Mobile, Ala. — The City of Mobile will host a free horse rider training class on Saturday, Jan. 10, to help ensure the safety of horses, riders, and revelers during the upcoming Carnival season.

This free training is intended for horse owners who plan to ride in 2026 Mardi Gras parades and have not completed a certified ridership course within the last year. The training will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the former Mobile Police Department horse barn, located at 1251 Virginia Street.

Under the rules for horse riding during parades in Mobile, riders who own and regularly ride their horses are only required to go through training every three years. Those who rent horses and do not ride regularly are required to undergo basic ridership training annually. Please note that training is typically provided by the horse vendor working with each parading organization. For questions, email Animal Control Supervisor Michael Crabtree at michael.crabtree@cityofmobile.gov.

The training event on Jan. 10 will focus on rider training and will not include veterinary evaluations. During the 2026 Carnival season, City of Mobile Animal Control Officers will evaluate horses prior to each parade using nationally recognized health standards. This will help ensure that every horse is healthy enough to participate and that each rider is an appropriate weight. This updated process replaces a previous requirement to show proof of a prior veterinary examination.

However, horse owners and vendors are still required to provide a current negative Coggins test with complete identifying information for each horse, including its veterinarian of record and recent photographs. Records can be submitted through Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, in person at 855 Owens Street or via email to michael.crabtree@cityofmobile.gov. Participating horses must also be vaccinated for rabies, tetanus, equine encephalitis, West Nile virus, equine rhinopneumonitis, and equine influenza.

Animal Services staff will continue to coordinate closely with parading organizations, stable owners, and law enforcement to ensure all animals and riders meet safety requirements before and during each parade. Horses that do not meet policy standards may be removed from the route at any time.

To view the complete 2026 Horse Policy for Mardi Gras parades, visit the City of Mobile’s Mardi Gras Dashboard at https://link.edgepilot.com/s/b0a75867/aWpwo4bgvUmDcXnbIP30Mg?u=http://www.cityofmobile.org/mardigras/.