Everyone enjoys gymkhana games and although it's nice to win, it's taking part and trying your best that matters. If you have a few friends with horse or ponies, why not have your own games for fun and as well as enjoying it, its good practice. So take a look at the games I have listed and described below and have fun.
MUSICAL MATS
This game can be played with as many riders as you wish. Ride in a circle around some small mats, there is one less mat than there are riders, when the whistle is blown quickly jump off your horse and get onto a mat whilst keeping hold of your horse at all times, the rider without a mat is out. Now one mat is taken away, continue doing the same until there is only one rider left.
WALK, TROT, RUN
This race requires the rider to start at point 'B'. Start at a walk to point 'A', quickly turn (its easier to have barrels at both points so you can just ride around for a turning point) and trot to point 'B', turn and gallop to point 'A'. First to get there wins.
For the younger ones who need to be led, they walk, trot and then dismount and run back to point 'A' while the leader holds the horse. Again first to get there wins.
BALLOON RACE
This game can be played with individual competitors or as a team.
Quantities of balloons are stuck to a post. From point 'A' you must ride to the post grab one balloon, ride back to point 'A' and give the balloon to your team mate, that rider must then ride to the post and get another balloon, ride back to point 'A' and give both balloons to the next team member. Continue doing this until you have got all the balloons off the post. The first team with all the balloons are the winners. LAUNDRY STAKES
This game requires 4 riders and 2 horses & a basket of washing per team.
From point 'A' the first two riders get onto one horse and ride to point 'B' with the basket of washing, dismount and hang the washing onto a line, then remount and ride back to point 'A' with the empty basket and give it to the other two team members, they, also on one horse ride to point 'B' and pick the washing of the line and get back to point 'A'. The first ones back are the winning team.
POTATO RACE
At point 'A' there is an empty bucket and at point 'B' there is a barrel with two potatoes on top.
The rider must gallop from point 'A' to point 'B' pick up one potato, get back to point 'A' and put it in the bucket then do the same for the second potato. The first one to get the second potato into the bucket is the winner. If the potato does not go into the bucket you must dismount, pickup the potato, remount and try and get the potato in the bucket.
FISHING RACE
Riders require a made up fishing rod (easily made with a wooden pole, string and some wire or coat hook) for this race. At point 'B' there is a bucket containing wooden fish with a hook on top.
Riders must set of from point 'A' and ride to point 'B' where they must hook a fish with their fishing rod while still mounted then get back to point 'A'. The first one back is the winner. If you are playing this game as a team, then you must catch a fish in turn and when the last team member gets back the game is finished. The first team to finish are the winners.
STEPPING STONES
This game requires upside-down buckets to use as stepping-stones.
The rider must ride from point 'A' to point 'B' and dismount, from there they must complete the coarse of stepping stones while leading their horses then remount and ride back to point 'A'. First back wins. |
