Summer Lewison • Special to the Palm Springs Sun • May 14, 2010

The saying, “When you fall off the horse, get right back on and try again,” couldn't be more appropriate for Palm Springs horse-drawn carriage business owner Roxanne “Roxie” Mishler and business partner Diane Schroeder.

The pair recently reopened their popular downtown attraction with a new name and expanded services following a six-week business overhaul, prompted by the sobering near-closure of the business in August.

The changes also were brought about as a result of overwhelming encouragement to expand services valleywide by attendees at the recent Frank Bogert Memorial PCRA Rodeo in Palm Springs.

Yucca Valley-based Big Horse Carriage Company — formerly Palm Springs Carriages under the parent name Leather and Lace Carriage Inc. — still offers the same quaint, flower-adorned carriages pulled by rescued horses.

However, its services are no longer exclusively available in downtown Palm Springs.

“We changed our name to open our doors to all of the Coachella Valley, giving us a wider range of clientele,” Mishler said.

Getting to this point wasn't easy. Major changes and even personal sacrifices were made.

As a part of the restructuring, a new truck was traded in for a used, less expensive truck. And instead of paying a costly mortgage, Mishler sold and became a renter.

Mishler also made the decision to change the business from a corporation to sole proprietorship, saving additional taxes and liability insurance costs.

The end result? A new road paved, allowing the business to expand in ways it hadn't since its start in 1988 with its original owners. Mishler, together with Schroeder, took over the business in 2008.

But not to worry for downtown Palm Springs visitors and merchants. Mishler said Big Horse Carriage Co. plans to continue doing business in the Palm Springs community.

“We want to continue our loyalty to the downtown and uptown entertainment in Palm Springs,” she said.

And that loyalty stretches beyond cleaning up after the horses.

Their restructuring plan includes development of ambitious packages involving historic Palm Springs inns, bed and breakfasts, hotels and businesses, aimed at boosting and supporting downtown tourism.

“It's really about downtown merchants supporting each other and thinking outside the box,” Mishler said, referencing to ways businesses can stay afloat during difficult economic times.

Downtown residents also love watching the horse-drawn carriages strolling down the street.

Palm Springs resident Mary Glass makes it a point to dash outside to catch the carriages as they inch their way near her downtown home.

“I always run outside to watch them go by. I just love them,” she said.