Happy Halloween, JN!
It’s hard to believe that the end of October is quickly approaching. Before I let the fall slide by too quickly, I plan to take full advantage of this cooler weather to snuggle up in a fun costume and celebrate Halloween with my equine friends. Are you planning to celebrate? Share pictures of your Horse Halloween celebrations and tag us!
Stitch can do dressage too!
There are plenty of ways to celebrate the spooky season as a horse-crazy individual. Which is your favorite?
Horse-themed costumes: Don’t have a horse, or don’t have one that tolerates shared costumes? Never fear. I explored plenty of equine-related Halloween costumes growing up…
- The rider. Don’t have much time before Halloween festivities? Keep your boots and helmet on after your ride and zoom right in! It’s very authentic. Add your show coat to have that additional “wow” factor.
- The jockey. Let’s face it. 99% of people will continue to ask “how was your race?!” after you’ve explained that you do not, in fact, race horses. However! This is the perfect opportunity to embrace the stereotype. Dress up as a jockey, which requires only slightly different effort from “the rider”.
- The farrier. Growing up, all I wanted was to be a farrier. At nine years old, my farrier was kind enough to let me borrow a pair of chaps and some (dull) tools to truck around with me while trick or treating. While it’s certainly a unique look, I do need to warn that the chaps and tools do add some extra weight.
Horse/Rider Costumes. Do you want to celebrate with your equine friend? If your horse tolerates Halloween antics, it can be a fun way to mix up the day! Last year, I completed a dressage school in *the* most comfortable Stitch onesie. I got some looks, but it was well worth it! Other favorites include a Doctor/patient costume while rehabilitating a horse, or a knight with his dragon.
A horse going through a seemingly never-ending rehabilitation process was the perfect “patient” for this costume.
Halloween Games. Beyond the costumes, there are other ways to add fun to the season as well!
- Candy hunt. Have a volunteer hide candy (or other treats) along a trail, grab a trusty steed, and go explore! A new way to go trick or treating…
- Relay races. Take Halloween items (pumpkins, candy, skeletons…) and make it a friendly competition. See who can ride with a cup of apple cider without spilling. Gallop down to pick up a pumpkin (or a smaller gourd) and gallop back. An easy way to put you in the Halloween spirit AND challenge your balance and riding ability as well!
- Scavenger hunt. Create tasks and challenges around the barn for participating riders. How many cobwebs can you clean up? Who can find the black barn cat? Not only will this encourage active searching, but it can be a fun way to get some chores done too!
- Horse Skeleton Anatomy. Test your knowledge by painting (with horse safe paint) the anatomy of the horse. In the end, you’ll learn more about your horse while creating a spooky masterpiece.
Halloween can be a great time of the year to enjoy time with your horse and play! I’m certainly brainstorming costumes to try with my horse, and am looking forward to testing some games out with friends. How will you be celebrating?