Two gentle giants, ready to roll! Nothing beats a sleigh ride in winter!
For the past five years, Molly Milewski has been J and D's right-hand gal.
April is the ringleader, the alpha horse of the group. “She’s Joel’s baby, and she’s spoiled,” grins Molly Milewski, who has helped the Fergusons for five years now, grooming the horses, serving as J and D’s official photographer, handling its Facebook presence, and facilitating a smooth run at the horses’ many social engagements. “Molly has become a great asset,” Denise beams. “She takes my place, at times, which allows me to do other things. She just loves the horses!” The Percherons usually participate in one or two social events a month. ”They really like the extra attention,” says Molly, “so in that respect, the pandemic was hard on them. Going months without social events was a big change. They need socializing. They thrive on it. “Each horse knows her place, too,” she adds. “When going in and out of the barn, they follow a particular order: April first, Joy second, then Sassy and Midge. But Joy sometimes veers off to check out the other stalls to see if anyone has left behind a little feed. She’s very food-motivated, so she’ll often end up last out.” This winter, in addition to offering their annual Christmas rides, the Fergusons look forward to hosting community sleigh rides on their property. “We have a little camp out in the woods,” Denise explains. “We’ll start out at our barn, where Molly will help people climb into the sleigh. Then, Joel will take folks out on a pretty ride through the fields and woods before dropping them off at the camp where they’ll find coffee, tea, cider donuts, and hot chocolate waiting for them. People can warm up inside while Joel heads back to get the next group. It should be a fun little event.”
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WINTER 2023 | SARATOGA CHRISTMAS | 57