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We’ve shown you how to get to Bethlehem and Lapland. Now we’re going to show you how to get into husky dog sledding and really feel the Winter season underneath your feet. You don’t even have to leave the UK! The trip involves a piece of cake and a hot drink because the sledding itself can be quite tiring.

Some of you may have seen a Top Gear episode where Richard Hammond races a team of dogs to the North Pole against Jeremy Clarkson and James May in their Toyota Hilux convoy. He did lose out to the cars eventually, but the dogs did exceptionally well and there wasn’t as much concern about getting completely stuck or falling under the ice. The cars were quicker, but the dogs were far better suited to the terrain.

British sledding is not exclusively based on snow. On his travels, Santas Little Helper has even met an Australian Musher who competes in the desert! The dogs are usually Siberian Huskies or Alaskan Malamutes who love to run and run. They are hitched up to a cart in much the way as horses to a carriage or trap. There is a British Mushers Association and several mushing centres around the country.

Here are some basic commands for mushing:

• Gee - Go Right
• Haw - Go Left
• Hike / Pull – Go Forward
• Whooa - Gentle Stop
• Trail - Stay on the trail
• On By – Go past (e.g. past a distraction
• Easy - Go Slower

So why do we associate this sport with Christmas? Most of our Christmas legend comes from Germany and Scandinavia where dog and reindeer sledding used to be an essential means of transport. Along with the Saint Nicholas stories came the tales of sledding with animals much smaller than horses and we eventually came to see sledding as the most festive of sports.

Without any previous experience of dog sledding, you can go along Eynsford in Kent to learn the ropes of handling a team of dogs from an expert. You can even take the rest of the family round the bird of prey centre whilst the gift recipient tries their hand.

• Husky sledding for one and a family pass to the bird of prey centre.
• The adult and child pass is £149 for two hours and includes a family pass into the bird of prey centre.
• The double adult ticket includes; a family pass into the bird of prey centre and two hours husky instruction for two adults, for £199.