What is gaming and gymkhana...?

Question

Hi, so i am going to get more into shows this year and I was looking at some show sign up lists and found classes for gymkhana. What exactly is it? Are there always the same games? How do you know how to do them ( i mean the patterns? Could my 20 year old horse do it? or is it for younger horses ( yeah my horse is in great shape, i am just asking in general) are there older horses in these classes or would i look stupid?

Oh i have a really stupid question to ask, please dont laugh: how do you pronounce gymkhana?

thank you everyone!!

Answer 1

Gym-Con-Ah

And Basic Gymkhan games are pole bending, barrel racing, and key hole, as long as your horse is in good shape he could.  But its hard.  Have to have speed and tight turns.  Good LUCK

EDIT:::

I know smaller shows advertise Gymkhanas as just games on horse back, some I know of are

Dolly PArton

Catolog race

Donut Race

Trotting Race

Suitcase race

Dizzy bat-not the safest game looking back now

Bribe your horse etc.

Answer 2

Gymkhana is pronounced gym-kana by most people.

A gymkhana event is a games show. The games change but there are a few that are pretty mainstream. Ride a buck and egg and spoon are at pretty much every event. The games roster will typically come with a paper explaining the classes. If it doesn't, then call the people who are running the show and get the info e-mailed or told to you. Most of the time they announce the event then say the pattern before anyone goes. Worst case senerio: refuse to go in first and watch a few runs. Any age horse can compete an experienced horse is the best mount. I would take a knowledgeable but slow 20 year old over a stupid but fast 8 year old any day for these events. Precision is going to win before straight speed in most classes. The competitiveness depends on the show. I have been to one where there were polo horses and barrel racers competing. Obviously the horses and riders who were there for fun were not placing well. Other ones though, are laid back and less competitive.

I would just go and see how it is. I love these events because its just a chance to get away from the usual and play games with my horse. I could swear my TB Jazz is just a competitive as I am. He loves game shows

Key hole: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAMPAxItL...

Poles, barrels or chalk are used to mark out a circle with an entry point. Its roughly shaped like a keyhole. The event begins when the horse and rider crosses the timing line. The team enters the keyhole at a gallop, then turns in either direction inside the keyhole's circle without stepping over the chalk.

EDIT: Common games

Ride a buck- you ride bareback with a dollar bill under your leg, and the leg person to lose theirs wins all the money

Chase me charlie- jump is set up and everyone goes over it. Refusals, runouts and hits get you out. The jump is raised in 3" increments till there is only one rider left

Potato race - three barrels set up. You run around the outside of the barrels. You pick up the potato from the first barrel and drop in in a bucket on the third one. Fastest wins

flag race: same at potato but with a flag

handy horse: gallop around a marked off part of the ring, halt in a chalk box and stand for 5 seconds. Whistel is blown by judge when the 5 seconds is up. Fastest wins

potato sack race: This is a pony club little kid race. Run pony down to sack. Get in and race to finish line while leading pony.

key hole: above

western barrels - this is either normal barrels or just running around the outside of the pattern. fastest wins

poles - normal poles

Go-Go Race- nine poles are set up in rows of three. There is typically 4-5 feet between the rows. Run the horse up one side, turn and run them back down the other side. Fastest wins

Egg and Spoon: same as normal egg and spoon but on horses

stake race (my favorite): a single stake or barrel is set up at one end of the arena and the goal is to be the fastest around it. This one was REALLY competitive because it was just straight speed with a single turn. I have a fun story with this one....

There are a lot of other events that people come up with but these are fairly common

Answer 3

jim car na

These are games played in tems. Basically it's done on ponies with fast runs and quick turns. e.g 1st rider gallops to a bucket, picks out a ball, gallops to next rider, hand over the ball, she will gallop to the bucket, put the ball in it and gallop to finish line where the 2nd rider does the same...........and so on until all riders have finished and the balls are counted. Sometimes there is a lot of dismounting and getting back on so a little pony is ideal for these games

Answer 4

ALL THE OBSTICLES AT THE GYMKANA'S ARE DIFFERENT, SOME SHOWS THEY ARE ALOT HARDER THAN OTHERS WITH ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT THINGS IN THEM, A HORSE OF 20 SHOULD BE IDEAL FOR THIS TYPE OF CLASS AND 20 IS NOT TOO OLD TO DO A GYMKANA INFACT YOUR HORSE IF PROBABLY AN IDEAL AGE TO DO IT AS A HORSE AT 20 REALLY SHOULDNT BE FRIGHTENED OF ANY OF THE STAGES AS LONG AS UR PONY ISNT TOTALLY UNFIT. HORSES OF ALL AGES DO THE GYMKANA'S BUT IF YOU ASK AT THE SHOW THERE MIGHT POSSIBLY BE A VETERAN CLASS  

Answer 5

Gaming is the East Coast version of Gymkana.

The classes include:

Cloverleaf Barrel Racing

California Speed Barrels (Three barrels in a straight line, kinda like pole bending.).

Pole Bending (5 poles that you zig zag around.)

Key hole  

Chase Me Charley or Barnyard Jumping

Australian Pursuit (Trot race)

The rest are added as they are thought of.