Meet Sandra's New Equine Partner...Nico the Friesian!

Photo of Nico taken by his owner Susan McClafferty of Mareish Media. Click here to see more photos on Instagram.

I am BEYOND excited to announce a new horse in my life. Meet Cobus Fan De Hill, also known as ‘Nico’. He is a seven year old, 17 hand Friesian gelding sired by Alwin 469 x Doaitsen 420. My talented, creative friend Susan McCLafferty of Mareish Media purchased him to sponsor my ongoing creative ventures. She is an incredible horsewoman and I am honored that she helped me find the horse of my dreams.

Nico was imported when he was four years old from the Netherlands and has been trained in dressage by Christine Johnston at Iron Horse Farm. She did a fabulous job with him, starting him slow and building a solid foundation. He has shown through Second Level dressage and I look forward to bringing him up through the levels. Can you tell I am in love already?

Please follow Nico the Friesian on Instagram! Click here!

Nico is a very special horse, he has a kind, soulful eye and he is incredibly smart and aware of his surroundings. He is a perfect gentleman and he wants to do a good job. He is sensitive but also calm in nature. I am so excited for our future together and I am hoping that we will create some unique performances to inspire others!

After losing my heart horse Douwe over three years ago I wasn’t sure that I would want another Friesian. I LOVE my boy Rovandio but he is 22 years old this year and starting to slow down in his later years. The stars have aligned and I feel that Nico was brought into my life at just the right time and now I have the knowledge to begin again on a new journey. Please follow Nico on Instagram to stay updated on our journey together.

The Best Holiday Gift ever! Owner Susan Mcclafferty hands off Nico the Friesian to trainer Sandra Beaulieu. Click here to Follow Nico on Instagram.

Add some Sparkle! DIY Glitter for your Horse's Hooves, Mane & Tail!

When I perform with my horse the first thing that everyone notices is all the GLITTER! I particularly love to make Douwe's or Rovandio's hooves gold, silver, or copper, whatever matches our costume. Everyone asks how I get the glitter to stay on so here is my SUPER EASY secret to getting your own "cheap" version of Twinkle Toes!

Douwe's silver hooves at the 2014 Baroque Horse Show where we performed. Photo taken by Karen Lendvay.

What You Need:

• Hoof Polish: I prefer black because it makes the hooves really stand out, but clear will work fine as well.

• GLITTER: You can get glitter in many colors at any craft store, JoAnn Fabric, ACMoore, Hobby Lobby, and Walmart. You can just get the regular craft glitter. The fine glitter works really well for the mane and coat but I like to use the larger glitter for hooves.

• Hairspray: Can of Super Hold hairspray- you can buy this at WalMart, Walgreens, etc...

• Latex Gloves: If you don't want to get the hoof polish on your hands, wear gloves!

• Block of Wood/Broom/Canvas: Something to help keep the area clear of shavings and to protect the floor from being stained by hoof polish.

How to Apply Glitter to the Hooves:

1.  Clean the hoof and leg- just brushing it off will do! Don’t wash the hoof - keep it dry!

2. Sweep the area and/or place the hoof on a piece of wood/cloth if you would like to keep shavings/dirt away from the drying polish.

3. Apply the hoof polish to one hoof at a time.

4. Sprinkle on the glitter immediately after you apply the hoof polish while it is still wet.

5. Wait until the polish dries, it doesn't take very long, maybe 10 minutes and you are ready to ride!

Stand on a flat, clean surface for best results. put something underneath the hoof if you are not allowed to get polish on the floor.

apply the glitter when the hoof polish is still wet.

How to Apply Glitter to the Mane/Tail/Coat:

1.  Groom your horse first! Do Not use Show Sheen or the glitter will not stick.

2. Have someone hold your horse while you spray, some horses don't like the sound of the hairspray, be careful!

3. Spray and Sprinkle - With the glitter in one hand and the hairspray in the other, spray a section of the horse and then sprinkle on the glitter.

4. Repeat! I usually spray, sprinkle, and then spray again over the glitter to get it to stay.

5. Re-apply as Needed -The horse may shake his head after you are done, that is why we put on a lot of glitter! We usually keep in mind that half of it will fall off once the horse shakes or the skirts rub it off.

Having way too much fun at the Equine Affaire! Elisha Harvey and Hannah French were my assistants/grooms for the event and they made a great glitter team! Here you can see how much glitter they put in Douwe's mane!

Elisha Harvey is one of Douwe's glitter grooms! Here she is adding more hairspray to his tail to help hold the glitter in....you can also see that she put glitter on his feathers!

And you are done!

I would love to see photos of your horse all sparkly! You can email them to me at beginthedance@gmail.com or tag me on Facebook or Instagram. Have fun!

Here you can see Douwe all glittered during a performance at the Equine Affaire.

