Horseshoe Diaries

Horseback Games

Do you ever get tired of doing the same old thing with your horse? Well maybe it’s time to switch it up a little. The key to having fun with your horse is in fact horseback games! These fun little activities are great for having camps with small children or if you just want to find another way to get closer and more comfortable with your horse. All of these horseback riding games can be played with only bridles, but if you’re unsure maybe saddles is a good idea. Better safe than sorry!

Musical Pylons:

This is one of my favourite games that I’ve been playing since I was a little kid. A series of pylons are set up about 2 meters apart around a 20 meter circle. In the middle of the circle there are as many pylons as there are players (usually about 5 or 6) with a softball or a tennis ball on top of each one. There are two children per pony and they each take turns riding. When the music starts, the horses walk around the circle of pylons with one person riding and the other person leading. As the music stops, the person riding must dismount while the person leading holds the horse for them. They run to the middle of the circle and try to get a ball; it is good to have 1 or 2 practices at the beginning of the game. After each turn the 2 teammates switch spots and 1 ball is taken away. If a person doesn’t get to a ball in time then their team is out. The last team remaining is then the winner.

Ride a Buck:

This one is great as one of the horseback games because it can be played with as many people as you want, as long as the ring is big enough. There is 1 person for each horse and they must get up and have a piece of paper placed inside of their thigh between their leg and the horse’s side. It is best to write the person’s name on the paper to avoid confusion. The object of this horseback riding game is to keep the paper under your leg for as long as possible. To make the game tricky, kids should be made to do interesting things while still trying to keep their paper in place, such as trotting, halting, touching their horse’s ears or tail, trying to kick a ball off of a pylon, etc. The last person to still have their paper wins.

Bridge and Tunnel:

Yet another one of the games on horseback which requires music, to make it even more fun you should put together a mix of songs that everyone can enjoy. For this game use a 20 meter circle and set up on one side two adjacent rows of about 6 or 7 pylons and that will be known as the bridge. On the other side, set up two trot poles about 1 meter apart and that will be the tunnel. If you wish to lengthen the tunnel then use 2 more poles. Once again there should be one person per horse and about 5 or 6 horses should be used. The horses should walk on the 20 meter circle going in and out of the bridge and the tunnel while the music plays. When the music is stopped the caller who isn’t looking can call out “bridge”, “tunnel”, or “bridge and tunnel”. If any horse and rider is stopped in the structure that is called, then they are out. To make it even more challenging for more experienced riders, the horses should be made to trot!

Horseback games are incredibly fun at any age on any occasion, so forget about your usual training for a day and have some stress-free fun with your horse. Play away!

-Carly