Horses are always the highlight of parades. With parade season starting up, are you planning to try out a new horse in a parade? It can be great fun to have a parade horse, but before you plan to bring along your horse, you’ll want to make sure that he’s really ready to be part of a parade.

The Challenges of Parades

Parades are one of the most unnatural situations that we can put a horse into. Loud, crowded, visually overwhelming, and usually held on a paved roads, parades put a horse’s ability to overcome his natural instincts to the test. Even more critical, horses in parades have to be safe and dependable – their own safety plus the safety of all the parade goers depends on that. Whether you’re riding, driving, or leading your horse, you will need to be absolutely certain that he is ready for the demands of the parade environment.

The Temperament Consideration

Take an honest assessment of your horse’s temperament: is he suitable to a parade environment? Horses who participate in parades need to be patient, calm, and focused in the midst of distraction. They will need to be good-natured and confident, as well as trusting in their riders. If your horse does not have these characteristics, then you may be facing some serious obstacles in bringing him to a parade.

The Training Foundation

Before you consider participating in a parade with your horse, he should have years of training. A green horse will never be a good or safe match for a parade environment, simply because of the unpredictability factor – unless you have exposed the horse to many different situations, you cannot have a strong idea of how he will react.

As for your horse’s training, you should be able to depend on him to respect your cues in any environment. He will need to trust you and respect you in a busy situation, and you will need to rely on him to move forward, slow down, halt, and stand when you ask him. Teaching your horse to ground tie and stand calmly for long periods of time is excellent preparation for a parade; you can be sure that you will spend plenty of time waiting for the parade to begin.

The Importance of Desensitization

Desensitizing your horse is a huge part of making him parade-ready. Proper desensitization cannot be accomplished in a few weeks or a month; you should start years ahead and continue the desensitization as you train your horse.

Parade horses will need to take many foreign situations in stride. Objects like baby carriages, flags, decorations, pinwheels, bicycles, and umbrellas are all common at parades. Your horse will certainly have to contend with loud noises including bands, sirens, whistles, and even gunshots. And don’t forget the crowds, excited children, floats, and even other horses.

So, do you think your horse is ready? Then best of luck at the parade!

Image Source: flickr.com

Original Source: Is Your Horse Parade-Ready?