“Live in Las Vegas” has been the tagline trailing innumerable outstanding gigs, each susceptible to the wild oddities exclusive to big-stage settings. In 2014, three suited, female string instrumentalists took to the stage, conjuring haunting atmospheres plush with breathtaking cinematics; an ethereal movie soundtrack played to a pin-drop silent crowd. Then, Canadian songstress Shania Twain enters the stage like only a living legend would — trotting out on a majestic, white horse.
You heard The Music Man right: Shania Twain riding a horse on stage. And the horse is just as good a performer as she is! Princely and prestiged, the horse trots elegantly to centre-stage, turns and bows three times with Shania (aged 49) on top, praising it every time. Dressed in a white gown and fluffy robe, the Cinderella vibes are real and as dazzling as Shania’s silky voice, the viral video amassing 37M views on the viral YouTube video to date!
This is one beautiful performance. Singing her 1998 single, “You’re Still The One,” Shania’s vocals are just as lush as the original, despite her long-term battle against Lyme disease which ruined her voice and forced her to re-learn how to sing; a disease ironically caught while Shania was horseback riding in 2003.
Shania’s penchant for horses is no secret. In the run-up to her recent set at Glastonbury Festival 2024, Shania told the tabloids of her hopes of recreating this exact moment for her UK audience — riding a borrowed horse out on the Pyramid Stage before thousands of people. But unsurprisingly, less than two months after five spooked military horses ran loose through central London, her request seems to have been declined.
In April 2020, whilst under COVID-19 lockdown, Shania’s home performance for “ACM Presents: Our Country At Home” saw her sing acoustic renditions of “Honey I’m Home” and “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!” in hilariously close proximity to another white horse who clearly can’t get enough of her; sniffing her guitar and nuzzling her gently while Shania sings, smiling. The Music Man can’t get enough of this clip, especially the shocked expression on the horse’s face just after Shania stops singing! Check it out above.
There’s nothing more stunning than the bond between animals and humans, especially the trust blossoming between Shania and her Las Vegas show horse, who appears utterly content and trustful, unspooked by the flashing lights and huge audience as Shania nurses him with affection and genuine admiration. The horse even follows Shania around as she glides in her flowing, white dress against a snowy, birch forest backdrop; a living Disney vision, with Shania’s lyrical Prince Charming the only thing missing.
If you would like to hear more from this talented artist you can subscribe to their YouTube Channel for more incredible music. Follow Shania Twain on Facebook and Instagram for updates on her latest activities, or visit her official website for more information.