Horsing around: Couple spotlights ‘skijoring’ behind a miniature pony
An Alberta couple is hoping their miniature horses can introduce skiers to the unique sport of skijoring.
The recreational winter sport’s name comes from a Norwegian word that means ski-driving, in which a person on skis is pulled by a horse, dog or motor vehicle.
Patty Kramps, who runs Patty’s Pony Place about an hour north of Edmonton, said they’ve been testing the sport for the past few years.
“I’m an overgrown kid with a miniature horse (and) a big sewing machine,” she told The Canadian Press on Thursday.
This year, Kramps decided to turn a horse named Tonka into Supertonk, and got her husband, Kelly Miller, to try skijoring. A video of the adventure, which was posted online, has gone viral, with two million views and counting.
“It’s fun,” said Miller, 56. “We’re always looking for things to do with the horses. These little guys — I weigh almost as much as they do, and it’s hard to find things they can do that’s within their capability.
“Pulling a skier is the easiest thing we’ve ever found for a miniature horse to do. It’s easier than a cart or a sleigh or any kind of vehicle. It’s just you on those skis, and a person on skis slides pretty good. So, they like it.”
Miller, who is a downhill skier, said it’s a similar feeling to skiing.
He said he has used downhill skis but finds “snowblade skis,” which are about 90 to 100 centimetres long, are a better fit.
“They are very short and easy to handle in the turns,” he said.
The harness on the horse has a hard piece, which is set up so the skier doesn’t run into the horse if it slows down. There’s also a quickrelease snap that unhooks if the skier falls.
Kramps makes the harnesses for skijoring that she sells to people around the world. She already offers horse rides and said she would also like to give people a chance to try skijoring.
“I have the area here to do it,” she said. “I’ve got three acres of bush lot on my little 10-acre spot and ... there’s a half a mile carved through that bush that intertwines and makes loops and swoops. I have 10,000 LED lights on it. The whole half mile is lit.
“We do Christmas drives here but now, with this skijoring thing, we do see that as an opening for a further expansion of what we do.”
The viral video is available online at http://bit.ly/2E8gf6r