Horses and Halloween

Happy October!

It's time to start planning Halloween costumes, buying candy and getting ready for one of the best holidays of the year.

If you are like me, everything can be improved if done on horseback. So, how can you incorporate Halloween and horses?

Ever been trick-or-treating on horseback? Sound like something you’ve always wanted to do but never been able to? Trick-or-treating is just for kids, right?

Nope!

Every year the Mountain Riders Horse Club at Colorado State University goes trick-or-treating around a neighborhood in Laporte, Colo. These students are not seeking bags full of candy. They are collecting canned goods to donate to the Larimer County Food Bank.

Making the Halloween rounds on horseback has become a tradition -- and I helped start it!

I had wanted to go trick-or-treating with my horses since I first got a horse. I had talked about it with a lot of people but never was able to make it happen. I eventually met a group of girls through the Mountain Riders club who didn't have horses but liked to ride. I happened to own two horses, so these girls often would come out and ride with me.

When I brought up the subject of trick-or-treating with the horses, the girls became super excited. The first year it was just me, three other girls and my two horses, and we simply were trick-or-treating for candy.

The next year, we invited the rest of the club to join us, and one of the members suggested we make it a charitable event. Everyone really liked the idea, and that year we collected only about 10 pounds of cans - because no one in the neighborhood was prepared.

By the third year, the neighborhood was ready for us, and we ended up overloading the one pack horse we had.

Now, each year at Halloween, a group of 5 to 10 horses, riders and walkers meet just before sunset in the parking lot behind Vern's to start dressing up their horses and themselves before they head out into the neighborhood. They bring at least two horses wearing pack saddles which will be filled with cans before the night is over. Each year, the amount they collect gets larger, with more than 200 pounds collected last year.

More and more people participate each year. We bring three or more pack horses and still can't get to all the houses in the neighborhood.

Your group can do something like this, too -- wherever you are.

You will need to find a neighborhood that is friendly to horses. The easiest way to ensure this is to find homes with barns nearby. The residents will probably be accustomed to having horses walk through the neighborhood if there are already barns in the area. You could ask members of your club if the neighborhoods near where they keep their horses would be suitable.

To make collecting cans easier, post fliers and mail information so that the residents are prepared for your group to come by. You will either need one or two pack horses, depending on the size of your selected neighborhood, or you will want everyone to carry saddle bags.

You will also need people who are not riding horses. Their job is to knock on doors and help load the pack horses and saddle bags. If everyone wants a chance to ride, you can take turns walking and riding.

A few things to keep in mind:

• You will be riding at night. Horses can be more easily scared at night. You will need to watch out for cars and make sure your group is visible.
• Costumes and props can scare horses. Practice with your costume and make sure your horse is ready for the evening. Easily spooked horses should stay home.
• Here in Colorado -- and in many other areas -- it probably will be cold. Dress for the weather. Make sure children stay warm. Feel free to go home early if it gets too cold.

Remember to stay safe -- and have fun!