Shire horses adorned in festive garlands will be bringing a touch of magic to this year’s Christmas carriage rides through Richmond Park.

It is the first year the shires have been introduced to pull the Edwardian carriage, hosting up to six people, around the 2,360 acre park.

The horses, cared for by Dr Andreas Liefooghe, a psychologist and psychotherapist, and Ed MacDowell, a horse driver and farrier, are part of the Operation Centaur scheme which promotes the use of horses as contemporary working animals.

The carriage rides, which offer guests mince pies, sloe gin and a brief tour of the stables at Holly Lodge where the horses are kept, are staffed by drivers Ed and Tom, dressed in traditional hats and coats.

An hour’s tour takes gleeful passengers wrapped in blankets up to the top of Sawyer’s Hill, down to Ham Gate, and past the Pen Ponds to loop back to Holly Lodge.

The eldest shire horses cared for at Holly Lodge, Aragorn and Royal, aged 18 and 20 respectively, took guests on Thursday for their first festive trot around the park.

Guests were able to spot deer tactfully hidden amongst the foliage of the park, and enjoyed waving to joggers, cyclists and dog walkers.

Volunteer Kate, who has worked alongside Mr Liefooghe since April to ride and care for the horses, said: “They are the last working herd in London. They are basically endangered, especially as there are only 1,500 of them in the UK left.

“The work the chaps do is fabulous which is very much to do with conservation and the carriage rides in the winter raise money for them to do that.”

  • Tickets cost £125 for two people. Rides take place during the weekend at 12pm and 1pm. Click here to book your tickets.