Horses are ridden and driven in actual parades in many different ways. However, a Parade horse refers specifically to a type of horse attired in elaborate, specialized

equipment Equipment most commonly refers to a set of tool A tool is an object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many animals use simple tools, onl ...

that is more often seen today in specialized competitions and exhibitions than in parades. The "Parade horse" class is a form of competition seen at

horse show A horse show is a judged exhibition of horses and ponies. Many different horse breeds and equestrian disciplines hold competitions worldwide, from local to the international levels. Most horse shows run from one to three days, sometimes longer ...

s and

festivals A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival c ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

where the horse is attired in elaborate forms of western-style equipment, adorned heavily with silver, and the rider is dressed in brightly colored, elaborately decorated

western wear Western wear is a category of men's and women's clothing which derives its unique style from the clothes worn in the 19th century Wild West. It ranges from accurate historical reproductions of American frontier clothing, to the stylized garment ...

. The

hooves The hoof (plural: hooves) is the tip of a toe of an ungulate mammal, which is covered and strengthened with a thick and horny keratin covering. Artiodactyls are even-toed ungulates, species whose feet have an even number of digits, yet the rumi ...

of the horse are often covered in sequins and brightly colored ribbons may be added to the mane and tail. Horses are shown at a walk and a type of slow

trot The trot is a ten-beat diagonal horse gait where the diagonal pairs of legs move forward at the same time with a moment of suspension between each beat. It has a wide variation in possible speeds, but averages about . A very slow trot is someti ...

called a "Parade gait." High-stepping gaits and good manners are emphasized. The equipment worn by the horse includes a western saddle, usually of black leather, that has extensive silver decoration, exaggerated features such as long ''

tapadero A tapadero, sometimes referred to as a "hooded stirrup," is a leather cover over the front of a stirrup on a saddle that closes each stirrup from the front. A tapadero prevents the rider's boot from slipping through and also prevents brush encoun ...

s'' on the stirrups, flank trappings, with a heavily decorated

breast collar A breastplate (used interchangeably with breastcollar, breaststrap and breastgirth) is a piece of riding equipment used on horses. Its purpose is to keep the saddle or harness from sliding back. On riding horses, it is most helpful on horses wit ...

added to the front. The bridle is also heavily decorated with silver, and, unlike most western-style bridles, has a

noseband A noseband is the part of a horse's bridle that encircles the nose and jaw of the horse. In English riding, where the noseband is separately attached to its own headstall or crownpiece, held independently of the bit, it is often called a cavesson ...

This type of competition is seen primarily in American Saddlebred and Morgan horse competition. However, this type of attire is occasionally still seen on horses ridden in real parades, particularly major events in the southwestern United States, where there is still a strong

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

cultural tradition, such as the

Tournament of Roses Parade A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses: # One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...

. The Hawaiian culture also has a tradition of using elaborately decorated horses and riders in parades and

festival A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival ...

s riders in this tradition are known as " Pāʻū riders". This tradition involves the decoration of the horse and rider in flowing garments and Leis and utilizes a great variety of

flowers A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism ...

to decorate the animal and rider. The dominant color of the Pāʻū Rider is determined by which island they are from.

References

Examples of parade horse equipment and general show rules
* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20080723184844/http://www.bigisland.org/activities-cultural/470/pau-riders Pau Riders Types of horse {{Horse-stub

See also

References