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A Day In The Life Of A Charleston Carriage Horse Barn Hand

Featured Image Credit: Palmetto Carriage Works Facebook

At the Big Red Barn, Palmetto Carriage Works has twenty hand-selected, caring barn hands. This is a team full of well trained, knowledgeable, and dedicated people who take the animals care as seriously as their employers do.

A barn hands daily responsibilities are feeding, grooming, harnessing, and hitching twenty-five or more horses and mules. In a week a single horse can go through about 2-3 bales of hay plus about 8 quarts of grain per serving (on average two serving per day). Throughout the day a barn hand tends to many horses and mules, on average grooming a horse takes 7-10 minutes, of course, the condition of the horse can affect that time. Some horses need a full bath in the mornings, while others can just be brushed and are ready to go.

After cleaning, a barn hand would dress the horse in dray (its harness). Putting on their collar and collar pad first, then they would put on the actual harness. Because they use a floating style harness, it is all one piece making it slightly easier to put it on. The hames sit on their collar and then are buckled at the bottom. Once the hames are buckled, the girth (the band around the belly) is fastened and the remainder of the harness is stretched out over their back. Lastly, the bridle is placed on their head.

Again, each horse is different, the horse may be incredibly stubborn, making it much harder to complete this process, while others may be incredibly laid back and let you put on the harness with ease. Most barn hands have their own way of connecting with the animals, some barn hands find that when the animal willingly takes the bit when placing the bridle is a sign of companionship.

Each day in the life of a barn hand can be incredibly different. They always have to expect the unexpected, but they have great patience and a gentle persistence that is key to interacting with the animals.

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Guest Columns

outdoor

11 Beautiful Outdoor Places To See In South Carolina

Featured Image Credit: James Richardson & Allen Easler

1. Fred W. Symmes Chapel a.k.a. Pretty Place Chapel

outdoor

Image Credit: Robert Stephens

The outdoor chapel at the YMCA Camp in Greenville, Pretty Place Chapel offers a breathtaking view from the top of Standing Stone Mountain. Due to this location operating year round as a Summer Camp. Environmental Education Center, Group & Conference Center, and wedding venue, be sure to call and ask if the chapel is open to the public that day.

2. Issaqueena Falls & Stumphouse Tunnel

outdoor

Image Credit: Rich Stevenson

Issaqueena Falls Trail is an easy, 0.3 mile, lightly trafficked out and back trail near Walhalla, SC. This trail is good for all skill levels and is primarily used for hiking, walking, and nature trips. Dogs are allowed on this trail, but must be kept on their leash. As well as being the home to Issaqueena Falls, this trail also is home to Stumphouse Tunnel, an incomplete railroad tunnel.

3. King Creek Falls

outdoor

Image Credit: HD Carolina

King Creek Falls Trail is an easy, 1.7 mile out and back trail located near Mountain Rest, SC. This trail is good for all skill levels, is primarily used for hiking, and is accessible year-round.

4. Twin Falls

outdoor

Image Credit: BlueRidgeCountry.com

Twin Falls Trail is a 2.3 mile, easy, heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Sunset, SC. This trail is for all skill levels and is best used from April until November. Dog are allowed on this trail.

5. Yellow Branch Falls

outdoor

Image Credit: CarolinaTrails.com 

Yellow Branch Falls is a moderate, 3.5 mile trail. On the trail you will cross over numerous streams and pass through groves of dignified hardwood. This trail is suitable for all skill levels and is pet friendly.

6. Chauga Narrows

outdoor

Image Credit: CarolinaTrails.com

Chauga Narrows is an moderate, 0.6 miles trail near Mountain Rest, SC. Both fishermen and hikers will enjoy this trail because of its location right along the Chauga River. Although, it appears to be a waterfall, it is actually considered to be a Class VI rapid. This trail is considered moderate due to the trail not being maintained causing trees to be fallen in the path.

7. Brasstown Falls

outdoor

Image Credit: ncwaterfalls.com

Brasstown Waterfall Series Trail is a moderate, 0.9 mile out and back trail located near Westminster, SC. Brasstown is a hidden gem in this county. This trail is steep, rocky and contains lots of root. Although it is rather short in distance, it will take much time to hike this trail.

8. Rainbow Falls

outdoor

Image Credit: CarolinaTrails.com

Rainbow Falls Trail can be anywhere from 0.9 mile to 5 miles depending on where you begin your hike. This trail is a hard and is located near Jones Gap State Park. This trail is great for packing a lunch and making it a full day trip. This trail is recommended for experienced hikers.

9. Falls Creek Falls

outdoor

Image Credit: NCwaterfalls.com

Falls Creek Falls Trail is a hard, 1.9 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail near River Falls, SC. This trail feature three waterfalls and is accessible year-round. This trail, because of its difficulty is better suited for hikers who are slightly experienced. It starts as an uphill climb and continues to be that way for a while.

10. Table Rock Trail

outdoor

Image Credit: James Richardson & Allen Easler

Table Rock Trail is a hard, 6.4 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Pickens, SC. This trail features beautiful views and a waterfall. This trail is best used from March to October and dogs are allowed on this trail.

11. Laurel Fork Falls

outdoor

Image Credit: NCWaterfalls.com

Laurel Fork Falls Trail is a hard, 8.4 miles out and back trail located near Lake Jocassee. This waterfall can also be reached by boat, launched at Devils Fork State Park main boat ramp.

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Eat & Drink

13 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About South Carolina

Featured Image Credit: Unsplash

  1. Angel Oak on John’s Island is thought to be the oldest living thing east of the Mississippi River. It’s believed to be more than 1,500 years old.
  2. South Carolina produces more peaches than anywhere in the country, except California.
  3. The world’s smallest police station is in Ridgeway. It’s about as big as a toll booth and was in full use from 1940-1990.
  4. South Carolina is the birthplace of barbecue. This can be debated, but the Indians were pit-cooking hogs centuries ago off the coast – or so the story goes.
  5. South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union, and after striking out on its own, the state actually printed its own money and created its own postage stamps.
  6. All of these South Carolina town names are 100% real: Coward, South of the Border, Due West, Ninety Six, North, and Welcome.
  7. There’s a UFO Welcome Center in Bowman. It was built by a local man to welcome aliens whenever they finally decide to land.
  8. Sweetgrass basket making not only originated in the Charleston and Mt. Pleasant communities, but today Mt. Pleasant is the only modern suburb where this type of basketry is still practiced.
  9. It’s illegal to fish with a yo-yo or dynamite in the state of South Carolina.
  10. Morgan Island, aka Monkey Island, is an uninhabited island that is home to the only free-ranging colony of rhesus macaque monkeys in the United States. There are around 3,500 monkeys on the island.
  11. South Carolina wasn’t always known as the Palmetto State. It used to be known as the Iodine State, and even said so on the license plates in the 1930’s.
  12. Captain Joseph D. Allen donated a sundial to Barnwell, SC in 1858. It is the only one in the country like it and has kept perfect time for more than 150 years!
  13. Found at the top of the 18th story Capstone Building in Columbia, The Top restaurant is the only revolving restaurant found in South Carolina! It offers 360-degree views of the Columbia landscape.
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