??s for experienced Paraders

[paintponylvr]

I was stopped on the road the other day when driving the pair with the "jiggy" mare, and invited to participate in the parade in the town my address belongs to. I've never done it for several reasons - participating in the same parade w/ our daughters' schools in various capacities (just can't do horses at the same time), increasing cost, not having ponies/minis ready and it's at NIGHT. I don't usually do stuff with our guys in the dark... Now, I've committed to it for the first time and we will be starting night time training - in town - after I get permission to unload the trailer at an older school that is the main staging area of the parade when it occurs.

So, I will probably use my most experienced pair together for this one - Bell & Bit - will see. During the day, the Broadway parade is being held and I'd planned on having two pairs to do that one with someone from my family to drive one of the pairs and me to drive the other. Then going on to the Lillington parade in the evening with the more experienced pair (the other pair will probably still be in the trailer - depends on whether we have time to drop them at home.

So, planning on training in the dark in town. I want to hang some lights on the wagon. Now, they probably won't be the kind that are real to the wagons themselves - but probably Coleman battery operated type lanterns. Unless someone else has better idea?

What about something for the ponies themselves? Are there lights I can put on them?

I won't be putting lights on the wagon wheels/tires. Don't think it would work...

Here is our entry in the Broadway Parade last year. The wagon will be the same, not sure if will drive Cassie or Koalah with Bit. Figure that Bell and GG will pull either the wagon or the forecart during the daytime parade, and probably only the wagon in the nighttime parade (well, we'll see how training goes - if it works, I may be able to do both. ) Will also need to see as I want a least one person walking in case of problems during the night parade. Also not sure if we need to do manure pick up for this or not. The day time parade in Broadway, we don't.

So any ideas as to lights? For the lanterns on the wagon, I can attach some type of holder to the inside of the wagon at each corner. Then slide a metal pole support (like you see for hanging garden plants) to hang the lanterns on. It is dark for the Lillington Parade! and it is usually COLD, too. For the past 5 years we've not had any rain on the day of these two parades.

Has anyone actually used the "bun catchers" with the minis/ponies? Do they work? If I'm going to do that - I have to get them early enough to do lots of work with them as I know that I have a couple that are liable to be upset by that at first. Manes and tails will have draft type braids and I will do bells though probably not like the ones on the hips above. Might be able to get some that I hang on the tongue, I'll see...

I want to have fun, have a decent turnout and be as safe as possible for both ourselves, our ponies and the spectators.

 

[paintponylvr]

O, forgot to add - the wagon above has head lights and orange flashers. I don't know how bright they are or their reach in full dark...

 

[romewhip]

Once the Christmas décor comes out there are a few options for battery operated LEDS. I got mine at Big Lots, and use them places where I don't have power or don't want power like on a door wreath. They'd be really cute on harness, and they aren't big long strings of lights. There are also battery operated and solar lanterns that could go on the wagon. You could use the shiny garland too on the wagon which would reflect light. I wonder if a battery like for an alarm system or golf cart would power a whole bunch of lights? Lights on traces, lights on wagon, light everywhere!

(ok, so can you tell I like Christmas lights?)

 

[happy appy]

Here are some examples of my small wagon.

The garland on the buckboard end has battery operated lights. I always have someone walk beside the horse just to be safe. You never know and I would hate to have a horse bolt in the crowd.





Hard to see but I do have carriage lights on this for the night parade. It's a lot of fun but cold here for the night ones! I go to more night parades then day ones. It seems that people here like them better with all the lights.



This year we are going to break in a new group for the parades so we will only be walking in the parade leading the 3 of them,. I like to take them to a few over a couple years to make sure they have seen and heard it all before hitching them and going. I don't want any surprises once I'm in the cart!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

The battery operated strings work really well.

If you want to invest in an inverter, you can use a deep cycle battery to power the lights and go hog wild. With your wagon, that would work well.

At the auto parts places I think you can get a colored light strip that semi trucks use.

I've seen the blanket lights that people put over shrubs on horses and that looks good; your ponies should be big enough to carry that off.

Bells are always good--do practice with those first!!

Also, if the route is unfamiliar to you, drive over it in the car to check it out. The last night one I did had a steep hill.

You are so good with the horses; it will be a real treat for the spectators to see your outfit!

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

The battery operated strings work really well.

If you want to invest in an inverter, you can use a deep cycle battery to power the lights and go hog wild. With your wagon, that would work well.

At the auto parts places I think you can get a colored light strip that semi trucks use.

I've seen the blanket lights that people put over shrubs on horses and that looks good; your ponies should be big enough to carry that off.

Bells are always good--do practice with those first!!

Also, if the route is unfamiliar to you, drive over it in the car to check it out. The last night one I did had a steep hill.

You are so good with the horses; it will be a real treat for the spectators to see your outfit!

