Parades are fun for both riders and spectators alike. As a child my favorite part of any parade was the horses. It hasn’t changed.

Riding your horse in a parade can be a rewarding enjoyable experience, or it can be dangerous and scary. One way to increase your chances of having a good experience with a parade is properly preparing your horse.

First let’s consider the parade environment from your horse’s perspective. Parades are noisy. Spectators are usually not horse people so they don’t stop to think that the balloons, flags, noisemakers, etc, might frighten your horse. Your best defense is to desensitize your horse to these things ahead of time.

If you have a lot of time before the parade, see if there is a desensitization clinic near you. As more people take to the trails with their horses, these type clinics are increasing in popularity. If you’ve never seen one, check out the photos of a de-spooking clinic that was conducted over at the Grasslands. Exposing the horse to flapping tarps, loud noises, bikes, strollers, umbrellas, plastic bags, etc teach the horse not to overreact when they encounter them.

Paring your horse with a solid confident horse to ride next to is another way to help keep your horse thinking instead of reacting. If a horse sees another horse staying calm, often times the horse will settle down. If you don’t know a calm experienced horse to ride next to, another thing you can do is have a handler or walker who accompanies you on the ground. The walker should be someone the horse knows and trusts. This will help keep the horse in control and make the parade experience a pleasurable one.

If you get to the parade and your horse is overreacting, consider just keeping your horse at the trailer and using the experience as a training session. There will be other parades and its much better to play it safe than endanger yourself, your horse, and possibly spectators because you participated before your horse was ready.

Here are some additional tips from Tracy Matern who served as the Trinity Trail Preservation President for four years.

1. Make sure your horse is ready. Take your horse to as many “spook” or “desensitizing” clinics as you can or set up your own training. A good source of self- education on this is the book “Bombproof Your Horse” by Sgt. Rick Pelicano published by Trafalgar Square Publishing. My own Moonshine was afraid of a lot of things and we went to probably 6 different clinics. It was two years before I was confident enough that he could handle his first parade. I have to start all over now with my donkey Joe.

2. Learn and practice the one-rein stop. A horse can’t rear, buck or run off if you stop him early with a one-rein stop. Use it at the first hint of trouble. It’s good for his flexibility too.

3. Start with a small horse-friendly parade with just a few horses.

4. Make sure your cinch is tight. Check it after your horse has moved around a bit and double check it. Parelli recommends tightening a cinch in three stages, moving the horse around in behind each. Most of the accidents I’ve seen have been due to a loose cinch.

5. If your horse seems upset, consider just tying him to the trailer to get used to the sights and sounds of a parade or arrange for you and a helper to walk him in the parade. It is safer and smarter to not mount up or to get off if your horse is not calm. Trust your instincts…if you think you should get off, get off!

6. Make sure your horse is not afraid of any of the decorations you plan to use on him.

7. Protect your brain…wear a helmet!

8. Don’t use different tack for the first time in a parade. Try it at home first.

9. Spread out. Don’t crowd another horse or let yourself be crowded. Give your horse enough room to turn around and enough space to get out of the way if another horse spooks.

10. If you’re in a parade that has a lot of stopping and waiting, try to keep your horses feet moving by circling the other riders or other means. Horses can be upset by constantly being held back.

11. At the end of the parade, don’t pick up speed suddenly to get back to the staging area. If you are going to speed up, ask those behind you and make sure they are comfortable with it.

12. Be very alert and careful returning to the staging area. Stay with others on horseback. Often parade organizers do not provide people to stop traffic or open your path after the parade is finished.

Finally, remember that parades are fun so go enjoy yourself.

2008 Christmas Parades

Holiday time is parade time in Texas. Horses add excitment and fun to a parade and riding in a parade is a great way to carry on our western heritage.

Tracy Matern sent me some information on upcoming 2008 Christmas Parades where they are looking for horse and rider participation. I wanted to share it with anyone wanting to participate. You are welcome to ride under the Trinity Trail registration, however, please be aware that Trinity Trail Preservation Assn. does not obtain insurance for these parades. If you participate, you are accepting the inherent risk.

Saturday, December 13

Noon Greater Anna Chamber of Commerce “A Coyote Toyland Christmas” Staging at Anna High School starts at 10 AM
Bring a donation to the Anna Food Party
www.greaterannachamber.com 972-704-2935
Personally invited us via a telephone call.
Tracy has registered us for this one. It is a small town parade.

3 PM Josephine “3rd Annual Gilbert Hess Christmas Parade & Festival”
Daniel Jacobs-Josephine Police Department- 214-229-8901
They urged us to come in August so I’d like to do this one. This should be a nice small town parade go for beginners.
Directions:
If you are going south on 78 take it to FM 6 which will be on your left. It will take you right in to Josephine. The staging area will be on your right at the fountain View subdivision.

