Unique Carriage Service Shows Off Horses
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Pair A Dice Carriages of Surprise, Wyo., is a stagecoach and carriage service centered around Percheron draft horses. “I grew up with horses and lived at the barn. I needed a winter job after college, and that’s where the love of draft horses began,” says founder Taylor Van Zyl. She shares that she joined friends at a restaurant in Aspen that was only accessible through cross-country skiing, snowshoeing or riding in horse-drawn sleighs. “I did that for a few seasons and then purchased my first team in 2017. The rest is history.”
Today, Pair A Dice rents a 5-acre property in Arizona. “We spend the winter months from October through May down here and the other months up north in Wyoming.” The holiday season tends to be the busiest. “People go crazy for Christmas in the city,” Van Zyl says. “We do horse-drawn wagon rides at the largest Christmas venue in Arizona as well as private events throughout the valley.” For the 2024 season, they’ll show in Denver and Loveland, then hit Arizona’s parade season. “The parades are mostly the winter rodeo parades, including the largest non-motorized vehicle parade in Tucson in February.” Shows continue throughout the spring, then Van Zyl pivots to stagecoach rides in Cody, Wyo., throughout the summer before heading back to Arizona in the fall.
The Pair A Dice team consists of nine Percherons and several horses in and out for training. “What I love most is sharing the horses with the public,” says Van Zyl. “People always ask if my horses are Clydesdales, which Budweiser did a great job in popularizing. The lack of awareness of other breeds is interesting to me. I love sharing about draft horses, the industry, the rich history and the breeds, as well as answering questions and talking about misconceptions of what we do.”
She admits the business numbers can be a challenge. “It’s costing more than ever to maintain and care for the horses. People don’t understand that when they book an event, it’s not just the time during the event they’re considering but also the time in front and after their event. It’s hours of prep work and travel, not to mention day-to-day expenses to own the horses and the equipment.”
Still, Van Zyl has advice for horse lovers eager to follow her path. “Don’t be afraid to ask questions and keep trying. Find a niche and a location where you can bring value to the area and make friends with other local business owners.” She stresses the importance of safety. “When dealing with working horses and the public, always be prepared and have a backup plan. And triple-check your equipment. Make sure everything is sturdy, safe, and tight with proper lighting and signage.”
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Pair A Dice Carriages (ph 602-538-0688; pairadicecarriages@gmail.com; www.pairadicecarriages.com).
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Unique Carriage Service Shows Off Horses LIVESTOCK Horses/Mules Pair A Dice Carriages of Surprise Wyo is a stagecoach and carriage service centered around Percheron draft horses “I grew up with horses and lived at the barn I needed a winter job after college and that’s where the love of draft horses began ” says founder Taylor Van Zyl She shares that she joined friends at a restaurant in Aspen that was only accessible through cross-country skiing snowshoeing or riding in horse-drawn sleighs “I did that for a few seasons and then purchased my first team in 2017 The rest is history ” Today Pair A Dice rents a 5-acre property in Arizona “We spend the winter months from October through May down here and the other months up north in Wyoming ” The holiday season tends to be the busiest “People go crazy for Christmas in the city ” Van Zyl says “We do horse-drawn wagon rides at the largest Christmas venue in Arizona as well as private events throughout the valley ” For the 2024 season they’ll show in Denver and Loveland then hit Arizona’s parade season “The parades are mostly the winter rodeo parades including the largest non-motorized vehicle parade in Tucson in February ” Shows continue throughout the spring then Van Zyl pivots to stagecoach rides in Cody Wyo throughout the summer before heading back to Arizona in the fall The Pair A Dice team consists of nine Percherons and several horses in and out for training “What I love most is sharing the horses with the public ” says Van Zyl “People always ask if my horses are Clydesdales which Budweiser did a great job in popularizing The lack of awareness of other breeds is interesting to me I love sharing about draft horses the industry the rich history and the breeds as well as answering questions and talking about misconceptions of what we do ” She admits the business numbers can be a challenge “It’s costing more than ever to maintain and care for the horses People don’t understand that when they book an event it’s not just the time during the event they’re considering but also the time in front and after their event It’s hours of prep work and travel not to mention day-to-day expenses to own the horses and the equipment ” Still Van Zyl has advice for horse lovers eager to follow her path “Don’t be afraid to ask questions and keep trying Find a niche and a location where you can bring value to the area and make friends with other local business owners ” She stresses the importance of safety “When dealing with working horses and the public always be prepared and have a backup plan And triple-check your equipment Make sure everything is sturdy safe and tight with proper lighting and signage ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Pair A Dice Carriages ph 602-538-0688; pairadicecarriages@gmail com; www pairadicecarriages com
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