Halloween With Horses Raises Money to Feed Poor

October 24, 2007

I’ve seen many tolerant horses put up with a lot of crazy people. I’ve seen costume classes. I’ve heard of many interesting ways people use horses to do good in the world.

But Halloween with Horses at the Colorado Horse Park takes the cake. Check out this winner:

Amanda Speaker adorned her Shire gelding with 20 yards of fabric in a feat of backwards evolution: four days of sewing that turned him from horse to triceratops.

The main events at Halloween with Horses include:

Costume Classes
Riders go all out in their efforts to win the $1,000 grand prize for best costume (which, obviously, went to the triceratops this year)

Stable of Terror
A haunted barn with ghouls and ghosts galore

Trick or Treat Barn
Local businesses decorate stalls and hand out candy.

Horse and Pony Rides
Can’t have a horsey family fall festival without letting the kiddies ride some ponies!

If I lived anywhere close to Colorado, I wouldn’t miss this event!

Horses change our lives by becoming our friends, working with us as we ride them, gaining our trust when no one else can, teaching us discipline and responsibility, helping the disabled move freely in ways they can’t on their own. But in Halloween with Horses, a bunch of horses are letting us crazy people do some pretty wild things in order to feed the hungry. The event is sponsored by Murdoch’s Ranch and Home Supply and proceeds (which I’d guess include admissions fees for guests and entry fees for riders) go to the SECOR food bank.

I love the idea of this family event because it’s a great way to share our love of horses with our community and to use our horses to make a difference. Many of us love to ride, and do so for our own pleasure. I spent years focusing on myself and my own riding. But one of the best things about horses is that they really are so easy to share! Not many people ever don’t dream of riding a horse. We can participate in events like Halloween with Horses, or bring our friends out to visit our animals, or teach lessons, or volunteer with therapeutic programs. Some of these are obvious ways to let our passion for horses make a difference, but we can be creative too. Wouldn’t it be great for an event like Halloween with Horses to happen in various locations across the country? We could have a Christmas with Horses and offer sleigh rides and a horse nativity and caroling on horse back (there’s a good way to combine my love of horses and music…) and raise money to give gifts to low-income families. We just have to get creative!

Posted in Horse Events, Horse News, Horsin' Around, Making a Difference