The Rural Voice, 1992-03, Page 26sentimental journey
Glendale Farms Preserve the Past with Old -Fashioned Sleigh Rides
story and photo
by Cathy Laird
Everyone loves an old-fashioned
sleigh ride! It brings back memories
for older folks and provides a new
experience for younger ones. All it
takes is crisp, frosty air, a big team of
horses and an old-fashioned sleigh.
Glen Catto and his family have all
this and more on their farm northwest
of Owen Sound.
Glen's son was working at a local
grocery store whcn a co-worker asked
if he knew where her group, Big Sis-
ters, could go for a sleigh ride. Glen
Jr. volunteered his Dad's farm.
"We had no horses, no harness, no
sleigh," recalls Glen, smiling, "but he
convinced me to do it and we took the
booking for the following Friday.
That left us a week to get set up."
Glen phoned around and located a
team of Percherons in Eugenia.
"Then we rounded up a set of har-
ness, and I bought a set of sleighs,"
he says. "I constructed a flat rack —
and it had to have sides, since the trail
led through the bush — so I put on
sides and a dashboard, and we threw
on some bales of straw for seats.
"It worked so well that we've
never changed the design," he adds.
"The people sit facing each other; that
way it's safe for daycare kids and
comfortable for seniors."
The first ride took place in Dec-
ember 1976. By the middle of Janu-
ary, the Cattos needed another sleigh.
"Thcn we thought we might as well
advertise. Three weeks after that, we
had groups of 30 to 40 people com-
ing," says Glen.
The second team of horses came
from Doug Thompson's farm near
Purple Valley. Glen located a second
set of sleighs and the business was off
and running. "Believe it or not, this
started as a hobby. Our success is
largely due to the fact that we're close
to town."
The people who go to Glendale
Farms for sleigh rides come from all
areas: church groups, service clubs,
youth organizations such as Beavers
and Pioneer Girls, office groups, day-
care and other schools, and senior cit-
izen groups.
"Seniors really relate to horses
and old times," says Gloria, who
helps with the rides. "Their eyes light
up when they see the horses. It re-
minds them of things they used to
do."
22 THE RURAL VOICE