Exclusive Insights: 10 Questions with Rebecca Seear
Unveiling the Magic: Behind the Scenes at Windsor Carriages
Windsor Carriages offers a unique and exclusive view of Windsor, whilst we work year round, springtime is when things really start to come alive. We can trace our heritage back to 1849 and as the last remaining horse drawn hackney carriage company in the UK, we offer a very special experience to our guests. We have lots of exciting plans for 2024 and look forward to sharing them with you in due course, we plan to strengthen our offering to our awesome clients seeking a special experience and help those getting married to celebrate in style. We are also expanding our offering to be able to work with our corporate clients to provide that unique team budding experience. So watch this space!
We wanted to begin by sharing a little more about what goes on in a 'day in the life of' behind the scenes at Windsor Carriages and what better place to start than by speaking with the owner and 5th generation licensee, Rebecca Seear:
Meet Rebecca Seear: From Tech Media to Windsor Carriages
1. What is your background?
I grew up surrounded by horses and carriages, my parents owned an equestrian livery yard and I spent most of my childhood sitting on the carriage in Windsor with my father who ran the business for over 50 yrs.
I went to Royal Holloway University to study English and Classics so I could be close and continue to help my Grandpa and Dad with the horses. My Dad was a professional coachman who held onto the last horse drawn hackney carriage licence in the UK (horse drawn taxi). He not only taught people how to drive alongside the carriage business but drove carriages for the royal mews when the occasion called for it. When I finished university I then moved away and spent the next 20 yrs working in the tech media space for some awesome companies such as Amazon and Netflix. I then moved to LA for four years to work in the film and TV world. I loved living in LA, had lots of fun and got to work with some really smart people in an amazing location. However, eventually I missed the UK, the crispness of the air, the countryside and the seasons. Here I am, now back in Windsor, where my heart is, running the Windsor Carriages.
A Typical Day: Preparing for a Windsor Carriage Experience
2. Talk us through a typical day for you.
One of the things I love most about my job is that every day is very different and varies depending on whether we have an event running, a wedding party, proposal, corporate event or our Heritage carriage rides on The Long Walk. There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes from preparing visit proposals, meeting potential partners, creating packages, invoicing or general admin duties that come with running a business. Welcoming guests from all corners of the globe who entrust us to plan their visit and be part of their day is always a special experience.
'A day in the life of' actually starts the day before with quite a lot of preparation. The coachman has to prepare the horses by washing, cleaning and grooming them. Once the horses are ready, the coachman also has to prepare the carriages by washing, cleaning and polishing them.
On the day it takes us about 2-3 hrs to prepare the horses, plus travel time. My morning starts by checking in with the event organiser or our guests to gather any last minute changes. I then check in with the coachman and groom or guide to convey any revisions and to check all is OK. Depending on the booking, I will also need to prepare the drinks and make any special arrangements such as collecting flowers, ordered or checking in with other suppliers we work alongside such as The Blue Badge Tourist Guides, to make sure everything is set. If the route planned has security barriers or gates I will call my security contacts to check in on their assistance at the required time, such is the joy of working in a royal town!
Once ready to go, the coachman will load the horses into the horsebox and load the carriages. Depending upon the nature of the booking, the horses will come from a variety of locations, so the coachman also needs to remember to bring hay, blankets, the harness and anything else that is needed.
There are also other supplies we have to carry in the carriage. As a horse drawn taxi our licensing still requires us to carry many supplies on board such as first aid kit (for both human and horse), water and bucket for the horses, waterproof blankets for the horses, (thank goodness for collapsible buckets!) and even a fire extinguisher!
We meet at the pre- agreed location which has been risk assessed to ensure the horses are safe, it is not always from the same place. We are finally ready to put everything together and this is where the magic really happens. We ensure the horses look amazing (removing any hay from their coats), paint their hooves, put on their harness, then unload and connect the carriage. I also then add the refreshments, blankets and essentials for the guests, the final stage is when the coachman changes into their country attire.
And then the day begins. We travel to meet our guests at Guards Polo Club, The Fairmont Windsor Park Hotel, Savill Gardens, Windsor Town Centre or The Long Walk.
At the end of a long and exciting day we have to repeat the above in reverse, finishing off by tucking the horses into bed. When our coachman are not working for Windsor Carriages they are often doing other things, many of whom work on a film set.
3. How often do you run the carriage experiences?
We operate year round, in the summer we run an experience 3-4 times per week and in the winter 1-2 times per week, all based around demand.
The Stars of the Show: Our Beloved Horses
4. Tell us more about the horses?
Our horses always come first, and their care is paramount. All of our horses are commercial working horses, who are owned by our coachmen, live with them, cared for and loved. They do lots of different jobs, but our work is enjoyable for them, you can tell by their faces and body language.
We have four horses that we often use. Joey is our famous traditional cob who is our most popular character. Belle is our coachman Jonathan’s hackney, who he shows when she is not making an appearance with us. For the larger event bookings we have two Friesian horses, who when they are not working for us can often be seen on the sets of Bridgeton or the next Hollywood blockbuster.
Preserving Heritage: The Importance of Traditional Carriage Rides
5. What do you love most about your role?
I love what I do but there are a couple of things that really stand out for me.
I love being around the horses and sharing the amazing Windsor Great Park experience with our guests, welcoming them, creating memories and curating that perfect day. It is important to me to keep the history and tradition of our business alive, generating an income for our staff who are local families, all passionate about what they do.
I am also passionate about continuing to run our heritage rides, which are shorter and slightly different, giving our guests a taster of what it is like to experience a carriage ride. As part of this programme I also go into schools to get children excited about carriages, the history and understand how we all once travelled before we had the motor car.
6. What do you like least?
There is not much I don’t like about my role, but I think accounts has to be up there. I also get a little nervous on the day of the experience when preparing the refreshments as I am keen not to forget anything. For example, at Christmas our guests had requested a hot chocolate with Baileys, because we were so busy talking I forgot to add the Baileys! The situation was easily resolved, and the guest ended up having the Baileys by itself, which I think they were secretly quite pleased about!
7. What five words would you use to describe yourself?
Enthusiastic. Passionate. Caring. Animal Lover and Perfectionist, I want everything to be just right.
Looking Ahead: Windsor Carriages in 2024
8. What are your predictions for 2024?
The media is full of predictions for the year ahead, for me I look forward to happy horses and a growing team. I also forecast (and hope for) good weather, as sunshine always makes for an awesome day. Although I do reassure all of our future guests that we are prepared and have fully covered carriages, so the British weather cannot impact us.
9. What exciting plans do you have for 2024 you share with us?
We have lots of exciting plans on the horizon for 2024, we are looking forward to growing and being able to share this amazing experience with many more guests. We plan to work with some exciting new partners (watch this space!) and focus on our marketing, it is surprising how many people still say they have never heard of us!
10. Tell us four things we don't know about you?
Yes, four things you did not know about me: I am a carriage sales manager for an auctioneer in Reading, helping them to organise the sales and create estimates for their carriages for sale; I have my own horse Murphy; one dog Daisy and I am almost a vegan, almost because I am struggling to give up cheese!
If you are celebrating a special occasion this year; getting married; organising a group visit or just want to see Windsor in a very beautiful and unique way, click HERE to find out more about our packages and arrange a discovery call.