6 PM Royse City Chamber of Commerce “Texas Country Christmas” Parade
http://.roysecity.com
Parade Line-Up: 5:15 PM at Church of Christ on Front & Bell Streets.
Parking in the large field on Front Street.
Registration forms are available on the website. No fees. Their Fourth of July Parade was a good size parade with lots of spectators and a fairly long route.

6:30 PM Farmersville Chamber of Commerce “Christmas Wishes” Parade
Chad Whitaker 972-784-7714 Cynthia Craddock 972-782-6533.
www.farmersvillechamber.com
Deadline to register is December 12th. The website was down when I checked but you can call on of the people above. If you want to do this parade, you need to register. I will be at Wylie. Be sure to stop in to Saddlebag Debi Jordan’s “Ranch Dressin’” shop on the square for some Christmas shopping.

6:30 PM Wylie Chamber of Commerce “Festival of Lights” Parade
Staging begins at 4:30 PM. Park in the field by the railroad tracks off Brown west of Ballard between Jackson and Keefer. Don’t let them tell you to park at Birmingham Elementary. It was dangerous to get to the parade route from there last year.

Tracy Matern has registered us for this parade. There was a $25 registration fee. This is a large, noisy, boisterous parade with a huge crowd. Make sure your horse is parade ready. It still has the wonderful country feel however and welcomes horses. We need a couple of banner carriers and flag carriers.

Hope to see you at some of the parades!

The Trinity Trail Preservation Association (TTPA) will sponsor a trail ride and Chili Cookout, Saturday, January 10 at the Brockdale Park trailhead in Lucas, Texas, weather permitting. Arrive trailhead at 2:00 PM. Ride out at 2:30 PM. Bring cornbread to share and a lawn chair. TTPA will be providing a bonfire, beverages, and cooking chili. There will be a $5 donation to cover chili and paper goods. Chili Dinner will be served at 5 PM. Join us for some great conversation with other riders. You can adjust your ride to your own schedule.

The ride will be automatically cancelled if it is raining or if there has been so much rain as to make the trail extremely wet, muddy and dangerous. To check on trail conditions call Trail Steward Charlie Gaines at 972-824-3369.

Don’t forget your current negative Coggins Certificate for each horse, as state law requires us to check. You can’t enter the park without one. For safety reasons, dogs will not be permitted on the trail. They must remain tied at your trailer in camp. For more information, see the Trinity Trail Preservation Association’s website at www.trinitytrailriders.org.

Directions to Brockdale Park Trailhead

Lucas is northeast of Dallas, TX. From Dallas, go north on US 75 to the Bethany Drive exit in Allen and go east. Take Bethany Drive through Allen into Lucas (about 5 miles). Counting the light at the expressway exit, you will go through nine lights. The ninth light is at Bethany and FM 1378 where Lucas City Hall will be on the left. Go straight. In about ½ mile, when the road makes a sharp curve, you will see a stoplight and the Lucas Food Mart and Fina station will be on your left. Turn left here on FM 3286 and go less than a mile to Brockdale Park Road. There is a brown Brockdale Park sign on the right just before the turn. It turns off to the right. If you get to the bridge over Lake Lavon you have gone too far. Follow Brockdale Park Road around to the trailhead. You will drive through three 90-degree turns. The trailhead is at the 3rd 90-degree turn on the right and is bordered by white pipe fence. If you get to the boat ramp you have gone too far.

To support the trail and get regular delivery of the monthly newsletter, send $25 to Trinity Trail Preservation Association, c/o Pat Martin, 4040 Avion Drive, Wylie, TX 75098. For more information, see the Trinity Trail Preservation Association’s website at www.trinitytrailriders.org.

The Trinity Trail Preservation Association (TTPA) will sponsor a trail ride and Halloween costume contest, Saturday, October 25 at the Brockdale Park trailhead in Lucas, Texas, weather permitting. Arrive trailhead at 2:30 PM. Ride out at 3:00 PM.

The Horse and Rider Halloween Costume Contest starts at 5 PM. Dinner will follow at 6 PM. TTPA will provide hamburgers and hot dogs for a small donation. Bring your own beverages and lawn chair. Share dinner and great conversation with other riders. You can adjust your ride to your own schedule.

The Costume Contest will have four divisions: 6 and under, ages 7-12, 13-18, and Adult (over 18). Prizes for all participants in the 6 and under and for the first 3 places in the older divisions. Join the fun.

The ride will be automatically cancelled if it is raining or if there has been so much rain as to make the trail extremely wet, muddy and dangerous. To check on trail conditions call Trail Steward Charlie Gaines at 972-824-3369.

Don’t forget your current negative Coggins Certificate for each horse, as state law requires us to check. You can’t enter the park without one. For safety reasons, dogs will not be permitted on the trail. They must remain tied at your trailer in camp. For more information, see the Trinity Trail Preservation Association’s website at www.trinitytrailriders.org .