Horsey Games?

Question

Our 4H club plays hosts informal games after our shows for young riders. What are some fun riding or ground work games our kids can play? We do red light/green light, egg and spoon, ribbon race and walk/trot 2 man relay. Anything else you can think of?

Answer 1

I personaly like Horsey Tag. I play that with my horse friends all the time. If there is shallow water it's always fun to go and play in that. Horse musical chairs where all the horses are tied up and the last person to find a horse to get on is out. You would have to have a very safe horses to do that though. I've never tried it.

=)

Answer 2

AT our barn, we play a dress up game. You have 1 horse for each team (as many teams as you want) as well as 1 barrel for each team. You place the barrels down at the end of an arena, or sorta far away and fill the barrels with clothes(that should be big on the kids)  like a scarf, a non fancy vest, big boots, gloves, bibs, overalls, a bunch of stuff like that.

Rules are: Everyone (xcept the person who dresses up) takes a turn going down to the barrel (on the horse. keep going {take turns} until all clothes are gone) and getting 1 item and bringing it to the person who will put on the clothes and rides down to the finish line (barrels) once everything is on them. You can do this at the various gaits.

Answer 3

I can think of one more:costume races!

find a lot of old Halloween costumes and have kids grouped into teams and then one at a time race to the end and put on costumes, the first team with all of its members dressed wins!

Answer 4

Broom polo - everyone brings their own broom, you provide a big ball that won't pop if it gets stepped on.

Musical stalls - make stalls out of jump poles in the middle of the arena, everyone goes around them until the music stops

Champagne class - give everyone a "wineglass" (plastic from the dollar store) full of water or pop (nothing that will stain) and have them ride around - whoever has the most left wins

Simon says

Answer 5

http://nzpca.org/new/rules/games.php

You can find about 100 games with rules under NZPCA team mounted games 2006

Here are some of the favorites where I ride:

Musical Stalls: The poles on the jumps are arranged on the ground and the horses trot around them in a circle while music plays. When the music stops, the horses and riders have to get in a "stall". After a horse is elimenated, a stall is removed.

Pepsi Challenge: Riders carry a glass of Pepsi on their horse. As the competition moves on, you walk, trot, and even canter. When the time is up, the riders with the most soda in their cups win.

Sit-a-Buck: (Make sure there are trainers nearby if someone falls off). Riders go on their horses bareback with no chaps. They must keep a dollar bill under their leg at the walk, trot, and canter. The advanced division can also jump low jumps. The last rider with their dollar wins. You can use fake money if you want to.

Pole Bending Race: A race at the walk or trot around an obstacle course to the end of the ring. The first rider to complete the course wins.

Ribbon Pairs: Two riders walk, trot, and canter holding a ribbon between them. The last pair holding the ribbon wins.

Costume Class: Riders dress up themselves and their horses. The categories are "Most Beautiful", "Funniest", and "Most Creative", but you can make up other categories.

Simon Says: "Simon" gives commands (walk, trot, and canter around the ring) and the riders must do it immediately. The last rider remaining wins.

The winners got a jumbo chocolate bar.

Answer 6

With our club we always used to play the potato race where you would have one barrel at both ends of the arena or pen and you would have to pick up the potato (on horseback) and drop it off on the other side, it would become like a relay...

also there is the diaper race where one person with a cloth "diaper" (towel) and some large safety pins would ride down to the other end of the arena where their partner would be sitting... then would have to dismount and put the diaper on their partner over their jeans (fold the towel into a triangle), then they would have to mount again, and the person in the diaper would have to lead the horse and rider back to the other side, all the while keeping the diaper on and not holding it with their hands...

if you have a small space - time each pair since having so many horses may get dangerous... but if there is a lot of room - go for several pairs at once

this game is hysterical to watch!!!

Answer 7

Beyond the ones already mentioned is the Carrot Race.  A carrot is placed on a barrel at the far end of the arena. Riders race down one at a time, dismount, secure their reins, pick up the carrot, and use it to entice the horse back down the length of the area over the finish line. It can be really fun to watch.

Answer 8

www.howrse.com it is so fun.

Answer 9

hi in one of my very first shows we played a game were you were given a letter and timed to see who could run to the mail box get off your horse get back on and run home first.

Another game we would play at my family fun day at my barn was there was a holahoop on one end of the arena and you would run to the holahoop have someone hold your horse spin around 5 times and then have someone help you on your horse and run back to the start.

Answer 10

Pop race (race down to the end of the arena and drink some pop in a cup as fast as you can (someone holds horse), get back on and race back.

2 or 3 man relay race.

Ride-A-Buck...you can use paper if you don't want to use actual dollars.  Dollar bill is placed under knee.  Riders ride bareback and judge calls for gaits (walk, trot, extended trot, lope) and the last person with the dollar gets all of the money!

Feed race (riders bring their own bucket and own grain, then they enter the arena have to go around a barrel or pole at the end of arena without touching the horse.  Some horses will run and chase super fast.  Fastest time wins.  I will caution you that some horses kick up when doing this - I'd suggest recommending that everyone wears helmets!).

4-in-Line:  Four riders come in and weave 4 barrels that go down the center of the arena, then they run around the outside of three barrels and then weave the barrels down the center again.  Barrels down the center are 21 feet apart, barrels on the sides of the triangle are 21 feet from the center barrel and the barrel at the top of the triangle is set appropriate to arena size.  Here's a youtube video of some people doing it that I know (not me) - 5 seconds for each tipped barrel.  http://youtube.com/watch?v=x3deRLYoO_k

It's my favorite event and is SO much fun!

Rescue race and Switch Race - Rescue the rider jumps on behind another person - switch race is a little safer where rider #1 dismounts and rider #2 gets on.

I would suggest that you get a WSCA rule book - it has TONS Of games in it and has very clear directions.  You can purchase one from

WSCA RULE BOOK COMMITTEE

Cindy Ladd

9055 Tiller Ave.

Young America, MN 55397

952-467-2727

I think they cost $5 or 6 with shipping!