Halloween Fun With Horses

Do you offer riding lessons or boarding at your barn? You may have noticed that many farms and barns are holding seasonal shows and events. Why not try something like that yourself? A Dawsonville, GA vet suggests some fun ways to celebrate Halloween with Silver in this article.

Halloween Horse Show

You don’t have to get fancy here: just do something low-key. You can dress up your jumps with seasonal ribbons, and set out mums or pumpkins at the arena entrances. Or, teach your riders a routine to the Monster Mash. 

Decoration 

Decorate the barn by adding some pumpkins and a few other safe decorations. This will make a great backdrop for a photo shoot!

Snacks

What’s a celebration without snacks? Make cookies for Silver and his buddies by mixing oats, honey, molasses, shredded carrots, brown sugar, and apple chunks into a batter. Pour into a brownie pan, and bake for about 30 minutes at 350. Don’t forget to set out candy for the riders!

Costume Contest

Who says Silver can’t get in on the fun? If you have a black horse, paint a ‘skeleton’ on him with a non-toxic paint. Silver has also been a taco, a sheep, a hippie in bell bottoms, and a dinosaur. Of course, safety is paramount here. Some horses will get frightened seeing their ‘costumes’ in their field of vision. That could be quite dangerous! Non-toxic paint and makeup are safer options for many horses. Save the crazy costumes for those stoic, bombproof mounts. 

Games

Have the kids play some classic autumn games. Bobbing for apples is a good one. We’re pretty sure Silver won’t mind having some of the apples after! A scavenger hunt can also be fun.

Haunted Trail Ride

This one is sure to be a crowd pleaser. Set up some props on a safe trail. Just don’t go too crazy. It hopefully goes without saying that jumping out at a horse is never a good idea. The idea is to spook the riders, not the horses!

Ghost Stories

There’s no more classic Halloween activity than telling ghost stories. Our choice? The Headless Horseman, of course!

Hay Ride

Last but not least, we have the hayride. If your horses aren’t harness-trained, use a truck. The kids will still have fun!

Do you have questions about your horse’s health or care? Contact us, your Dawsonville, GA animal clinic!