5 Ways to Enjoy Halloween with Your Horse
Happy Spooky Season! It’s October which means it’s time for carving pumpkins, eating pumpkin pie, playing in the leaves, and one of our favorites: Halloween! We all get to dress up as our favorite characters and spooky creatures so why wouldn’t we share this fun with our horses. There are so many fall-themed things that you can do with your horse to get them ready for Halloween. Keep reading for our tips on how to enjoy Halloween with your horse.
1. Spooky treats - Halloween is the perfect time to give your horse some sweet treats! We get to enjoy candy so spoil your horse with some crisp apple chunks or pumpkin slices. Pumpkins are safe for horses to eat so you can let them snack on a raw pumpkin or bake them into fun and festive treats that they can enjoy all fall long! For a more spooky theme, bake the treats into ghost or witch hat shapes and put them out for your horse on Halloween so they can join in on the fun! Remember, chocolate and other candies can not be fed to your horse but peppermints are safe for them to enjoy!
2. Decorate the barn - Putting up festive decorations is a great way to get yourself and your horse into the Halloween mood! Hang up skeletons, set out pumpkins, or stock up on hay all-around your barn. If you have a fenced-in field where your horses like to graze, put up some scarecrows on the posts or add some corn stalks along the fence to get more of a fall feel. Just make sure any decorations are out of the horse’s reach but in a spot that they can see!
3. Welcome trick or treaters - If you get trick-or-treaters coming to your barn, tie up your horse somewhere where the kids can see them! Behind a fence would be a great way for your horse to stay a safe distance from the trick or treaters but be on display for them to see. You could dress up your horse or sit outside of their fence with a candy bucket to bring in people to see your horse. Just because your horse can’t trick or treat doesn’t mean they can’t join in on the fun!
4. Halloween-themed games - Whether you're having a barn party or just looking to spend some time with your horse you can set up Halloween-themed games for guests and your horse to play. Bob for apples or have a pumpkin scavenger hunt to get your horse moving and reward them with a treat. If you're looking to train your horse or take them out on the trail, now is the time that the leaves are changing and it would be a beautiful ride.
5. Dress up your horse - There are so many fun and safe costumes that you can make to dress up your horse this Halloween! You can make your horse their own costume or make a joint costume so that you and your horse can dress up together. You can enter yourself and your horse in a nearby costume parade to show off how good you both look! Make sure your horse’s costume does not include any toxic paint, any costume parts that they may trip over, or any parts that block their vision. Also, keep in mind how heavy costume materials are, as you don’t want to put extra weight strain on your horse!
Fall is such a great season to get your horse involved in some spooky fun! Dress them up and give them treats around Halloween to get into the spirit. If you notice any health issues with your horse while you’re spending some fall fun time with them, be sure to go to our website and see all the supplements we have available to help them out. We also offer complimentary consultations to help identify what the best supplements for your horse would be!