NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — With the Carnival parades starting soon, Cascade Stables in Uptown New Orleans is getting ready!
You’ll see their horses in a lot of parades, but one horse, in particular, is known as “The Captain’s Horse.” That’s the horse that will lead six major parades.
These hoofs were made for walking, and that’s just what they’ll do … this Mardi Gras!
Mystic the horse is a white Tennessee walking horse. Cascade Stables got Mystic last year.
Mystic’s job is strictly to be the lead horse in all the Mardi Gras parades
Mystic the Mardi Gras horse is 10-years old and lives at Cascade Stables. Year-round he lives a leisurely life, but Mardi Gras is when he reports for Mardi Gras duty.
Barbe Smith, owner of Cascade Stables said, “The captains of all the Krewes are the ones who ride Mystic. Mystic is the first horse in the parade. This year he’ll lead, Chaos, Endymion, Krewe d’Etat, Bacchus, Proteus, and Rex.
This will be Mystic’s second year marching for Carnival.
“Last year in his first parade he was a little nervous, but as the parades went on, we could tell he really enjoyed doing it,” Scooter Scheurich at Cascade Stables said.
Mystic is now part of a long tradition of Mardi Gras horses. Previously, 30-year old, General de Gualle the horse led the parades until he passed away last year.
“When Mardi Gras started, horses were the main mode of transportation. They had horses pulling the floats,” Scheurich said.
Mystic is given the royal treatment to get him ready. They braid his tail and mane and put gold ribbons on him. They also paint his hoofs gold and he wears a cape.
Folks watching the parades are in awe of Mystic’s parade powers.
“A lot of people want to run up and touch him. Everyone wants to say that they’ve touched the Captain’s horse,” Avery Bul at Cascade Stables said.
Mystic knows it’s going to be a busy Carnival, so until then he’ll eat, play in the mud, and have some fun in the sun.
Cascade Stables offers riding lessons and trail rides. Cascade Stables took over the lease for Audubon Park Stables who always supplied the parade horses. When they took over the lease, they took over the Mardi Gras parade responsibilities too.