.   We then unloaded and loaded him again and then let him eat some hay in the trailer and he settled down. By this time it was 3:30 p.m. so we hooked Colonel up to the carriage to try it out and make sure my harness was going to work ok.   We hardly got 50 feet down the road when colonel tried to turn around and come back. I got down and found some things I did not have right with the harness. He then did better but I still had the pull straps too short and the breech straps too loose because when we went down a hill his legs were hitting the carriage. It is really amazing what this horse will put up with. After we got around the one mile circle we had to burn some new holes in the croup straps and make some more adjustments. I had to make a makeshift breech strap on one side. We tried it again around the circle and this time everything worked great. We were now about out of daylight so we loaded the carriage back in the trailer. It looked like we had things under control.
Saturday – the big day -   the wedding was to start at 5:30 p.m. It was close to a 2 hr. drive to Defuniak. We were to pick up the couple at 6:15. The sky was starting to look cloudy. I figured the time to leave was 2:30 so we could get there in plenty of time and make sure Colonel was settled. I brushed Colonel, cleaned his feet good and put some hoof varnish on his feet for good looks. He looked pretty good for a 23 year old. Mary went to the store to pick up some drinks and snacks. She also picked up some ponchos because the weather report did not sound good. We loaded everything we thought we would need in the truck and the trailer. Mary made some tuna     sandwiches because we were not sure where or when we would get a chance to eat. We all had some lunch and started taking our showers. It began to rain. I was a little nervous. I really never dreamed I would be doing anything like this. There were a hundred things that could go wrong. We decided to leave at 2 instead of 2:30 because of the rain. We left right on time. About 3 blocks from the house on a right hand turn I heard a loud scrape and thought I just wiped out the stop sign or something was wrong with the hitch. We circled around to check it out and decided it was probably the rear bumper of the trailer scrapping the pavement. We finally got out on interstate 10 heading east. The rain started coming down pretty hard but we felt good to be on the way. Mary had called her niece Pam and her husband John who operates a tow truck service in Defuniak. They live close to where we will be and they said they would meet us there. The plan I had made with Pete was to meet at an old Victorian Style vacant house about 1/2 mile or so from the church. The house belonged to Ellen Mayfield who was the caterer for the wedding and had made the arrangements for the carriage. It turned out that Mary’s niece Pam knew Mrs. Mayfield and also the Butts, family of the bride. She said this was a very prominent family in Defuniak and there would be very many guests. Large tents were set up in their yard above the lake.
Sometimes we thought the rain was slacking up but it just seemed to be following us along . We still arrived a little before 4 P.M. , a little earlier that I thought we would. We had some time so I decided to wait until 4:30 before we started to harness up. Pam & John drove up shortly after we arrived. There was a huge front porch which was good shelter from the rain. I removed Colonel’s leg wraps and walked him around the yard letting him relax and munch on the weeds of his own choosing. He seemed to have taken the trip well. John went back to their house and returned with a thermos of coffee. This went well with the tuna sandwiches. It was now time to unload the carriage, harness up and get really wet. Cari Butts, the bride, had requested the carriage remain as inconspicuous as possible until we picked them up in order to surprise some of the guest but that we should arrive at the church at 6:15. We were now harnessed up. Mary and Jeremy decorated the carriage with bows that Pete’s wife Dora had made up. We would put the just married sign on after getting closer to the church. It was now time for a little trial run, just to make sure. Pam, who had always been deathly afraid of horses volunteered to ride in the wedding seat. I figured if I could make her feel safe then I should do ok with the bride, groom and the kids. We did a few turns around the block. Pam also took a few pictures of us all working in the rain. We had brought a camera but had forgotten all about it. Now Jeremy and Mary got into the carriage. Jeremy lit the candle lanterns. We headed to the vicinity of the church. There were traffic blocks everywhere, ( I mentioned this was a large wedding). I tried to make it between some cones and a tree and Colonel bulked. He said NO WAY. He backed up some. I had Jeremy get out and move the cones and we made it through the blockade. Then something went haywire. I thought the singletree had broke, (the part on the carriage that it is pulled from).   I got off and found one of my knots that I rigged the breech strap with came loose. I panicked a little because it had the whole harness out of whack and I was thinking “ this is our first job but it will be our last if we our late”. Everything had been working so good on the test run and now this, but I got it retied and readjusted and climbed back up and it was ok again. . I was quite nervous. We were suppose to wait in an alley on the side of the church but could only find what looked more like a parking lot. I waited there. To a Baltimore boy an alley is a narrow road with the backs of buildings or houses alongside. Mary and Jeremy walked up near the church to try and give me some clue on when to show. I now had removed my poncho and had my top hat on, and tux jacket. I started getting soaked to the bone. I had to hold my head straight because every time I tilted my head forward water that collected on the brim of my top hat would gush onto my lap and it was very cold. The temperature was around 40 degrees But with the wind and rain it made it seem colder. One of the first things I asked Pete is what do we do if it rains and he had said ” well, we just go on”. So here I am, Just going on.   