Spooky skeleton horses bring joy to Lake District village on Halloween

The Friesian Experience brought joy to many when they celebrated the spooky season by dressing up and taking a trip into Cartmel.

(Image: Tracey Alexander) Two of the Friesian horses, called Doutzen and Ysbrand, were transformed using chalk paint to create a skeleton design.

They were joined by the farm’s ‘wanna-be Friesian’, Mr. JB the Shetland pony.

(Image: Tracey Alexander) Director and founder of The Friesian Experience Tracey Alexander dressed up as a headless horsewoman alongside Jodie Swan.

(Image: Tracey Alexander) They were accompanied by Liesa Ficeto as the Grim Reaper, Ann Highton and Hazel Barclay-Smith as wicked witches and Tracey’s son Bailey, who had turned himself into a gruesome zombie, with special makeup from one of their American supporters.

Tracey said: “It was actually a bit of a last-minute decision to do something in the village for Halloween but I’m so glad we did. We used chalk paint, which luckily held up well in the damp weather!”

(Image: Tracey Alexander) Last time The Friesian Experience celebrated Halloween in Cartmel was during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“After a busy year of fundraising to improve the horses’ facilities at the sanctuary, and the sadness of losing Wybren, our beloved “Bear”, back in July, it felt like the perfect time to create something a little different and bring a few more Friesian smiles to people’s faces, both in Cartmel and beyond,” Tracey said.

Read more about the sanctuary’s fundraising efforts here.

(Image: Tracey Alexander) “My favourite part was watching the video footage afterward, as it gave us a much better sense of the impact it had on everyone lucky enough to be in the village that afternoon.”

Tracey said the well-loved black horses will not be making an appearance this December.

“While we’ve traditionally brought the horses to Cartmel over the last 15 years for the Christmas season, we’re taking a break this year,” she said.

Read more about why Christmas in Cartmel has been cancelled.

“With no official “Christmas in Cartmel” event, we’ve decided to rest up and plan something special for Christmas 2025. I know this will be disappointing for some, but we’ll be back with even more festive cheer in the future.”

The Westmorland Gazette | North Lancs