Is that Santa or a horse? Fancy dress to get you in the festive spirit

Madeleine Silver's avatar
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Published In Features
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We're not hard to please — a bit of tinsel and a sprig of holly would have done the trick to get us in the Christmas spirit. But these horses and riders have gone all out with their festive fancy dress — and we're not complaining...

Angela Penman’s Yola (complete with Santa beard)
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Angela Penman’s Yola (complete with Santa beard)

Tracey Bayes’ seven-month-old Colts Xanthos the reindeer and Dragonfly the elf
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Tracey Bayes’ seven-month-old Colts Xanthos the reindeer and Dragonfly the elf

Pip Mason’s daughter Elspeth riding Edoras — who doesn’t seem to mind the flapping stockings (despite being a knackery rescue who has only been broken in a year)
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Pip Mason’s daughter Elspeth riding Edoras — who doesn’t seem to mind the flapping stockings (despite being a knackery rescue who has only been broken in a year)

Marissa Mc Laughlin on a Santa horse and pony parade in aid of multiple sclerosis
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Marissa Mc Laughlin on a Santa horse and pony parade in aid of multiple sclerosis

Molly Heaps’ Cheescake getting into the festive spirit
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Molly Heaps’ Cheescake getting into the festive spirit

Sarah Anderson’s daughter Ella and her pony Scrumpy
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Sarah Anderson’s daughter Ella and her pony Scrumpy

Ruth Geddes’ 26-year-old warmblood Tam tucks into the snowman
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Ruth Geddes’ 26-year-old warmblood Tam tucks into the snowman

Sarah Hudgins’ five-year-old ex-racehorse Dangerous Brian, who is quite happy with the stockings, elf boots and ears (but wasn’t so sure about tinsel…)
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Sarah Hudgins’ five-year-old ex-racehorse Dangerous Brian, who is quite happy with the stockings, elf boots and ears (but wasn’t so sure about tinsel…)

Miss Ellie all dressed up for some Christmas showjumping
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Miss Ellie all dressed up for some Christmas showjumping

Hannah Mansfield’s seven-year-old daughter Elizabeth and her pony Alfie as snowmen at a Christmas show
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Hannah Mansfield’s seven-year-old daughter Elizabeth and her pony Alfie as snowmen at a Christmas show

Elizabeth Kershaw and her pony Boo
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Elizabeth Kershaw and her pony Boo

Sisters Auryn, Breagh and Isla Kirkpatrick — aka Santa, Rudolph and his elves winning Terally Equestrian Centre’s Christmas Show fancy dress
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Sisters Auryn, Breagh and Isla Kirkpatrick — aka Santa, Rudolph and his elves winning Terally Equestrian Centre’s Christmas Show fancy dress

Ashleigh Webster’s five five-year-old Jet, dressed up as a snowflake at an unaffiliated dressage competition, where they won their individual class, team competition and fancy dress
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Ashleigh Webster’s five five-year-old Jet, dressed up as a snowflake at an unaffiliated dressage competition, where they won their individual class, team competition and fancy dress

Annabel Smith’s rescue filly Beauty (right) and Annabel’s sister’s rescue cob Rosie (left)
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Annabel Smith’s rescue filly Beauty (right) and Annabel’s sister’s rescue cob Rosie (left)

Charlotte Quinn’s picture of Santa, Rudolph and Mummy Clause
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Charlotte Quinn’s picture of Santa, Rudolph and Mummy Clause

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Madeleine Silver
Madeleine Silver
Former features editor

A graduate from Durham University, Madeleine joined H&H in 2011 and became Features Editor — producing content across the magazine and website, including the popular inside back cover article ‘The horse that made me’ and the weekly ‘The best of my fun…’ interview. She has written on topics as diverse as hay making and headcams, to hot totty in the horse world and circus horses. Madeleine now works as a freelance feature writer for Country Life, The Telegraph, Horse & Hound, cntraveller.com, The Spectator and The Field, as well as writing obituaries for The Times.