We use a battery with an inverter. Make sure you use LED lights or your battery won't last as long! We put a net light over the horses, wrap single strands around the cart and shafts, add tinsel and garland. The parade we do (Fort Worth Parade of Lights) had specific lighting requirements. Last year we WON the Non- commercial Equestrian division!

Added this pic from last year!

 

[dangerranger]

Ive never been to a night parade! That looks like fun! My only advise is know who is in front and behind you. We were once behind a group of trained dogs. They ran back and forth, jumped through hoops, walked on two legs, etc... our horse wanted so bad to jump through that hoop! I spent the whole time fighting her to keep her back! DR

 

[diamond c]

I've wanted to a night parade for a couple of years now, ever since they started having them around here. But my boys arn't even for a day parade yet. Your pic's make it look like a lot of fun.

 

[Sandee]

I only have one comment on night time parades. They were fun until we went to one that just "cut us loose" at the end to find our own way back to the trailers (or have them brought to us). Ahh, I don't have someone to sit around or walk with the parade and go get my trailer. We (fortunately only my daughter and myself....would have been awful if it was the 8 yr old granddaughter) had to drive down darkened streets without any police or other help at intersections. Did anyone know that horses don't like to walk "into the light"! My mare that is super calm and does everything I ask absolutely refused to walk down the street while a car approached. I had no way to know this about her (even if we drove on the roads around here I would never drive at night!). She didn't panic but refused to go forward and finally she turned completely around and wanted to go back where she came from.

Just know the parade and the route and ASK "What's the plan to get back to our trailers?"

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I only have one comment on night time parades. They were fun until we went to one that just "cut us loose" at the end to find our own way back to the trailers (or have them brought to us). Ahh, I don't have someone to sit around or walk with the parade and go get my trailer. We (fortunately only my daughter and myself....would have been awful if it was the 8 yr old granddaughter) had to drive down darkened streets without any police or other help at intersections. Did anyone know that horses don't like to walk "into the light"! My mare that is super calm and does everything I ask absolutely refused to walk down the street while a car approached. I had no way to know this about her (even if we drove on the roads around here I would never drive at night!). She didn't panic but refused to go forward and finally she turned completely around and wanted to go back where she came from.

Just know the parade and the route and ASK "What's the plan to get back to our trailers?"

This is so true! One has to get back to the trailer in the dark. The parade is OVER and the entrants are on their own. I never had any trouble getting back to the trailer in the dark, but it is certainly something to be considered.

 

[happy appy]

I only go to one parade where the start and finish aren't in the same place. At that parade they have a large group of horses and before the parade starts they have people to help move trailers to the other end of the route. Lots of people don't move the trailers because there is a coffee shop on the way back and they like to do the "drive through" on horse back. Keep in mind though that it's a big group of horses, not just a couple drivers.

 

[paintponylvr]

This is one of the reasons that I wanted to do "night time training" in town at night. The place I will park my trailer (if the parade is roughly the size it usually is) will be the same place it would be that night and the whole parade generally turns around that area. Most of the roads back to that area (if I remember right) have streetlights - we'd see how we do. The main road that the parade is on, is a high way, so I CAN:"T PRACTICE THAT PART before "the day", nor do I want to. For the Parade, they stop traffic for the 1/2 hour to an hour that the whole parade takes. Most of the highway drivers know that this takes place and they are ok with it. It will be interesting to see if they have all the road work done by then - will want to find some of those areas before that night while we practice, to make sure that the road "guard" equipment and flashing lights don't bother them. They shouldn't but then again, they've never worked at night. We will be driving by the Funeral Home - but thankfully there is no grave yard right there (I've noticed none of my big horses liked going past grave yards when being ridden at night - the more "sensitive" the horse was, the more problems there were!).

My other question though - have any of you used the "bun catchers" that go behind the horse to catch droppings? I've seen some at a couple of the draft events I've gone to now - missed talking to the person at the last one that I saw with them to ask questions.

I only have one comment on night time parades. They were fun until we went to one that just "cut us loose" at the end to find our own way back to the trailers (or have them brought to us). Ahh, I don't have someone to sit around or walk with the parade and go get my trailer. We (fortunately only my daughter and myself....would have been awful if it was the 8 yr old granddaughter) had to drive down darkened streets without any police or other help at intersections. Did anyone know that horses don't like to walk "into the light"! My mare that is super calm and does everything I ask absolutely refused to walk down the street while a car approached. I had no way to know this about her (even if we drove on the roads around here I would never drive at night!). She didn't panic but refused to go forward and finally she turned completely around and wanted to go back where she came from.
Just know the parade and the route and ASK "What's the plan to get back to our trailers?"

 

[paintponylvr]

Thanks to everyone that responded. I love some of the ideas. I suck at electronics and really need the KISS method for this one. Plus, with a pair to do ... well, we'll see how much decorating I do.

I hope that my family is able to give me a hand with this one this time - I believe that this is one where that help will be needed as well as just enjoyed and shared...