Dress Up a Horse
Horses have played an important role in history. For thousands of years—and around the world—horses have changed how people work, travel, trade goods, play sports, and even wage war.
Throughout time, people have dressed horses in different ways. Depending on the culture, this gear has been used for practical reasons, to reflect status or wealth, or both.
Play with paper cutouts of six riders and styles of horse gear from different world cultures. Just follow the instructions below!
What You'll Need
A Horse
(PDF Download)
6 Styles of Riders and Horse Gear (PDF Download)
What To Do
Print the horse on light cardstock. Then print the six styles of rider and horse gear on regular paper.
Color your horse. Then color each rider and his or her horse gear.
Cut out your horse and each rider and set of horse gear. (Be careful not to cut off the tabs.)
"Dress up" your horse with one style of dress and a matching rider. Just fold the tabs over the horse to attach the pieces.
Now imagine yourself in the rider's stirrups and have fun!
For a different adventure, try a set of horse gear and a rider from another culture.
Think About It
After you've tried out different riders and styles of horse gear, answer these questions:
All illustrations, by Sean Murtha © AMNH