How to Dress Up Horses for a Fourth of July Parade

Every year millions of people celebrate Independence Day with fireworks, parades and traditional food. If your horse is joining in the parade, use decorations that are do not dangle or make a noise. Brightly colored decorations braided into mane and tail are a safe option, but many horses object to costumes that swing out or catch the light. Practice at home before taking your horse to the parade, and remember that almost all horses are frightened by fireworks, so bear this in mind when joining in the fun.

Things You'll Need

  • Wool decorations or ribbons
  • Stars-and-stripes fabric
  • Pompons
  • Polo wraps
  • Colored foil
  • Glue stick
  • Face paint
  • Polystyrene or cardboard
  • Hoof paint
  • Colored nylon tack
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Instructions

    • 1

      Braid your horse's mane and tail with colored ribbon or wool pompons. To decorate the mane, divide the hair into sections, braid each section and finish with a bow or pompon. Alternatively, use a running braid along the top of the neck, and add in ribbon as you go. For the tail, you can simply tie a ribbon around the top, although this should be firmly stuck down with tape to prevent the horse dislodging it. Do not tie the ribbon too tightly, or you may restrict the blood supply. A more secure way is to French braid the top of the tail and fasten with a bow.

    • 2

      Use a patriotic theme by tying red, white and blue ribbons into the mane and tail. Wrap bands of ribbon or thread tightly round the straps of the bridle, making sure that they lie flat enough not to rub your horse. As an alternative, you could invest in some cheap colored nylon tack. Spread stars-and-stripes fabric over the horse's back and hindquarters under the saddle, taking care that it doesn't hang down low enough to get caught in the legs, and tie colored pompons to your stirrups and saddle. Alternatively, use human face paint to draw the flag onto the hindquarters. Wrap legs with red, white and blue polo bandages.

    • 3

      To complement a rider's Statue of Liberty costume, make a lightweight headdress from cardboard or polystyrene and fasten it securely to the headstall of the bridle. Take care that the fastening is tight, as many horses dislike anything unusual around their heads. The skirt of the rider's robe should be long enough to flow over the horse's hindquarters. If you are carrying a torch, tie it to the saddle to leave both hands free for the reins.

    • 4

      Decorate the horse safely with shapes cut from lightweight colored foil, sticking them directly to the horse's coat with a child-safe glue stick. A collection of different-sized stars over the hindquarters and back legs looks impressive. You can also match the decorations to your own costume. For example, stick anchor shapes to the horse's hindquarters to match a sailor theme. Once the parade is over, the shapes can be peeled off and the horse's coat washed with warm water. On-line retailers and some saddlery stores also sell glittery colored hoof paint to complete your look.