Massage therapy, access to a chiropractor, specialized foot care, medical care, all whilst being serenaded The Beatles’ classic, 'Yellow Submarine'. You could be forgiven for thinking a new quirky health spa is opening in Greater Victoria, but you’d be wrong, as these are the services enjoyed by horses at Tally-Ho’s Hidden Acres farm in Saanichton.
“They get almost better treatment than we do for ourselves,” says Donna Friedlander, Tally-Ho owner.
Famous for over 120 years for their horse-drawn carriage tours around Victoria, Tally-Ho also offers curious equine enthusiasts the opportunity to visit their farm to learn more about the care and attention their animals receive.
During the peek behind-the-scenes, visitors can watch demonstrations of horseshoeing, harnessing and driving. But best of all, they can get up close and personal to the Tally-Ho herd of 18 draft horses, which includes Clydesdale, Percheron, Shire and Belgian breeds.
“I love seeing the look on somebody's face when they actually get up and close to one of the big draft horses,” says Friedlander. “It's just really magical; the horses love it, too.”
Visitors also get to hear stories about the background of each horse, who all have unique personalities. Remi, Friedlander reveals, loves to be sung too; his favourite song being ‘Yellow Submarine’ by The Beatles.
About how they stumbled onto Remi’s love of the Fab Four’s '60s hit, Friedlander explains trainers, in an attempt to put the Belgian draft horse at ease and teach him how to relax, would talk and sing softly to the horse.
“I’ll be really honest, it was probably a little bit more about keeping ourselves calm,” she said. “Remi is a massive horse. You could see his body language just kind of melt when he heard it. It takes him to a happy place.”
And the horse is not fussy about the quality of the singing, explains Friedlander, whose daughter Kennadie has been partnered with Remi for tours in the city.
“I'm gonna tell you right now, she has a horrible singing voice,” she jokes. “Not as bad as mine though.”
Most importantly for Friedlander, the farm tours offer reassurance to the public the horses are well cared for.
“These horses are public figures … people are curious about how they are cared for and what kind of life they actually live,” she says. “It's important that people get to come and see that, learn about them and ask the questions that they have.”
One fact farm visitors might be surprised to learn is all horses are Tally-Ho horses for life.
“When they retire, they're still part of the Tally-Ho family, they’ve got a pension plan,” says Friedlander.
“We're in it for the horses,” she adds. “This is all about caring for the horses and keeping them connected to the community.”
For more information about Tally-Ho and their farm tours, visit their website: www.tallyhotours.com.
