Over at Schauber Stables at 428 Schauber Road in Ballston Lake, the animals are on Santa’s naughty list. Ellie the Lamb and her goat accomplices wanted to be like Santa’s reindeer, so one night when two of Santa’s most special horses were asleep, they snuck out to borrow Santa’s sleigh. They almost crashed it as they flew over Schauber’s Forrest and a bunch of presents fell out; now, Santa is asking local children to help him find them.
`Kids absolutely love it. This weekend, Santa rode in the back of the hay wagon with us and the kids had a ball,` said Karen Crandall, manager of Schauber Stables and creator of the holiday present hunt.
Crandall was the mastermind behind the quirky Christmas Tale, which is being tested out for the first time.
`I don’t sleep well at night and I just thought it would be an interesting thing to do,` said Crandall. `We have gotas and a lamb andtheyre always getting out and getting into things, so we just took it from there and developed this story.`
Crandall’s daughters Megan, 16, Caitlyn, 19, and a friend she’d like to call her daughter, Stephanie Ochrym, 24, dress up as elves and help children who come for the present hunt, which will take place again on Dec. 11, 12, 18 and 19.
`We’re always looking to do more things to bring the community in because we offer all sorts of different things. We want people to come even if they don’t ride,` said Crandall. `It’s a very wholesome activity.`
Santa doesn’t just visit the stables and wait for children to bring him back his lost presents. He’s also available for small `Breakfast with Santa` and `Spaghetti with Santa` sessions and pictures.
`When my kids were younger we went to breakfast with Santa and it was with 50 or 60 other kids. It takes away the intimate feel of a family sitting down with Santa,` said Crandall. `This is phenomenal because they’re sitting next to Santa having breakfast and he’s handing them pancakes or helping them with the syrup.`
Crandall’s daughter, Megan, spends much of her time working in the stables because she likes being around horses. The Santa activities, though, give her a little extra joy.
`Their faces light up, it’s really great. The kids sometimes don’t even eat their pancakes because they’re just staring at Santa, it’s a cool thing to watch and a lot of fun,` said Megan.
The goats and lamb that take center stage in Crandall’s Christmas fantasy are actually more like family pets, she said.
`The goats have no idea they’re farm animals; they’d be shocked if they heard,` said Crandall.
The family rescued them as babies, less than a week old, and raised them in the house.
`They’re really so domesticated. Ellie the lamb thinks my daughter is her mother because she always bottle fed her,` said Crandall. `When Ellie hears her voice, she starts crying for her and if you call her name she’ll run from wherever she is.`
Rescuing animals is something of a trend at Schauber Stables, with at least nine of their 35 horses rescued from a slaughterhouse fate in Canada.
`We’ve given them a second chance at life. Both my children are animal lovers and they take it to heart; it’s their passion,` said Crandall.
Schauber Stables offers everything from camps to lessons to fun activities, and although Crandall manages the barn, she said she couldn’t do it without her daughters’ help.
`In real life I’m a full-time criminal defense attorney. This is just a hobby that’s run amuck,` said Crandall. `The kids work their tails off but it’s a nice healthy balance.`
For more information about the stable’s offerings, visit www.schauberstables.com. Santa will be at the stables from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays. Present hunts are $10 and includes the hayride, a visit with Santa and a picture with Santa. Breakfast with Santa is the next two Sundays and reservations are required. Spaghetti with Santa is the next two Saturdays and reservations are also required. Anyone who comes with an unwrapped gift to be donated to kids in foster care will receive 50 percent off whatever activity they’re there for.
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