When this question was posed to residents at Island Park Retirement Residence recently, one resident, Jean Taylor, ended up fulfilling a long-awaited dream to go on a horse and cutter ride again.

The last time Jean did this was in 1942 when she was 12 years old and living in Nova Scotia. She loved horses, and took the ride with her childhood friends. Now 85, she relies on her motorized chair to get around, but is determined not to let her immobility get in her way.

You could be forgiven for confusing a cutter with a sleigh, when in fact cutters were created solely for leisure, and designed to be snug and comfortable, for one or two people only. Sleighs, on the other hand, were built to accommodate a larger group—sometimes a whole family.

At first, the process of bringing Jean’s dream to life was easier said than done. This was mainly due to weather conditions and the practical matter of having both a horse and a cutter available at the same time. However, a local farmer was able to provide both, and with a welcome temperature increase, a dream came true!