EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE: Second Tours of Life

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Our Extraordinary Person of the Week did it up on his wedding day. He and his wife used a horse and carriage in the service. Romantic, right? That day lead to a business venture and move to Wilmington to start a horse drawn tour service. But it’s not just a ride….it’s a rescue.
Our Extraordinary Person of the Week gives ‘second tours of life’.

They are a moving fixture in Historic Downtown Wilmington and because of John Pucci,these horses have a second chance. A business venture turned into a rescue mission in 1987 when he moved to Wilmington with his wife.
“(I thought)if we’re going to do a carriage company,” John Pucci said, “lets only use horses that would not be here today had we not rescued them from the auctions.”

John says they’ve saved 16, so far. 16 horses that could have been bought by processors at the auctions from farmers needing to sell them. A horse bought by a processor pretty much means a death sentence for the horse.
So, he gets them before they make it to the auction. “As far as I know,” Pucci said, “we’re one of the few that only uses rescued gelding horses.”

Toting people around the Port City may seem like work but if you ask this horse whisperer, it’s actually a work out. “This is their exercise routine for about a week and a half. Then we take them out to our farm in Leland and bring in another group.”

His rescued horses are also known to rescue old memories from folks who take a tour.
“She didn’t open her eyes one time for a half hour,” Pucci said of a older lady who took a tour.
“When we were done she popped her eyes open, she came over and gave me a whopping hug! She remembered the smell of the horses, the rock(of the carriage), the sound of the hooves, and that feeling of riding with her grandpa delivering milk”

And some of his tours are extra unique.
“We’ve done several funerals in Wilmington”
Final tours to a final resting place via this antique hearse(SEE VIDEO)

I’m guessing if these horses could talk…
“They are very affectionate,” Pucci said of their teddy bear-like persona.
….they would probably say ‘Thank you, John, for rescuing us from what could have been ‘our’ final resting place.’

John Pucci…the second tour of life you have given these horses is Extraordinary.

For more information on John and the tours he offers, check out his website—> http://www.horsedrawntours.com/