20 Things You Didn’t Know About Charleston’s Oldest Carriage Company

Palmetto Carriage Works is the oldest carriage company in Charleston, having been in operation since 1976. The following are 20 facts that you probably didn’t know about us. Check them out!

1. The Palmetto Carriage herd is made up of 35 mules, 20 horses, 2 goats, and 6 chickens.
2. The average age of our horses and mules is 15 years old.
3. The average work day for our horses and mules is 5 hours (with the max being no more than 8 hours).
4. Palmetto Carriage animals spend a minimum of 6 weeks vacation at our farm on John’s Island with the average a little over 19 weeks a year.
5. Our animal welfare program has a 100% success rate.
6. Palmetto Carriage has not had one case of heat stress or stroke in over 30 years of business.
7. The Big Red Barn in downtown Charleston holds up to 28 animals, all in large box stalls.
8. We go through approximately 12,000 bags of shavings (for stall bedding) a year.
9. Combined, our animals go through approximately 61 tons of feed a year.
10. Palmetto Carriage uses approximately 275 tubes of de-wormer each year.
11. Between our downtown location and our John’s Island farm, we use approximately 3,500 square bales and 225 round bales of hay each year.
12. Our animals use almost 2,000 horse shoes a year.
13. Palmetto Carriage has over 50 sets of work harnesses for our animals.
14. The horses and mules at Palmetto Carriage are often those in need of a second career and who would otherwise end up as another “unwanted horse statistic.”
15. The Big Red Barn is always open to the public to stop by and check out our care for our animals.
16. Our horses and mules see a veterinarian a minimum of 2 times a year in addition to a Certified Master Equine Dentist once a year.
17. We take our animals’ temperatures after every tour, all year long.
18. After each tour, our horses and mules are given at least 15 minutes to rest and water to drink before they start their next tour.
19. All of our animals are micro-chipped for identification, with the same technology used in your household pet.
20. Palmetto Carriage follows the most comprehensive carriage animal welfare ordinance in the country.