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Horse-drawn sleigh rides come to Victoria this holiday season

Traditional sleigh with snow runners modified for city streets
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The sleigh was originally designed as a traditional sleigh with runners for use in snow, but has been modified with the addition of a wheeled undercarriage. (Submitted/Tally-Ho Carriage Tours)

Sleigh bells will jing-a-ling through Victoria streets this holiday season as a horse-drawn carriage company hitches up an authentic sleigh to one of their draft horses.

With a serious lack of the white stuff necessary for a true sleigh ride, Tally-Ho Carriage Tours has modified a traditional sleigh from Indiana’s Nappanee Amish country, to include an inconspicuous wheeled undercarriage, complete with electric brakes for safety.

“This unique design means that, even without snow, Victorians can now enjoy an experience that many of us have, until now, only dreamt of,” said owner Donna Friedlander.

The new horse-drawn sleigh attraction will operate in Victoria during the month of December, as part of Tally Ho’s 115th anniversary celebration.

RELATED: New scholarship a memorial to Tally-Ho’s Larry Friedlander

The ornate single-horse drawn sleigh was designed with meticulous attention to detail by Mennonite master carriage maker Leroy Martin.

The carriage has plush seats and warm blankets for the leisurely tour through some of Victoria’s most scenic neighbours, passing seasonally-decorated homes.

RELATED: BC SPCA recommends ban of horse-drawn carriages from downtown Victoria streets

“The addition of a holiday sleigh by Tally-Ho Carriage Tours will provide a wonderful experience,” said Destination Greater Victoria CEO Paul Nursey. “The community has so many amazing events and activities over the holiday season. The sleigh is another great activity that can be enjoyed by the whole family.”