We have all heard "you get what you pay for" and all the other similar cliches when it comes to purchasing a good or service. We have all also privately desired to obtain that good or service at the lowest price possible.This is thought of as being a "smart" or "savvy" shopper. Right? Well...not always. You see some business's have very little "wiggle" room to negotiate and some none at all. A Commercial carriage operation is a good example.It is a fact that very few Commercial operations remain in the business if their only motivation is for big profits. It's just a business where that simply isn't possible. Its a high cost/low return business, and there is no way around that. Its a labor of love, not fat bank accounts.Which is why we caution you against hiring the "cheapest" carriage service in your area. You see...its just not possible to provide top quality feed, veterinarian services, farrier services, hay, grooming supplies, dental care, etc for carriage horses and at the same time play cut rate with the prices you charge.You just can't. Keep in mind...not too many businesses have employees that are on full room/board/meals & medical care 365 days a year for very part time employment. Also consider that its generally not one employee (horse) its usually two per carriage operated. You know...just in case one is unexpectedly sick, lame, or can't work for whatever reason.So...its more of a "THEY get what you pay for" and we mean that quite literally. The horses are the "they"and the price you pay directly affects the quality of the care they get. It is the difference between a company that can afford to call the Equine Veterinarian when needed, and one that put's up a Go Fund Me page in hopes that a sympathetic public might pay that bill for them. (usually not)Also worth noting is when you look closely you will notice that the "bargain bin" carriage services are cutting lots of corners. Look at the first photo of a horses obviously wearing tack that does not fit and undoubtably belongs to one of their far larger horses. Or the second photo that clearly depicts that it can be third world bad for the horse belonging to the outfit that is operating on a razors edge. Compare them to the last photo of a proper first class turnout worthy of a Gold Medal.
We hope that you will keep this in mind when you are shopping for a horse-drawn carriage service in Florida. If the ones that charge the most seem to look the best there are good reasons behind that. Keep in mind that whenever live animals are part of the equation, the cheapest around is never the best choice. Paying a fair market price for any animal industry endeavor insures fair treament of the animals. So please...when it comes to carriage services, shop with your eyes, and not with your purse strings.
