Tonight’s the night that ghosts and ghouls come out to play and it’s going to be scarily good this year, I can feel it in my bones. So whether you’re spending the evening trick or treating in a fang-tastic skeleton costume, or simply cleaning your tack, we’ve picked out a monster mash of our favourite howling horsey halloween costumes to enjoy.
From headless horsemen to a pint-sized palomino witch, equestrians really know how to do Halloween in style.
Witch-ing you a happy Halloween
It was love at first bite when we saw pint-sized Paradise (pictured top) all dressed up for Halloween. Billy-Jo Howe’s “sweet Shetland” has been casting a friendly spell on the pupils of Penstone Learning Centre in Cheddar, Somerset, and, as you can see, the cutest witch of all was hauntingly happy to pose for the camera.
Paradise the Shetland pony dressed up in her Halloween costume.
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“She always neighs at me when I see her,” says Billy-Jo. “Paradise has been at school for a few months and enjoys everything we get up to in the field.”
The headless horseman of Hyde Park Stables…
If you’re out and about in London on 31 October, beware! Because there’s definitely something strange going on in your neigh-bourhood. The headless horseman (AKA Ryan O’Connor) was last seen departing Hyde Park Stables on Tuesday morning and we know he enjoys a ghoulish gallop round Hyde Park, but does he have the guts to race down Rotten Row? The fang-tastic team at the Bathurst Mews stables will also be welcoming trick or treaters until 7.30pm.
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…also seen head-ing out on a Northamptonshire pumpkin trail
Giving the local children knightmares at Halloween are Northamptonshire-based Hannah Leslie and her boo-tiful gelding Kobi. When the village school organised a pumpkin trail for the kids, Hannah “offered to dress up as the headless horseman and ride around and chase them!”
The youngsters absolutely loved this inventive Halloween costume and Kobi, who is also used for historical reenactments, seemed totally blasé about the fact his owner had lost a vital body part.
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“He’s very much of the kind ‘What’s mother doing this time?’” says Hannah.
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A Halloween costume to lift the spirits
Frighteningly cute Felicity Fairweather, who is seven years old, fully embraced Halloween with her pony Joey at a Heythrop Pony Club jumping show last week.
Felicity and Joey embracing all things Halloween
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There’s room on the broom with this Halloween costume
We all know that traditional broomsticks are completely useless around the yard so of course horsey witches travel on a much more practical brush – that way, you can finish sweeping the yard while waiting for your cauldron to boil. Cackling her way out of Hyde Park Stables in a shockingly good Halloween costume is Irina Christal, ready to cast her spell on the streets of London. If you’ve got it, haunt it.
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You’ve ghost to be kidding me
A spellbinding array of hauntingly good characters come out to play for Wellington Riding’s annual Halloween costume contest and on Sunday we saw everything from Willy Wonka to the Tooth Fairy emerging from the shadows to enjoy a witching hour in the jumping ring. Ghouls just want to have fun.
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Broom-mates
We were bam-boo-zled by this atmospheric shot of the bewitching Yvonne Mason and her lovely horse Hunter, who were practising for a themed dressage outing, although we think they look fully prepared for a spot of trick or treating. That’s dead-ication for you.
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Carving out some cutting-edge halloween costumes
If you go down to the woods today… (Sherwood Forest to be precise…) you’ll certainly have pumpkin to talk about because this dynamic duo of the bone-tingling skeleton (Michelle Bennett Ross on Leila) and dead-brilliant pumpkin (Emma Brealey on Bella) have been getting into the Halloween spirit with these inventive outfits. We’re starting a fang-club for these two, they’re too ghoul for school.
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Have you been inspired to get into the Halloween spirit and really up your costume game for tonight’s trick or treating? Send us your pictures and have a devilishly good evening, however you spend it, mwah ha ha ha…
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Jennifer is passionate at showjumping and her role as H&H’s showjumping editor has taken her around the world reporting from shows and interviewing riders, connections and those involved behind the scenes. Since joining H&H from BBC Sport in 2005, she has written on every subject across the equestrian sphere — from turnout rugs to stable management — and has interviewed gold medallists, world champions and winners galore. She also has first-hand experience of working in the equestrian industry as a riding instructor and yard manager.
