Horse Costumes for a Fourth of July Parade
66Fourth of July parades are held all across America every year. These occasions are a wonderful time to celebrate the nationalistic spirit and remind yourself about what it means to be American. Horses, an important part of American history, are an intricate part of the history and deserve to be remembered during the parades. If you are going to have horses in the Fourth of July parade, dress them up to suit the occasion.
Attach an American flag to the saddle horns. Use electrical tape to secure the flag and it will wave as the horses prance down the street in the parade.
Get red, white and blue helium filled balloons on long strings. Tie the strings together and attach the arrangement to the saddle horn.
Braid red, white and blue ribbons on the halter. For variety you can braid one horse in red, another in white and yet a third in blue.
Put American flags over the saddle blanket. Another idea is to make an inexpensive cover for the saddle blanket out of red, white and blue material.
Make elastic stars and stripes “skirts” for each of the horse’s legs. Attach them just above the knee and they will puff out as the horses walk in the parade.
Construct a hat for the horses out of a cardboard flag. Cut out two holes for the horse’s ears and keep it in place with a string under his chin.
Make different costumes for the horses to wear. Stitch a Benjamin Franklin-type coat for one horse by putting his legs through the sleeves. Another could wear a Bessy Smith sort of dress that fastened around the neck.
Warning
Make sure your horse is very well-trained and used to crowds, noise and firecrackers before you agree to ride in a Fourth of July parade.
Parade Float Ideas; Our Best 4th of July Parade Float Ideas
http://paradefloats.wordpress.com/category/fourth-of-july-float/
Resources
The Huffington Post: Bellevue Fourth of July Parade; Spooked Horses Run Into Crowd, Kill 1 and Injure 23 in Iowa
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/04/bellevue-fourth-of-july-p_n_635269.html
