It was a spectacle worthy of Las Vegas, as the Las Vegas Strip was shut down for a short time on Nov. 14, 2012 to welcome Shania Twain to Caesars Palace.

Throngs of Twain’s ardent fans lining The Strip were treated to a once-in-a-lifetime scene: Dozens of horses paraded up Las Vegas Boulevard, delivering the singer to the fountains at Caesars Palace.

The record-breaking recording artist begins at two-year residency at Caesars Palace on Dec. 1, 2012. Twain joins other renowned performers who regularly appear at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, including Celine Dion, Elton John, Jerry Seinfeld, Rod Stewart and other luminaries. Learn more.

The jaw-dropping welcome event was seven months in the making, and we slipped behind the scenes for a look at the staging area at Caesars Palace where the horses got to shake off their pre-show jitters.

The horses were treated like royalty, including ample room to frolic leading up to their debut on The Strip. In case you wondered, the cowboys didn’t frolic too much.

And, yes, there were cowgirls! But it’s like craps in a casino. There are female “stickmen,” too. Is this really the time and place to have a meaningful discussion about this issue? Moving on to the cowpersons!

Shania Twain’s horse (below), named El Alcazar, is an Andalusian gelding, whatever that might actually be.

Make that two divas coming to Caesars Palace!

Our favorite cowpoke accessory of the day?

Thanks so much for asking.

Close to a dozen seasoned cowboys ensured Twain’s dramatic entrance was safe for equines and spectators alike, moving the approximately 30 horses (40 if you include the ones they were riding) from their make-shift pens to Flamingo Boulevard, around a corner to Las Vegas Boulevard, and back again, without incident.

The horses seemed to take the hoopla in stride, at one point turning toward Shania Twain (below), appearing to ask, “Does the craft services table include carrots?” Or something equally horse-like, we assume.

After her quick ride, Twain made some heartfelt remarks to the crowd, reflecting her obvious love of horses and riding. She said, “It’s a pleasure to be able to ride in here on my welcome day on a horse, one of my favorite things to do.”

She then went on to talk about how personal her show, “Shania: Still the One,” is and how excited she is to share it with her enthusiastic fans.

Oh, we’ll just let her say it.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYBEn9DOk74

Shania Twain is the world’s best-selling female country artist of all time, has sold 75 million albums worldwide, and recently got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Perhaps eclipsing all those accomplishments, she also has the distinction of being one of this blog’s lifelong celebrity crushes. Which we should probably keep to ourselves, but this Las Vegas blog doesn’t live by society’s rules.

Congratulations to everyone, two-legged and four, who made Shania Twain’s arrival at Caesars Palace so utterly unforgettable! Visit the official ShaniainVegas.com site for ticket information, or snag tickets at Ticketmaster.com.

Check out our exclusive photo gallery for more insider eye candy from Shania Twain’s only-in-Vegas-scale welcome celebration.