Learn More about Fantasy Photo Shoots with your Horse

Fantasy Photo Shoot with Your Horse - Costumes

$7.00

Fantasy Photo Shoots with Your Horse - Hair & Makeup

$7.00

Fantasy Photo Shoots with your Horse - Horse Tack

$7.00

How to Add a Treat Pouch to Your Costume {For Horseback Riders}

I have been performing with horses for many years. I use treats as positive reinforcement in my training. Over the years I have tried to come up with clever ways to use treats during my performances without the treat bag looking frumpy or drawing attention. I have decorated old fanny packs and handbags that I have found at thrift stores, and used treat pouches designed for horseback riders. Most of them worked pretty well but they would either slide around on a belt, be too wide at the top and the treats would fall out, or they just felt bulky and in my way. This is my solution to the treat dilemma!

What You Need: 

• A Canvas Bag (I bought mine at Hobby Lobby)

• Your Corset (or you could use a wide belt)

• Decorative Trim/Tassels

• Scissors

• Hot Glue Gun & Extra Glue

• Decorative Buttons or Pendants (optional)

• Fabric Spray/Glitter (optional)

Watch Video for Step-by-Step Instructions:

Do you love being creative with your horse?

Download the First Chapter of my new Fantasy Photo Shoots E-Book today!
Or you can go ahead and purchase the E-Book to get started right away.

How to Decorate Your Horse's Bridle {Ribbon Browband Tutorial}

When I am performing I get asked a lot of questions...not just about riding, but more often the questions are related to my costumes and my horse's tack. I started performing when I was a teenager in the Isaac Royal Equestrian Theater. We put on a two hour long performance jam-packed with quadrilles, single routines, plays on horseback, and dancers. My fellow riders and I were in many routines so we learned how to change costumes QUICKLY and doll up our tack on a budget. 

Purchasing a fancy new bridle for a one-time photo shoot, performance, parade, or wedding can be expensive. This DIY project will help add some color, bling, and accessories to your horse's bridle. You can use this same browband technique on the noseband for a more dramatic effect. 

What You Need: 

• Your Bridle (You will not be gluing directly to the bridle so it won't ruin it.)
• Satin Ribbon 
• Decorative Trim
• Scissors
• Hot Glue Gun & Extra Glue
• Decorative Buttons or Pendants (optional)
• Wire Flowers (optional)
• Fake Flowers (optional)

Watch Video for Step-by-Step Instructions:

Do you love being creative with your horse?

Download the First Chapter of my new Fantasy Photo Shoots E-Book today!
Or you can go ahead and purchase the E-Book to get started right away.

Sandra & Douwe - Friesian Breed Demos - 2016 Equine Affaire

"Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul.
Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal."
                          - Mother Theresa

I was very proud of Douwe's performance in the Coliseum. He can get excited with larger audiences but he focused well and stole the show with his kisses, smiles, and wiggles. We also rode in the Mallory South building and he did well, but was not as relaxed. There isn't a proper warmup for the Mallory South building and waiting outside on the pavement isn't ideal for the horses to stay relaxed. I would like to extend a big THANK YOU to Danielle Barrasso for organizing the breed demos and for letting me stable with her in C-Barn. Enjoy this video of Douwe in the Friesian breed demos!

"Outlander" Inspired Routine - Bitless, Bridleless, and at Liberty

I love watching the Outlander TV series and adore the soundtrack. The songs are dramatic, beautiful, and have a light-hearted quality that fits Douwe's personality really well. Douwe injured his knee a month before this event and I barely had a chance to ride him the week of the show. I brought Rovandio with us as a backup and ended up performing both of them and they felt great. I tend to be more creative on a deadline so I found myself putting together a brand new routine just days before the show, editing the music and pulling together a costume from my collection. I am so happy with how the routine turned out and Douwe really enjoyed himself. We even popped in a few tempi changes even though we haven't practiced those in months! The music gives me goosebumps to ride to and I am looking forward to the next time I can perform this routine. 

Roxie Hart Jazz Routine at the Equine Affaire - Enjoy this fun & sassy routine!

"Mmmm, I'm a star!
And the audience loves me!
And I love them
And they love me for loving them
And I love them for loving me
And we love each other..."
                                                                        - Lyrics from "Roxie Hart" from Chicago

Who can't help but love this song!! It is so sassy and fun to ride to. This year I was given a solo spot in the Andalusian demo with Rovandio and I thought what the heck! It was the perfect opportunity to try something fun that the audience would enjoy. I wanted to highlight Rovandio's amazing personality and rideability. He loves the audience and enters into that electric atmosphere as calm and collected as he can be. It is hard to see me lip synching and playing to the audience but I am sure you can see how much fun I had riding this routine with Rovandio.  Enjoy!

Awesome Website for Costume Corsets

Would you like to dress up with your horse? Need a corset for your costume? I found this website last fall and have ordered at least 3 corsets from them already. Their steel boned corsets are really high quality and I love the way they look. The only downside to a steel-boned corset is they are impossible to get into by yourself! You need someone to help lace you in and it can be quite an ordeal! They also have corsets for every budget and sell different styles like steampunk (my favorite!) and burlesque. Check them out, I highly recommend this website!! Here are a few photos of the corsets I have purchased from them and incorporated into recent costumes. Elisha Harvey is also wearing a corset from their website (in the first photo).

Check out their website: http://www.corset-story.com/

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