Halloween Puppy Costume - Horse & Jockey

It's Halloween costume time for the dogs again & this time I have a puppy! I wanted to make a costume for Dexter that I could attach a leash to, not be difficult to wear and we out of chewing range. I fell in love with the "jockey" costumes that I have seen online, but I didn't want to pay the $30+ dollars that they cost.

This costume was fairly easy to make and it took me a little over an hour to complete.

If you would like to see more pet related tutorials, come by my blog for a visit

Step 1: Tools and Supplies

This costume cost me around $5 to make. Most of the materials I had at home. I bought the dog harness at the dollar store & got the Beanie baby at a thrift store.

To make this costume, you will need; a dog harness, a soft toy that has posable arms & legs (and a hat if possible), red & brown felt, shiny red fabric, black & white Vet Wrap (self-adhesive animal bandage), a china marker, a magic marker, scissors, needle & thread, a measuring tape and a hot glue gun.

Step 2: Fitting the Harness

Put the harness on your dog. Take the china marker and make marks approximately half way on your dogs shoulder.

Step 3: Making the Saddle Pad

Lay the harness flat and measure the length and width between the marks. You want a little overlap over the back strap of the harness, so add an inch or two

Use the marker to trace out the dimensions. Cut out the saddle pad piece with scissors.

Step 4: Making the Saddle

Fold the brown felt in half and trace out a size appropriate saddle shape. You might have to trim your shape down a few times until it fits on the saddle pad.

Step 5: Assembling the Saddle & Pad

Place the saddle shape onto the pad. Use the magic marker to make a few marks, under the saddle, to use as a guide for hot glue placement. Use the hot glue to trace the marked area. Put the saddle shape onto the hot glue and press firmly. Behind the saddle shape, use the magic marker to write a number.

Step 6: Attaching the Saddle & Pad to the Harness

To attach the saddle & pad to the harness, place generous strips of hot glue along the straps of the harness. Now the first part of the costume is finished!

Step 7: Preparing the Doll

Cut all clothing and accessories off of the doll.

Step 8: Making the Pants

Cut the white Vet Wrap into small strips. Half way up the legs of the doll, wrap the vet wrap around the legs. This is a totally lazy way of making pants for the doll since Vet Wrap sticks to itself. If you want to sew pants for the doll, go ahead!


Wrap the Vet Wrap around the midsection of the doll until no fabric is showing. The doll now looks like he is wearing riding breeches!

Step 9: Making the Boots

Cut small strips of the black Vet Wrap and wrap around the lower leg of the doll. Make sure that the black wrap lays over the white wrap to give a finished appearance.


Take the magic marker and colour in the shoes to give the appearance of the doll having tall riding boots.

Step 10: Making the Shirt

Take a rectangle of the shiny fabric, fold it in half and cut a semi-circle in the middle of the fold. Place the doll’s head through the hole.


Locate the armpit of the doll. Cut the front of the fabric, stopping about 1/2″ below the doll’s arm.


Flip the doll over. Hot glue the strip of fabric to the doll’s arm and trim the excess.


Turn the doll back over. Cut the fabric from the back of the shirt about 1/2″ below the underside of the arm. Hot glue the fabric to the arm and trim excess fabric. Repeat for the other arm.


Fold the back sides of fabric to the front of the doll and hot glue down. Trim any excess fabric.

Step 11: Finishing the Doll

With the magic marker, colour the hat black & you’re done! Using the needle and thread, sew the hat to the doll’s head. You now have a jockey for your dog!

Step 12: Securing the Doll to the Harness

Center the saddle pad between the legs of the doll and arrange the legs the way that you would like. Using the needle & thread, stitch the doll’s legs to the saddle pad.

If you want to get industrial strong, you can punch small holes in the fabric and use zip ties to secure the doll to the harness

Step 13: Admire Your Work!

This is the best picture that I could get. Young squirmy puppies are not the best subject to photograph.We did lose the hat during the photo shoot because I didn't sew it down.

Have fun making this costume for your pup!