Individual: Walk and trot
Associated sport: Equestrian
Indoor-friendly: Yes
Pool-friendly: No
Game description
Activities and various obstacles are set up over a course. Using riding aids (actions and sounds) a player must ride their horse around the course completing the activities.
What you need (setting up)
- 1 x broom, foam pool noodle or hockey stick as a ‘horse’.
- 1 x rope or skipping rope to tie around the horse’s head as reins.
- 14 x cones or markers to set the course.
- 2 - 3 x mini hurdles or other jump substitutes.
- 1 x hat.
What to do
- A player mounts thier horse before entering the circuit and holds a rein in each hand.
- They enter the arena and walk to the first markers, tip their hat to the judges and prepare to begin.
- They squeeze both legs gently on their horse and make a ‘clucking’ noise before trotting (slow jog) on to the first activity. These aids tell the horse to go.
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- Activity 1: Weaving - Weave in and out of the cones. Move the left rein out to the left a little when weaving left to indicate the direction the horse is to move. Do the same when weaving right.
- Activity 2: Backing up - Walk to the next cone and stop - remember to say, ‘Whoa’. Move horse backwards for 4-5 steps. Do this by gently pulling back on both reins and saying, 'Whoa,' each time a step is taken backwards. Squeeze both legs gently to make the horse trot again and remember to ‘cluck’.
- Activity 3: Jumping - Trot over to the obstacles and jump over them. Pull gently back on the reins to slow the horse down and walk to the next activity.
- Activity 4: Side pass - Stop beside one cone. