Wedding Horse

 

Walking down to the pier at Exchange to contemplate the river and on the way back I see what looks like a woman dressing a horse. Isn’t clothes horse a euphemism for somebody who buys a lot of clothes. Well, this equine was no nag but a stag named Daniel and he was being outfitted in traditional Indian wedding garb because he was going to be part of a wedding. Hooray for Bollywood!

 

 

The wedding – more than 300 guests they said – was being held at the Hyatt and the horse is part of the ceremony. The owners of the horse have their own company – K.V. Carriage – which provides horses and horse drawn carriages for special occasions like, well like, weddings. Sure it’s ostentatious but why not flaunt it? Apparently the groom rides the horse as part of the nuptials. I didn’t attend the wedding and you can do your own googling to find out more about traditional Indian weddings. The horse handlers also had to get into their own special, matching silk grab, which included a decorative umbrella.

I became fascinated by the garments on the horses. There were layers and sections, blankets on blankets and blinders and a bridle, ankle wraps and even what can only be described as ear gloves, which were slipped over the ears. The steed had lost its dignity long ago but hey, being draped in colorful textiles sure beats the glue factory.

 

 

 

 

The company provides services for other weddings – a horse drawn carriage has become popular apparently and the owner said he had a couple renew their vows wearing civil war era garb – but the traditional Indian weddings have really taken off. Daniel appears in 50 – 60 Indian weddings a year. They make all the garments themselves, there are several patterns, not just the gold and red used here. A lot of research goes into making sure the details are accurate, even the fabric used is the authentic silk (it looked like silk but maybe it was satin). The final look, especially after the handlers were in their costumes, was stunning.

A small crowd of onlookers watch the wedding horse get dressed. Somebody shouted mazel tov as the silken horse and his owners walked into the Hyatt.