Husky News

Travelers on Dix Avenue near East Field on Friday might have glimpsed what looked to be a holiday tradition gone slightly amuck.

A sled, with no driver, propelled along by four-legged critters, pell-melled down the center of the road for a brief time at mid-morning.

Had Santa sent the sled out, minus the packages and himself, on a trial run?

Cindy Varney, of Fort Ann, who with her husband, Floyd, owns the creatures who created such a sight to see, explained that it was her sled dogs, not reindeer, who catapulted the sled along, much to the surprise of morning motorists.

“A National Grid guy caught up to them, held on to the dogs and put the sled in his truck,” said Cindy Varney.

“He said when he first saw them ‘I thought for a minute I was driving drunk.’ ”

With the aid of the helpful Samaritan, Varney’s dogs and sled were returned to East Field where they were “mushing” with the animals, along with Aimee and Lawrence Van Garrett, of Glens Falls.

The two couples took turns hooking up teams of three and four sled dogs, among the half-dozen or so they’d brought to the park to exercise them and offer rides to any local kids who turned out to watch. The driverless sled became loose when it tipped over on an icy path, throwing the driver.

Caleb Cook, 10, and Michael Ross, 8, both of Glens Falls, eagerly sandwiched themselves onto a sled operated by Aimee Van Garrett, secured their helmets and departed for several runs around the pond at East Field.

“That was really fun,” said Caleb, his cheeks the color of sliced beets, as the trio returned from a run. “It’s pretty surprising how fast you go, and how smooth it is.”

At a recreational pace, said Floyd Varney, the dogs typically log about 10 mph.

“They start out fast because they’re so excited, and then they settle down to a steady pace,” he said.

The Varneys now have five adult Siberian huskies, two Alaskan malamutes and a litter of puppies at home. Cindy said the two breeds are like “cousins,” but have some specific traits that “mushers” look for.

“The malamutes are built heavier, with more muscle power,” said Cindy Varney. “They can pull forever. And they’re smart enough to pretend to be stupid when they don’t want to do something.”

Siberian huskies, she added, aren’t quite as stubborn and are built for speed, so they’re often used as lead dogs to navigate the terrain and set the pace.

Both dogs, Varney said, are excellent family pets.

“They’re really good with kids, very loving, and need to be part of a family,” she said. “Actually, they want you to be part of their pack.”

Both the Varneys and the Van Garretts exercise their dogs at least three times a week year-round, using a “kick scooter” made expressly for dog mushing over dry land.

They occasionally attend

racing events, but primarily they pursue dog sledding as a hobby for themselves and the dogs.

Regardless of the season, the dogs are raring to go at the drop of a hat.

“They just love it,” said Cindy Varney.

“When they see the harness, they go ballistic, barking like crazy. But once they’re hooked up and you release the tug line so they can go, all of a sudden it’s pure silence as they start to run. You’d swear they have smiles on their faces.”

Source: The Post-Star