travelinfam25
This was on our bucket list, and we picked the perfect place, Allegra Farm. I called all the places an internet search for "Connecticut sleigh rides" turned up (a small handful). A few didn't call back, some had a steep price jump if you have more than 4 people (we thought there might be five of us, three adults and two kids), some said they could change it to a carriage ride when you got there depending on snow conditions (we didn't want a carriage ride, been there, done that) and some charged a cancellation fee. The owner at Allegra, John, was very friendly and down to earth, and did none of this. I called on the day of our ride to doublecheck the snow conditions, and we headed out. FYI the location of the farm has changed, it's now at 69 Town Road in Colchester, CT (near East Haddam).The ride was an hour long, their standard time, and went by fast. They provided us with lots of warm blankets, although it didn't feel too chilly except for the few times we caught some wind. It was a beautiful day, and we went through all kinds of terrain: the farm itself, past numerous other playful horses, around the edge of vast empty snowfields ringed by trees, through the woods, over a brook, etc. The pace was nice and leisurely, with the horses only picking up speed a few times to go up small rises (when they sped up a little it was my oldest son's favorite part!). My wife and oldest son can get motion sickness, and although the ride was occasionally a bit bumpy, as to be expected, it was very smooth and not jerky, so they did well. We stopped for a few minutes in a secluded area of the woods, they took our picture, and my family petted the horses, which are spectacular. The horses and sleighs have been featured in numerous well known movies, and it's easy to see why. Very statuesque and well behaved. The owner, John, was our sleigh driver, and he was a great host. Very casual, informative, full of fun stories (about some of the movie stars they've worked with), but also giving us lots of time to just soak it all in without chatting. He brought his little dog along, which my youngest son loved. The only thing I would say is be sure to eat/drink beforehand, because there wasn't any food or drink there (that I was aware of), and doublecheck the snow conditions beforehand.This was a perfect sleigh ride experience for us all. Highly recommended!