Such working conditions frighten the faint of heart: Sit still outdoors in the dead of winter. Sit still for six hours as the temperature descends, often into the teens, sometimes even lower.
"This is the coolest job I've ever had," said Rooster Udy of Kaysville.
Seven months ago he became a horse-drawn-carriage driver in downtown Salt Lake City —- and by "coolest" he means this is more fun than other work he's done. But as he drives into December, the carriages' busiest month, the hulking 22-year-old is learning a whole new meaning for "coolest."
Through the summer and early autumn Udy sailed smoothly around Temple Square, in a lightweight shirt, black vest and slacks. But by the day after Thanksgiving, downtown temperatures were diving, and carriage drivers were bulking up.
"Two pairs of long johns, snowboarding pants, carpenter pants with fleece lining, three sweatshirts, a snowboarding coat, snow boots," Udy begins.
"Hand warmers inside your gloves, toe warmers that fit inside your boots," adds Roshawn Terrell, manager of Carriage for Hire, one of the companies that circulates more than a dozen velvet-seated cabriolets around Temple Square.
"I tell (new drivers), 'Bring all the clothes you can.' " They can also drink hot chocolate and coffee, Terrell said — but only until 2 p.m. After that, drivers can't keep using such liquids to heat themselves, since they won't have time for breaks after 5:30 p.m. or so.
As for the horses, "they have a food supplement that helps heat their bodies," said Annette Overson, co-owner of Carriage for Hire.
Starting this week the stable's 40 beasts have a daily dose of horse warmer: a mix of molasses, oats, cracked corn and vitamins. Overson doesn't recommend this for two-legged drivers. But her horses do take something that was first formulated for humans:
"a giant aspirin — that has the same exact benefit as it does for a person. It's for the joints, the muscles, the blood flow." The nickel-size pill is ground up in the animals' daily feed.
"Even if it's raining or snowing, the horses are working enough to keep warm," Overson added.
Once they step up, customers don't seem to feel the cold, either. They have two blankets and each other. "On Valentine's Day," Overson said, "you wouldn't even know it was cold," seeing the fervent demand for horse-drawn rides.
Snowfall rarely halts carriage traffic, but Overson said an early November blizzard compelled her to make an exception. "When that big storm came through on Nov. 8, we had drivers ready to go, but I told them, 'Don't hitch yet.' I drove through the city, and I said, 'No, the visibility is too poor.' If there's a car behind us, they can't see us, and we don't want to get slid into."
Thanksgiving is the only regularly scheduled night that Overson closes shop.
Drivers typically work from 5 p.m. until midnight, and each of Overson's 30 employees can work as many or as few nights a week as they choose. The best part of the job, Terrell said, is that "other driver," the horse. "Being around them is an addiction," she said. Customers have also been known to become attached to a particular horse after a half-hour carriage ride, and some have sent thank-you notes to the four-legged Carriage for Hire workers. Some request Chief or Jock or Vea for their next visit to downtown Salt Lake City, but "they don't remember their (human) drivers' names," Overson said.
She admits that the Temple Square circuit isn't for everybody, and some drivers have ended their carriage careers after one cold night. Among other skills, the job requires creative clothing sense, Overson said. "They're always sharing insights and tricks."
E-MAIL: durbani@desnews.com