Parading Shires - Part 4 of 4

This will be the final blog installment of the beautiful horses in the beautiful parade on a beautiful day . . .


making their way down the 6 mile trek. . .


and if you look very closely, you'll see Gabby's crystal blue right eye (above) . . .

as well as the cheerful "Men in White" handling the poop patrol following close behind!

I would be remiss in not mentioning the entry from West Covina that showcased the Tuskegee Airmen. There were 15 veterans from the original World War II fighter group of African American military men. It was a sight to behold to see everyone in the stands jump to their feet to honor of these brave men.

At the end of the parade, everyone was very happy to lighten their loads . . .

and rest their weary feet.

The horses had worked up a sweat, and seemed relieved to be back home at their camp on the expressway . . .

while the riders were relieved to dismount for the first time in many hours. . .

enabling their horses to "belly up to the bar" for a nice, long well-deserved drink . . .

while others said their goodbyes, making promises to do it all over again next year.

Thank you, Shire Riders, for your beautiful presentation, all your efforts, and especially for sharing your horses with millions of viewers across the country. . . and you too, Judy, for sharing your terrific photographs so that we could, in turn, share with our followers on this blog.

The End.

Parading Shires - Part 3

The day breaks, caffeine is ingested, and everyone is all dressed up. . . and the wait is on. Kameo and Judy's youngster, Gabby, in her high stockings, are the early birds, ready to go.

Meet Big John. . .

. . . and I believe this is Lady, but stand to be corrected . . .

. . . and Annie . . .

Everyone is all lined up, and ready to begin the six mile walk. . .

The last member in line is Nemo, a Haflinger pony that normally dresses in Shire costume, complete with white feather, to help promote the breed and support his buddy, John.

Parading Shires - Part 2

Judy comes through again for sharing her photos with the FDF bloggers. She traveled with the Shire Riders, camped on the closed expressway with the horses, and was present to document the preparation and detail required to participate in one of the most beautiful parades in the world.


Only real flowers, produce and other organic material are utilized for float decorations, and the horses are not excluded in the decorations.





Preparations begin very early in the morning, as the parade begins at 8:00 a.m.

Manes need to braided, incorporating the live flowers and other decoration into the mane roll which consists of two different color pieces of fabric that is worked into the braid.


Because the horses are so tall, braiding benches are utilized to make sure that the person doing the braiding is looking down at the top of the horse's neck so that the mane roll is straight, uniform and tight. Easier said than done, I still need to learn and master this artform.


Along with this, tails are brushed and decorated, hooves are polished, the long hair on the horse's legs (feather) need to be clean and fluffy . . .


and let's not forget the sparkly butt decorations . . .


Dawn hits, horses are almost ready, and it's time to go get some coffee before the riders get into their proper attire. As you can see, the folks above the expressway are already headed to the stands. . . .

Parading Shires - Part 1 of 4

Our personal thanks go out to the Shire Riders, a group of fine equestrians in California who place their horses "front and center" in the public eye as often as possible. I, for one, get chills seeing my very favorite breed decked out and presented in all their finery for all the world to see -- even if only for a brief televised moment.

This blog post is the first installment of a few due to the fact that we have been provided a back stage pass to the Tournament of Roses Parade . . .

But, even before the parade, there is an Equestfest in Los Angeles to showcase the participating horse groups in the Rose Parade, which was founded by the Valley Hunt Club back in the 1800s. In honor of the Club, horses have always been a large integral part of this parade, and for 2010, I believe it was reported that 20 groups were presented.

Here is a video of Equestfest (which I believe was broadcasted on RFD-TV, but missed it) and yep, the Shire Riders didn't disappoint in this event as well. At least you'll get a glimpse of the costuming and beautiful tack worn, especially on the Appaloosas.

Renaissance Shires

In the freezing Georgia weather, thoughts meander to the celebration of warmer days of past summers spent in the forests of Maryland and Pennsylvania. I miss going to Renaissance Faires.

We would watch jousting Knights on their Shires and Clydesdales, all the while enjoying late Elizabethan period costumes, soaking in all the sights with a smoked turkey drummer in hand, attending plays, witnessing fencing duels, all while sampling Meade. We would also knock out half our Christmas shopping obtaining very cool and unusual gifts from the talented artists on hand selling their wares.

The feeling you have when you set foot in the enchanted forest, seeing properly attired Lords and Ladies, Earls, Sir Priests among Sirrahs, Knights in shining armor, and their magnificent horses -- (oh those horses!), your imagination takes you right back to the day you believed in fairy tales with no worries.

First Draught Farm's friend, Judy, gives FDF 's blog and its followers several photographs of fellow west coast Shire owners celebrating A Day of Medieval California in a wildlife refuge in Norco, California. These gals are a part of the troupe called The Shire Riders who ride together to promote the Shire Draft Horse. They participate in numerous parades, including the Tournament of Roses (where you might have recently seen them) and expos such as Equestfest.

This post should warm your winter hearts . . . and hopefully spark some fondness for the beautiful Shire Horse. One of our purposes here at First Draught Farm is to cultivate interest and exposure to the Shire Horse, whose population numbers remain in the Critical Level in the U.S. (American Livestock Breeds Conservancy), and At Risk in the U.K. (Rare Breeds Survival Trust).

Meet Barb & Kameo

And Marsha on April . . .

And Jena on John.

In the spirit of the moment, I quote Geoffrey Chaucer (c.1343 - 1400)
From Canterbury Tales:

"And what is better than wisedoom (wisdom)? Woman.
And what is better than a good woman? Nothing."

Another reason to revel in the Renaissance Era . . . .