Hereford & Hops adds horse-drawn carriage and trolley rides

Source: Bay City Times
Hereford & Hops Restaurant and Brewpub in Bay City has seven new employees - Bob, Ray, Ike, Burt, Bill, Warrant and Duke.

None of them can cook you a steak or bring you a mug of home brew, but they can take you on a carriage ride around the Midland Street Historic District and along the Saginaw River.

The septet is a group of Shire gelding horses, two from England and five from the United States, that now calls the stable at the restaurant home.

According to Becky Moody, one of five owners of Hereford & Hops, the horses will be used to pull a carriage, a 24-passenger trolley and an antique brewery wagon. Rides on the carriage and trolley will be available Tuesday through Sunday, with the horses taking Mondays off. The wagon will be used in parades.

"The purpose of the horses is the promotion of the restaurant," Moody said. "I really think this will bring people to Bay City and will be an economic asset for the community."

The Bay City Commission Monday granted Hereford & Hops permission to operate the horse-drawn carriage and trolley in the city. The commission passed an ordinance in 1999 allowing for horse-drawn carriages in the city, with some restrictions as to route and hours of operation.

City Manager James M. Palenick assured commissioners the horses would be wearing a diaper-type arrangement so they don't leave behind a mess.

Or as 1st Ward Commissioner George F. Shaw put it, "clippety-clop without any flop-flop."

The vote was 8-0, with Commissioner Donald E. Eager II, 5th Ward, absent for that part of the meeting.

Hereford & Hops, located at 905 E. Midland St., opened in February 2000 and is owned by Don and Becky Moody, Jack and Sharon Mellinger and John Dagenais, all of Escanaba. The five owners also operate an establishment in Escanaba.

Moody said having horses at a brewpub is common in England and Scotland, because in years past, brew pubs all brewed their own beer and had hitches of horses to deliver the beer and move supplies from one place to another.

"We certainly didn't make this up," Moody said. "They've been doing it for years in Europe. There are still brew pubs that will use horses to deliver beer within a three-mile radius because it's more economical than using trucks."

Moody said it also makes sense to have horses in Bay City because much of the city's past involved draft horses.

"We like to emphasize the historic aspect of having these horses here," Moody said. "As a lumber town, Bay City couldn't have developed without draft horses; as a port, companies couldn't have hauled goods without draft horses; and Bay City used to have several breweries, all of which relied on draft horses."

The stable at Hereford & Hops consists of eight 14-by-14 stalls, lined with a 1-inch thick pad and covered with sawdust. The largest of the horses stands 6 feet at the shoulder and weighs 2,200 pounds.

According to Amanda Vargo of Bay City, who works as one of four drivers of the carriage and trolley, the stalls are cleaned every Monday and the horses are frequently rubbed down, washed, brushed and exercised.

"After a day at work, the horses get a shower," said Vargo, who noted that each horse works two to three hours per day, two out of three days. "These horses are very strong and have no problem pulling the wagons."

According to Becky Moody, there were few guidelines Hereford & Hops was required to follow in building the stable because there are few places like it in the U.S. But cleanliness and odor control were priorities.

"We have quite an investment in this restaurant, so we couldn't jeopardize our business by not having everything clean and odor-free," Moody said. "We have taken every step to ensure that this facility is clean at all times."

Moody said she hopes to have the stable open for tours by the end of the weekend.

The stable will be managed by Shane Benner of Millington, who has shown and trained draft horses for more than 15 years. His family also owns and operates a horse-drawn carriage business.

The stable will be open at 11 a.m. Monday through Friday and noon on Sunday and will close at 10 p.m. daily.

Carriage and trolley rides will be given through Jan. 15. Both the carriage and trolley are available for private rental.

Moody said the authentic English brewery wagon, built around 1895, will be brought out for parades, but will always be on display at the stable. The wagon weighs 5,000 pounds, has 18 oak barrels on board and is pulled by six or eight horses. It was formerly owned by the National Brewery Co. in Baltimore, Md.

"We are already getting phone calls about the horses and people are inquiring about carriage and trolley rides for future dates like holiday parties," Moody said. "We encourage people to call as soon as possible to make reservations."

Reservations can be made by calling Benner at 891-4677.

"We really think this will become an attraction for people driving up or down I-75," Moody said. "We think they'll stop, especially if they are horse lovers."
Source: Bay City Times