{From the 2023 Christmas Newsprint Magazine}
Written by WENDY HOBDAY HAUGH | Photos PROVIDED BY MOLLY MILEWSKI
If you’ve attended any town, village, or historical society event around Great Sacandaga Lake in recent years, you’ve undoubtedly met the gentle giants known as J and D Percherons. These magnificent horses have been featured attractions at holiday sleigh rides, summer festivals and parades, weddings, funerals, and parties of every kind.
Since 2010, Edinburg residents Joel and Denise Ferguson have been running this popular equine enterprise, situated on a peaceful 150+ acre farm in the hills above the Great Sacandaga. Retired from a career at Pearl Leather Finishers in Johnstown, Joel now spends his days in the barn, happily tending to the needs of his beloved horses. He even shoes them himself, taking it slow and working on one horse for a week or so, as needed, before moving on to another. For Joel, it’s a great life in an idyllic location with the very best of friends.
Denise, too, helps out with the Percherons when not working her day job as Edinburg Town Clerk, a position she has held since November 1986. “Currently, we have four mares,” she says. “April is our oldest, at 21; Joy and Sassy are 20; and Midge is the baby at just six. Each horse has her own distinct personality. Joy, for instance, always hides when it’s time to do a function. She’ll put her head in the corner of the stall with her big butt sticking out—as if we can’t see her! But once she gets going, she really enjoys being out and about.”
April is the ringleader, the alpha horse of the group. “She’s Joel’s baby, and she’s spoiled,” grins Molly Milewski, who has helped the Fergusons for five years now, grooming the horses, serving as J and D’s official photographer, handling its Facebook presence, and facilitating a smooth run at the horses’ many social engagements.
“Molly has become a great asset,” Denise beams. “She takes my place, at times, which allows me to do other things. She just loves the horses!”
The Percherons usually participate in one or two social events a month. ”They really like the extra attention,” says Molly, “so in that respect, the pandemic was hard on them. Going months without social events was a big change. They need socializing. They thrive on it.
“Each horse knows her place, too,” she adds. “When going in and out of the barn, they follow a particular order: April first, Joy second, then Sassy and Midge. But Joy sometimes veers off to check out the other stalls to see if anyone has left behind a little feed. She’s very food-motivated, so she’ll often end up last out.”
This winter, in addition to offering their annual Christmas rides, the Fergusons look forward to hosting community sleigh rides on their property. “We have a little camp out in the woods,” Denise explains. “We’ll start out at our barn, where Molly will help people climb into the sleigh. Then, Joel will take folks out on a pretty ride through the fields and woods before dropping them off at the camp where they’ll find coffee, tea, cider donuts, and hot chocolate waiting for them. People can warm up inside while Joel heads back to get the next group. It should be a fun little event.”
Joel would love to make sleigh rides a regular weekend event this winter, but it all depends on the weather. “You can’t have a lot of snow for both the horses and the sleigh or the sleigh will tip,” Denise points out. “You need just the right amount, so Joel will be working with his tractor beforehand to make sure the path is safe and the ride, enjoyable. Joel actually wanted to start these rides in the winter of 2022, but the weather did not cooperate. Fingers crossed, his dream can come to fruition this year!”
The Fergusons exude great personal warmth, pride in their historic community, and boundless affection for their horses. When offering rides, Joel mans the lines while Denise or Molly stand on the wagon’s back step, chatting easily about the animals and fielding questions from passengers. A lifelong horseman, Joel grew up in Tennantville, one of nine children descended from the hamlet’s founding Tennant family. “As a child, Joel was always out in the barn with the pony or draft horse or cattle,” says Denise, who grew up in nearby Edinburg.
Dubbed “The do-all draft horse!” by the Percheron Horse Society of America, the breed has long been valued for its mighty strength, speed, endurance, intelligence, and good-natured temperament. Originating in the French province of Le Perche, Percherons have been used as war horses carrying knights into battle, as peacetime horses for heavy mail and passenger stagecoaches and, later, as bus-pulling horses in burgeoning cities. The breed’s versatility eventually led the horses into agriculture as well, where they effectively replaced oxen in the fields.
When asked what attracted him to Percherons, Joel replies, “They’re an all-around great horse: a high-stepping, livelier draft horse with a little bit of Arabian in them and more action to them.” Prior to purchasing them, however, Joel told his wife that he just wanted one little horse to take to the diner on a Sunday morning and get a cup of coffee. “But it didn’t turn out that way!” laughs Denise. “Now, we have four big horses.”
Over the years, wherever J and D Percherons have traveled—from Speculator, Chestertown, and Utica to nearby Johnstown, Gloversville, Mayfield and Northville—they’ve always been warmly welcomed. Without fail, these gentle giants manage to melt hearts and make people smile. The Fergusons love sharing their ‘babies’ with people of all ages, and they are grateful to everyone who has helped them along the way. “We would never have been able to do this alone,” Denise reflects. “We have had help from friends and family, and we are extremely thankful for all they have done for Joel and me to make his dream come true.”
As winter nears and snowflakes start to fly, be sure to check out J and D’s Facebook page for a list of upcoming events. For a truly memorable, one-of-a-kind experience, make this the season that you finally travel “Over the river and through the woods” in a horse-drawn sleigh pulled by Percherons!
To learn more, phone 518-863-4655 or visit Facebook.com @J&D Percherons
