What It Was Actually Like Visiting Tails in the Trees in a Wheelchair

🌲 “I didn’t expect to feel like this today…”

That was the sentence Nicky used after her first visit to Tails in the Trees with Rocky 🐾

As a wheelchair user, she wasn’t quite sure what to expect from a natural woodland and field setting like ours.

As she left, she told us she’d felt quite emotional.

Not because everything was perfect or flat — it isn’t — but because she was able to enjoy some of the space in her own way, at her own pace, with Rocky beside her.

Hearing her experience and feedback meant a huge amount to us.

I’d really hoped a wheelchair user would feel able to come and try the space honestly and openly, so we could properly understand what works well, what’s more challenging, and whether it could help others too.

Nicky was that person ❤️

We know Tails in the Trees won’t be suitable for everyone or every type of wheelchair, and that’s exactly why we wanted to share a real, honest account from someone who’s actually visited.

I think Rocky might just have stolen the show though 😍. He's a beautiful boy!

👇 We’ve shared Nicky’s full story on the website, including her honest thoughts on:

🐾 parking & terrain

🐾 accessibility in practice

🐾 the gate system

🐾 moving around the field & trees

🐾 the type of wheelchair she uses

🐾 advice she’d give to other wheelchair users considering visiting

Read Nicky’s full story below.

We can’t thank Nicky enough for being willing to share her experience so openly ❤️

We visited Tails in the Trees today and had a fantastic time with our Newfoundland, Rocky.

I wasn’t sure how I would get on with accessing the site because I’m a wheelchair user, but I contacted them before booking and Tracey gave me enough information that I felt confident in giving it a go. I also watched a video on their website that shows the gates you have to pass through and how it all works with getting in and out.

I took my husband with me with it being our first time just in case I wasn’t able to manage on my own. Tracey came out to greet us on arrival. She explained the gate system and where everything was and made us feel welcome.

The site is impressive and they have obviously put a lot of effort into making it secure and dog friendly, while also being a Christmas tree farm full of interest for humans and dogs. One thing I particularly loved was that you can drive all the way into the enclosed area. So when getting Rocky in and out of the car, I knew there wouldn’t be any other vehicles or dogs around. 

Tracey makes no claims that the site is fully wheelchair accessible, it is a field afterall, but she was kind and helpful and happy to give as much information as possible in order for us to see if it would work. I’m ambulatory, so I can get out of my chair and weight bear sometimes. This means I am able to get out of my car without my wheelchair in order to open and close the vehicle gates. To do this from a wheelchair didn’t feel practical for me, but may be possible for some.

As you turn in off the road, there is a vehicle gate to open and close behind you, then you drive further in and through another similar gate, although this one requires the keycode as explained on their website and in the email we received. Once you’re through the second gate and you’ve locked it behind you, you keep the padlock key on you so no one else can enter while you’re there. This is all explained thoroughly so you can be confident how it works.

From the parking area you can either go straight into the Christmas tree field or there’s another set of pedestrian gates that takes you into the secure area.

I didn’t want to let Rocky off lead in the Christmas tree field because his recall is a bit sketchy, but I was able to get through both pedestrian gates in my wheelchair with him on a lead and close them both behind me. The gap between the two pedestrian gates is plenty big enough for me to fully turn a powered wheelchair and manage a giant breed dog. Once in the secure area I let him off his lead for a good run around and play on the equipment, although being a Newfie agility isn’t really his thing.

The ground in the carpark is quite uneven and rough stone. My chair has a relatively low ground clearance and we managed ok, but I did have to be careful to avoid larger rocks. The access through the pedestrian gates and in the enclosed area is grass. My wheelchair was fine with it being dry weather, but I don’t think it would cope in the wet. 

The Christmas tree field has mud tracks around the edge and up the middle. Some are more even than others. I could get through the middle track, although it was quite dusty and soft, so my wheels dug in in places, but the track on the far right had deep tractor ruts so wasn’t accessible for me.

I probably wouldn’t take my wheelchair into the Christmas tree field without someone with me to assist if I got stuck, but I am confident I could manage in the enclosed area by myself as long as the ground isn’t boggy. If you have limited mobility, but can walk a short distance, there's a picnic bench inside where you can sit while your dogs play.

We all thoroughly enjoyed our visit and I am looking forward to going again. Spending time with Rocky in a safe environment was great for us both. 

All in all, for a site that isn’t wheelchair accessible, it is surprisingly accessible in places and I would recommend anyone considering a visit with mobility needs to contact Tracey and ask for info. She was very willing to help and keen to try and provide an accessible site wherever feasible within the limits of what can be achieved with a dog field.