Christmas Parade

What a day this way.  Started out with going to the barn and bathing Bailey, working with her and then loading the tack for parade.  Finally left barn at 12:00 and arrived downtown Fort Worth at 12:30 pm.  We were the first to get there and had the parking lot to all ourselves. 

Everyone showed up in large trailers with weekend packages and motorhomes.  The party started around 1:30  We ate good food and talked a little, then we started the work of putting all the costume on the horse.
We each was given a container with their costume in it.
First saddle pad, then table cloth, next red rump cover, then saddle, attach breast collar.  Now start with garland around the breat collar and add net lights over the rump.  These were secured by the tiny red ribbons on the material.  Then move up to the breast collar and add the lights.  After these lights are on you added lights to the mane.  (all of these are power pack with solar connectors)  Lucky one of the husbands gave me a hand and secured the lights for me on the saddle.
 Add a touch of bells around each ankle then put red socks on front legs.
Last but not least, the antler ears on the bridle.

Now it is almost 2 hours later and we are ready to mount.  Bailey is doing very well with all of this and just kept eating.  However, she did try to eat the breast collar decoration.

Nowing really bothered her at all.  She just stood there and kept eating her hay.

Now it is time to ride.  She is wanting to move her feet and I just let her walk all around the parking lot.  Doesn't want to go to far.  When the group starts out, she is willing to follow and doesn't want to lose her friends.

We stand in line for about 20 minutes and then it is off on the street.  She settled right down and followed the leader.  She walked out a little more than some, but we stayed in place and watched all of the spectators and waved to them all.  Bailey's biggest concern was the manhole covers in the street.  She was sure we would fall into one of them and disappear.  There were a lot of people, noise, lights on the side lines, wands and colored neck bands, people cheering and whisling.  She was a real troupper.  I was very proud of my girl and new she could do it. 

Returning back to the staging area, we had to take the lights off in the dark.  This was really a chore.  Finally able to return all of the costume to the bag and return to the group.  We stayed a little longer and then pulled out of towndown around 8:30pm  arrving back home at 9:30

Long and wonderful day