Riding a horse in a Mardi Gras parade

[tallyho8]

Why would an over-the-hill cowboy wannabe want to ride his horse in a Mardi Gras parade in cold rainy weather for long hours under strict rules and guidelines and then have to pay big $$ for doing so? I can't figure it out, but my wife and I are doing it again this year.

It starts out with joining a club and paying dues, usually under $100 a year per person, then buying the uniforms and special horse tack needed (around $800 each), then buying your beads, stuffed horses, and other "throws". (about $500 each for the 5 parades we ride in)

With a new horse, there are many hours of training getting him used to all the "spooks" that he will encounter. The huge crowds don't bother a horse much but most horses are slightly un-nerved when the first band goes by beating on the big bass drums and all the sights and sounds of all the up-close sirens and lights, the yelling crowds, the pairs of beads whizzing past their heads, sometimes clipping their ears, and the rowdies who like to jump in front of the horses, throw up their arms and wave their caps and yell to see if they are "man enough" to spook the horses.

You wake up early to wash and groom the horses, load your trailers, and head out on the hour long ride to the beginning of the parade route. Unload your horses and tack them up with about 200 pounds of gear then leave your partner holding 2 horses while you bring your truck to the end of the parade miles away. You have to leave about 2 hours before the parade starts in order to get driven back to the horses before the parade starts. Traffic can get pretty bad around the parade route and getting stranded in a traffic snarl while someone is trying to hold your 2 horses and keep them calm could have disastrous consequences. The parade lasts about 4 hours then it takes another hour and a half to load up and get home. You unload things and feed the horses, take a few aspirins, enjoy the refreshment of your choice and go to bed tired, sore, hungry and dirty. You wake up the next morning and repeat the procedure, skip a few days and do it again the next weekend and then on Mardi Gras day. If you're lucky, your horse shoes hold up for the 2 weeks, though the fronts usually get worn razor-thin, you don't get any blisters in the wrong places, and your horse performs like a champ without any major spooking and no one is injured.

While we are riding in the parade I always see the lucky guys, driving shiny new John Deere tractors, pulling the floats, and getting paid $200 a night to do it. If only I could get my beloved to drive a tractor.

Last night was our first parade of the season and we were supposed to ride again today but we decided to skip today and ride Sunday and then again next weekend. I just phoned the group leader and told him that our "horses" are too sore to ride tonight. I am one "horse" who is too sore to even ride my tractor today. Spending the day on the couch with my favorite brews will help me get ready to ride tomorrow. Last night we rode in Metairie which is a suburb of New Orleans and there was a crowd of about 300,000 people. Tomorrow we ride in New Orleans and there should be a crowd of about 500,000 people. Next weeks parades will have over 1 million spectators.

Dues ................................ $200
Uniforms and special tack...... $1600
Throws...............................$1000
The Mardi Gras experience......PRICELESS

 

[RockyMnt1]

How does the horse react with the flambeauxs or do they even have those any more?

I can still hear the coins hitting the pavement and the flambeauxs doing a dance/jig.

The worst part about riding a horse instead of a float is that you have to throttle your beer intake, unless you are pulling an outhouse!!

 

[tallyho8]

How does the horse react with the flambeauxs or do they even have those any more?

I can still hear the coins hitting the pavement and the flambeauxs doing a dance/jig.

The worst part about riding a horse instead of a float is that you have to throttle your beer intake, unless you are pulling an outhouse!!

Only a few night parades still have flambeauxs and they don't bother the horses at all. Many years ago they quit using the flares which were like giant sparklers. And yes, it is not a good idea to consume beer while on horseback for hours on end.

 

[EddieWalker]

My brother did it one year in Castro Valley, CA and had a blast. Some of his riding buddies invited him to join them in the parade and he went along just for the heck of it. While riding along the street, something startled his horse, which caused the horse to react. He put on such a show, that his picture was on the front page of the newspaper and the parade officials gave him an award for being the "Real Cowboy!" hahahaha

He never did it again and is kind of embarassed of the award, but we all joke about it and have fun with him.

Take some pictures and post them if you can,
Eddie