Oh, What Fun It Is to Ride

No matter what the song says, one-horse open sleighs do not generally go "dashing" through the snow. Red, an 8-year-old Belgian draft horse, takes a leisurely 45 minutes to trot around the perimeter of Ray Miller's farm near Deep Creek Lake in Maryland.

Still, the siren song of "Jingle Bells" means plenty of business for sleigh ride operators such as Miller and Jerry Yeager, who runs the sleigh rides at the Seven Springs Mountain Resort in Pennsylvania.

Both operations are less than 200 miles from Washington. Guests come to Miller's farm from as far away as Georgia, Texas and Florida in search of one of the quintessential holiday experiences.

"A lot of people say they've been wanting to go on sleigh rides for years," Miller says. "It's like the song says, 'a one-horse open sleigh,' and that's what we have."

Miller bought his dairy farm 25 years ago and called it Duntrussen Holstein. The name refers to a nearby company that makes roof trusses.

"I used to work there, and when I bought the farm, I quit," he says. "I was done making trusses."

Miller started Pleasant Valley Dream Rides four years ago in connection with the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources as an attraction for visitors to the Deep Creek Lake area. On a recent Saturday with plenty of snow on the ground, he's booked from 10 to 8. The sleigh can hold about six people, including Miller.

When it snows -- a frequent event in Garrett County, which averages about 80 inches a year -- Miller lays out a path around the farm with a tractor. Red, who is, in fact, bobtailed, follows the path with little instruction, a harness of 29 bells jingling as he trots. Sitting sideways in the front seat, Miller actually faces backward as he drives the sleigh and chats with blanket-covered riders, answering questions and encouraging singalongs.

Miller calls his horse to a halt with a simple "Whoa, Red" about halfway through the ride, for a timeless Christmas-card view: the gleaming, snow-covered valley, surrounded by Maryland's highest peaks, Miller's farm in the distance.

It's the kind of view Mark Peltier of Hagerstown had in mind when he made his reservation. He had been calling since October to get a chance to share a ride with his new son.

"I thought it would be nice to do with Braydon, him being 14 months," Peltier says. "I wanted to do it before Christmas."

In Pennsylvania, Yeager, who took over the lease on J and H Riding Stables at Seven Springs this year, says the desire to share in the tradition of a sleigh ride is a big draw.

"It's part of the American way," Yeager says. "You see it on TV, you see it on movies, your parents or grandparents might have done it."

Yeager has three one-horse sleighs that haul four people each, one double-hitch sleigh that fits eight and a double-hitch sleigh that carries 10. The sleighs were made by Amish craftsmen in Ohio. Riders can wrap themselves in quilts and take a half-hour trip on a wooded trail around the resort.

To pull all those sleighs, Yeager has 26 horses in the stables, Belgians and Percherons that weigh about 2,000 pounds and stand about 18 hands (six feet) from the ground to the base of the neck. The huge horses were bred for power but also for their sweet dispositions and comfort around people.

"You have to have horses that are very calm, and they handle good," Yeager says.

Sleigh rides keep Miller and Yeager busy during the winter, but both hold equine activities year-round. During the warmer months, Yeager offers hay and carriage rides for resort guests, as well as horseback riding. The demand has been so great they're looking to expand the stables to accommodate 10 more horses.

"We're shocked at how well we've done," Yeager says of the popularity of riding this summer. "Usually within two hours [of opening], we're booked for the day."

Miller offers hay and carriage rides as well as tours of the farm. He also rents his carriage out for special events.

And yes, both men have seen plenty of marriage proposals.

"We get quite a few calls from guys who want to propose to their girlfriends." Miller says. "All of them have said yes -- so far."

J AND H RIDING STABLES Seven Springs Mountain Resort, 777 Waterwheel Dr., Champion, Pa. Take Interstate 270 to Frederick. Take I-70 west to Breezewood, Pa., to the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Take Exit 110 at Somerset and follow PA 31 west. About 190 miles from Washington. Open daily noon to 8. Sleigh rides $20 adults, $10 children 11 and younger. Reservations recommended, but walk-ins accepted. 800-452-2223, Ext. 7285.

PLEASANT VALLEY DREAM RIDES Pleasant Valley Road, Oakland, Md. Take Interstate 270 to Frederick. Take I-70 west to Hancock to I-68 west and Cumberland. Take Exit 14A to U.S. 219 south. About 180 miles from Washington. Open Monday-Saturday 10 to 10. Reservations required. $10 per rider; free for children younger than 3. 301-334-1688.http://www.pleasantvalleydreamrides.com.