You’ve probably noticed Crystal Langford’s new ride on the roads along Nelson’s waterfront.
A draft horse pulling tourists around in an antique carriage is hard to miss.
“I really didn’t anticipate how much attention we’d get,” says Langford, sitting in the drivers seat of the carriage with her eight-year-old son and assistant Elwyn.
As she steers her horse Jack out of the parking lot at the Prestige Lakeside Resort, a man walking down the sidewalk pulls out his cell phone to snap a photo.
Later, a cyclist pedals alongside the carriage to tell Langford what a beautiful horse she has, and the occasional driver speeds up to pass them.
But the distractions don’t bother Jack. He spent seven years pulling carriages in Illinois, before Langford bought him last fall.
“He’s used to a lot more traffic and noise then we’d ever get in Nelson,” Langford says.
“I joke that he’s enjoying the easy life here in Nelson, but actually he really does need to work. If he doesn’t get enough physical exercise, he’ll get sick and depressed.”
Langford’s tour service, Kootenay Horse and Carriage, is the first of it’s kind in Nelson. She offer tours ranging in length from 25 minutes to two hours, every Friday through Sunday weather permitting, and also does private bookings.
For information and rates, see kootenayhorseandcarriage.com.