Editor’s Note: This article originally ran on December 10th, 2016. The prices per ride have changed from $65.00 for a short ride to $95.00. They no longer offer an hour long ride, but their longest ride at 45 minutes costs $175.00. They also added a 30 minute option for $145.00. Click here for more information. The ChristKindl Market has moved to 101 W. 14th Ave. Denver, CO 80202. Please enjoy the rerun.
Downtown Denver during Christmas has a certain aura about it: Skyline Park, DCPA, 16th Street Mall, Larimer Square, The Chris Kringle marketplace, and The City and County building are all dressed up for the holidays!
Arguably one of the best parts is the beautifully lit carriages pulled by gorgeous draft horses.
Can you imagine sitting in a carriage, drinking cocoa, and cuddling with your loved one under a blanket, while peacefully watching the twinkling world go by?
Why not make an evening of it? Go for a romantic carriage ride through Larimer Square, past DCPA and back down the mall. Rides generally range in price from $65.00 for a short ride if you can find an unreserved carriage, to around $210.00 for an hour long ride past the choreographed lights of the City and County building. Click here to learn more.
Horse Willow enjoying the view.
Follow that with Ice skating at the Southwest Rink and Skyline Park, the skating is free but skate rentals are a whopping $2.00. Afterwards, peruse The ChristKindl Market and sample some authentic German cuisine and wares. All of this is right off of 16th Street and Arapahoe.
But wait? I should what? Tell you more about the horses? Why certainly! What do you want to know? Do they live downtown? Do they like their jobs?
The horses are trucked in from wherever it is that they live nightly. In the case of Irish Rose Drafts, it is Watkins Colorado. The horses get to be horses and hang out in their downtime and love having a job and being in the middle of the action when they do work.
Don’t believe me? Go ask them!
While the carriages simply don’t run if it is below 20 degrees, too icy, or too snowy, the horses are outfitted with cleats to ensure that they don’t slip. They are shod with what is called a ‘tire’ to help cushion their joints and protect the mall’s graphite street surface. When the shift is complete, they are unharnessed, brushed out, and blanketed for the ride home.
The founder of Irish Rose Drafts believed that the holidays were a magical time, and that the best memories include horses. Give your family or special someone a night that they’ll never forget.
