Lifestyle

Double R Reindeer Ranch in Midlothian Delivers the Magic of Christmas

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Tony Maples Photography

 

Texas is known for growing lots of things: cotton, rice, cattle and reindeer…wait, reindeer? Yes, Midlothian, Texas (just outside of the Dallas/Ft. Worth area) is home to the Double R Reindeer Ranch and Texas’ Division of Santa’s Reindeer and Sleigh Team. Double R Reindeer Ranch’s animals are available for hourly events, seasonal leases, commercials, television and movie work and they help deliver a hearty dose of Christmas spirit to everyone in their path.

Sorry Folks, No Visits to This Ranch

Reindeer Ranch

Photo: Flickr/Carlos

While the ranch is currently closed to the public, the reindeer from Double R Reindeer Ranch travel around the state – and beyond (Double R’s Reindeer have the required USDA and Texas Animal Health Commission certifications which allow the reindeer to travel out of Texas for displays), bringing the magic of Christmas to life for all – young and old. In fact, according to the website for the Double R Reindeer Ranch, most people who they encounter have never seen a live reindeer and some don’t realize they actually exist!

Cousins To Our Native Deer

Reindeer

Photo: Flickr/greyloch

It’s no wonder that reindeer can happily live in Texas, they’re in the same family (Cervidae-which means deer) as the whitetail and other types of deer who prosper here. Farm raised reindeer are curious, friendly, likable animals. They are easy to fence, feed, and train to pull.  

According to the Double R Reindeer Ranch website, reindeer look a lot like their wild North American cousins, the caribou, but are somewhat (8-10 inches) shorter, and there is a difference in color. Reindeer are believed by many to be the first domesticated animals with a written reference to herding in a 9th-century letter from Norway’s King Ottar to Alfred the Great which mentioned his fine herd of over 600 reindeer.

To learn more about the reindeer at Double R Reindeer Ranch, visit their website. Or, perhaps keep an eye to the sky on December 24 and maybe you’ll find that Santa has commissioned some of the Midlothian reindeer to help with his long haul!