It is now 6:15, the magic time and no one has come out of the church yet. We decide to make the move around to the front of the church. We wait a little longer, then the guests start pouring out the front door of the church. Naturally there is a lot of talking and noise. There is no bride or groom. A lot of cars are pulling up all around us because we are right in front of the front door and people do not want to get wetter than they have too. Colonel is not happy with this. He tries to do his little backup deal again. I try to stop him by tapping him on the butt with the whip but this does not work. We have just about jackknifed this rig and we are about to back into some people. So I disembark, and make my way to Colonel’s head folding the long reins in my hands as I go. When I reach his head he steps on my right toe. I am sort of stuck for a few seconds. He has no Idea he is hurting me. I shove his shoulder with both hands and I finally get my toe out without causing more commotion with all the people crowding around . I get him straightened up, calmed down, then ask Jeremy to come out and talk to him and keep talking to him while I board back up and wait on the new Mr. and Mrs. Cole. The crowd has now started to thin out, but no bride or groom. Did they change there minds and decide to take a car because of the rain? About twenty till seven I see a white dress through the doors down the hall. Then a young man in a tux, then here they come, with the flower girl and another very young man, the ring bearer. We are now standing there just like pros. The kids were originally suppose to ride up front with me but because of the rain they will ride with the bride and groom under the canopy. The bride and groom are very happy and are ready to go as planned. There is a photographer taking pictures as they board the carriage . This was probably the reason for the delay. They are in the only part of the carriage that has remained dry, and we are moving. They express their thankfulness for showing up in all the rain. My nervousness is still with me but I am feeling a lot better. We are hitting bumper to bumper traffic but also hit a few open places where we can move into a little trot. It is about a mile and a half between the church and the reception. The bride compliments how well the horse is doing. I can hardly believe it myself. He is starting and stopping with the traffic with hardly any rein pressure. I inquire about their comfort. Even though the bride is sleeveless they tell me they are warm , dry and cozy because they are all snuggled together under an authentic carriage blanket. The lights around the lake are beautiful. Many of the trees are lit up but there are also free standing light displays of Santa Clauses and Reindeer and Nativity scenes. We are now in site of the house almost halfway around the lake. We are behind the line of guests that are being dropped off, waiting our turn just as the other vehicles. I thought, this same carriage may have done this service 100 years ago before cars were even around. We arrive. There are valets with umbrellas escorting quests to large outdoor tents set up in the yard. More photos are taken as the bride and groom are leaving the carriage with the girl and boy. I give my own congratulations to them and they thank me again. They are a very gracious young couple and I am very glad that they were happy with the ride and were comfortable and dry in spite of the rain. I agreed to wait around for 10 more minutes to see if any of the guests wanted a ride around the lake as was stated in the contract. It was still raining.   The wind was blowing. I was shivering. I was also praying there would be no takers and there wasn’t. I had pulled up a little from the main drop off point to wait. There was to be an announcement made but apparently no one wanted to come back out for a wet ride around the lake. I headed back toward the old house where the trailer was parked. John and Pam had picked up Mary and Jeremy when I left the church and had taken them back to their house to dry them out. I was to call them on my cell phone when I got back to the trailer. For me this was the most enjoyable part. The job was done and the pressure was off. A lot of Colonels prior nervousness , maybe all of it, had come from me. He picked it up with his senses even though his head was 10 feet in front of me. I enjoyed the jog back and enjoyed looking at the lights and Colonel felt the same way.. We were both happy. We were both relaxed . I unhitched and gave Colonel some feed and water. I had some dry clothes in the truck but it took me longer to do everything because of the shivering. I had a hard time getting my bow tie and comber bun off. I had to step out of the cummerbund because I could not unclasp it with my cold, shaky fingers. I called and John sent his two sons to help me load the carriage. I then lashed it down and loaded Colonel. He jumped into the trailer, ready to go. I then followed the sons to their house for a warm cup of coffee, one of the best cups of coffee I ever had in my life. Then in a little bit we were on our way. We made it home about 11pm. We were pretty elated because in spite of the problems and the rain we felt our part had been a success.
