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Sleighbell Parade staple also patrols events across Michigan
A horse-drawn carriage driven by a man dressed as Santa Claus pulls a 30-foot tall christmas tree during the 2021 Manistee Victorian Sleighbell Parade. The horses are from the Clare County Sheriff Mounted unit and seated next to the man dressed as Santa, are deputies from the Clare County Sheriff mounted unit. (File photo)
By JeFF ZiDe stAFF wrIter
They have become a staple of the Manistee Sleighbell Parade and Old Christmas Weekend in the past couple of years.
They can be seen riding large draft horses, pulling the Christmas tree and accompanying the Manistee City Police Department and Manistee County Sheriff’s Office during the parade. They are the Clare County Sheriff’s Department mounted unit and the group has been part of the parade for about the last five years, according to Jesse Loudenslager, the captain of the division.
Loudenslager said that the horseback-mounted deputies performed 2,500 hours of community service in 2021.
Loudenslager, who works full-time for the Clare County Sheriff’s Office, notes all other members of the mounted division are volunteers. In addition to working the Sleighbell Parade, the horseback mounted deputies work other large events such as the Mackinac Bridge Walk on Labor Day.
That is actually how the organization got involved
In addition to all Clare County events open to the public and the Manistee Sleighbell parade, the Clare County Sheriff’s department mounted unit helps out at events like the Mackinac Bridge Walk on Labor Day.
(Submitted photo/Jesse Loudenslager)
with the Sleighbell parade, according to Loudenslager.
Someone involved with the parade “heard it through the grapevine” about the work the mounted division does with the Mackinac Bridge Walk and thought they would be a good addition to the Sleighbell parade, Loudenslager said.
Clare County Mounted Division’s involvement with the Sleighbell Parade is limited to crowd control and escorting the Christmas tree.
Josh Glass, Manistee police chief, said that he’s worked with the mounted division since he has been chief. The police department and the mounted division have a mutual aid agreement with the Clare County Sheriff’s Office in order to have the mounted division work the parade.
The mutual aid agreement is submitted to Manistee City Council, which has approved the agreement every year since the division started working the parade.
Loudenslager noted that in addition to the 2,500 hours of community service, the officers train for 1,200 hours and have rigorous standards.
For the 2022 Sleighbell Parade, Loudenslager said the group would have five or six officers at the parade.
“… We only have people work who we think can handle an event of that size,” he said.
The mounted division also works at all Clare County events that are open to the public. Loudenslager said the mounted division is entirely funded by donations.
“There is no cost to the county for anything we do,” Loudenslager said.
In addition, Loudensburger notes the deputies are also trained in search and rescue procedures.
“(The group) is very well trained and has also been (working) in other counties,” he said.
More information about the Clare County Mounted Division can be found on its Facebook page.
The group also has a separate page for its search and rescue operations. That group can be found at facebook.com/profile. php?id=1000 70211437665.
The Clare County Sheriff’s Department Mounted unit, a volunteer unit, which rides on horses and helps in crowd control at events like the Manistee Sleighbell parade, performed over 2,500 hours of community service in 2021.
(Submitted photo/Jesse Loudenslager)
Merry Christmas!
Jesse Loudenslager is the captain of the Clare County Sheriff’s Department mounted unit (Submitted photo/Jesse Loudenslager) To those in our community and those who travel through here, we wish you a safe and Merry Christmas!
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Pierport Pony Club provides valuable service during Sleighbell Parade
By Ken GraBowsKi For the News AdvocAte
Majestic horses are one of the things that that come to mind when anyone thinks of the Victorian Sleighbell Parade in Manistee.
From the stout Belgian Draft Horses snorting steam in the cold December air as they pull the official Sleighbell Parade Christmas tree down the length of River Street to the many others that are hitched to sleighs, wagons, carriages or just being ridden. One thing that is certain with every Victorian Sleighbell Parade is it will contain a lot of horses for the large crowds to enjoy because it is a non-motorized event.
However, anytime horses are used, the odds of their waste being deposited in the road along the parade route is a sure bet. That is why members of the Pierport Pony Club perform a vital task in following behind to clean up what is left behind with pooper scoop duties.
Pierport Pony Club leader Ginger Wisseman said the group originated in 2013 and is part of the United States Pony Club, which is a national organization. The club includes members from Manistee and Mason counties.
The group has been providing the service — the club receives a donation from the Sleighbell Committee — for the Sleighbell Parade for the past several years. Wisseman added that they have become quite a crowd favorite at the parade. She said they get plenty of cheers when cleaning up the street after the horses pass and leave something behind.
“We have three groups that each have a decorated wheel barrow, pitch fork and a shovel and we just make sure the parade route is clean so the next group coming through don’t have to avoid all what the horses leave behind,” said Wisseman. “We have a lot of fun doing it and get together ahead of time to decorate wheel barrows and we try to dress with the theme as lumberjacks.”
Wisseman said the club is a registered nonprofit that focuses on teaching horsemanship and riding along with a goal of creating strong use of character building using horses. They currently have about 11 members.
“We do a lot of volunteering to learn leadership, cooperation, team building and all those kinds of things,” said Wisseman. “We use horses to do those things because that is what kids enjoy.”
Wisseman said the club members come from all over the county and vary in age.
“The club is open to all ages, but the kids we have right now are age 8 to 17 years old,” she said. “We also have some adult members, but the focus for the adults is less about learning to become a good person and more about learning about how to take care of horses and riding.”
Wisseman said the club hopes to keep up their duties into the future, and they have a good time being a part of the parade.
“I just want to thank the Sleighbell Committee for giving us the opportunity to give back to the community and for providing a shout out to our club for being a part of this fun experience,” Wisseman said.
New members are always welcome to the Pierport Pony Club; anyone interested in joining should call Wisseman for more details at 231-2337987.
In 2021, members of the Pierport Pony Club performed a valuable service during the Victorian Sleighbell Parade and Old Christmas Weekend: pooper scoopers. Pictured (left to right) are Zoe Bladwin, Niki Belakowski and Mitchell Ziehm.
