Trappe, PA Rt. 113 

A personal message to all interested sleigh riders

regarding unfavorable circumstances 

 

This winter would have been my 10th consecutive winter of offering this unique experience to the public here at Northern Star Farm  in Trappe and what a “wonderful ride” it has been for me personally. Aside from the actual sleighing, satisfying the dreams and wishes of so many has been incredibly rewarding and positive.

 

I could never have done this on the high level I feel I have, without my team of horses led by Pretty Boy, Thomas, and Harry. All of whom are so highly trained, incredibly smart, kind, gentle, and most of all, completely safe and trustworthy around humans.

 

Mixing people with horses, even in the best of circumstances, is fraught with potential problems. But asking horses to wear large noisy sleigh bells and trudging over frozen snow covered ground is often something that the average horse will not tolerate safely. 

 

Sadly in recent times, my beloved Pretty Boy and Harry have passed away due to natural causes. Not wanting to ask the remaining horse Thomas to go it alone, I have found myself in a bit of a quandary.

 

As of this writing, my extensive search for replacements for this highly specialized activity that would pass our safety standards here at Northern Star Farm has been unsuccessful thus far. 

 

Rather than risk injury and disappointment to all parties both human and animal, I am forced to take a hiatus from sleigh riding until this delicate situation can be rectified.

 

I offer my most sincere apologies and look forward to the day our boys Harry and Pretty Boy are replaced with successors worthy of the job. 

 

Matthew Wismer