Now there was a few times this night I thought I was having some bad luck, but after talking with Pete the next day I realized it wasn’t so bad. It had rained hard in Pensacola too. Pete had dried himself out and got resoaked three different times and had not one but 2 carriage wrecks. One carriage broke in the middle under the load of passengers. Luckily, they were almost at their destination and they were able to walk the remaining way while Pete drug the carriage back to the trailer. Latter that evening, Dominoe, his 1400 lb. half belgium draft horse slipped on the wet street while crossing a busy intersection and fell down. Pete also fell down trying to help him and the shafts to this carriage were broken during this mishap. Now this is true. At this time he had been carrying Santa Clause in the carriage. He asked the Santa Clause to hold the horse while he tried to get the mess untangled. Santa clause’s response was ” HOLD THE HORSE???!!!” When I told Mary what happened she said “Well, you think with him handling all those reindeer that he would have no trouble holding one horse.”
Pete used as us a fill in several more times after that. Another memorable ride was a wedding in which three carriages were needed and the bride and groom were picked up at St. Stephens Catholic Church on Garden St. in Pensacola. This was Colonel’s first time being used as a carriage horse with other horses and he kept wanting to be the lead horse on the way to the church. When I tried to hold him back he did his little back up trick again and I had to have help getting him settled. He absolutely did not want to be left by those other horses so I was doing my best to get through those red lights with them.. I said a few prayers as we were standing in front of the church and Colonel was dancing nervously. By the time we had picked up the bridle party he had settled down. A young man sitting shotgun next to me asked if this horse had ever tried to run away. I said yes, about 20 minutes ago. His eyes got big. We fell into a pattern with the other carriages giving rides throughout the evening all over Sevelle Quarter from the Pensacola Cultural Center on Zaragoza St. where the reception was being held. Many guest rode more than once. We also did rides for Picnic in the Park at Plaza Ferdinand and another affair for the North Hill Preservation Society and a few more weddings by ourselves. I had the opportunity to also drive Pete’s horse Blackie during several events and feel fortunate to have had the experience of being one of the few in recent times to have been able to drive a horse and carriage all over the city of Pensacola just like they did 100 years ago. It was quite an experience to have.
It was the day after Father’s Day, June 18, 2001 that I had to put Colonel down. I had him on pasture at Pete’s and he broke his leg severely above the knee, probably from a kick from a mare. He was a gelding but he had a history of being over friendly when there was a mare about. He had been doing very well at 24 1/2 years old. He had developed a cough and did much better with it on pasture in the summer then he did at our house, where there was not much grass.
That was a sad day, but it made me feel better to think of all the things this horse did in his career. He had started his life with us at 6 ½ years old as my daughter Melanie’s 4 H barrel racing horse. After Melanie married and left home I decide to keep Colonel. It took awhile for him to warm up to me because he had been more of a ladies horse up to that time. We did a lot of trail riding and I tried to discourage some of the things he had picked up as a barrel horse, like cutting close to trees and taking off after a turn around. I rode with a hackamore so that we could go on grass hunting expeditions around the neighborhood. We worked with the boy scouts from troup 403 on the horsemanship merit badge. Then one day when I was in Big Brothers, Big Sisters, I had my little brother Stephen over. Using only what I had read in a book, I foolishly hooked him up to metal training cart I had purchased and put Stephen in the cart. I lead him into the street and after walking him a short distance I unhooked his lead line and hopped in with Stephen and away we went. I do not recommend this. I was very lucky. I latter learned that you always hook a horse up for the first time to a ground slide in an enclosed area with no obstacles. My book did not cover that part. I still had to steer him very wide around trees and telephone poles so we wouldn’t get wrapped around but he continued to get better and better.
We had a ball riding grandkids, neighbor kids and adults through the neighborhood and trails near our house. We moved up to a Meadowbrook Cart and then a 4 wheel Surrey that would carry 4 people. A lot of them learned to ride saddle and bareback right in the back yard. We had joined the Trail Blazers, a group that rode the trails at the University of West Florida and Colonel was always ready to go for that because being a horse kept mostly alone he enjoyed getting out and being around other horses.
Colonel added so much to my life. He taught me many things I would have never known. He is remembered with deepest fond memories by my wife Mary and I , children and grandchildren and so many that came in contact with him.
Arthur J. Harrison
Revised 6/19/05

Art Harrison

Friday, January 14, 2011

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Harnessing Cocoa and Hooking Up The Cart

Our First Carriage Job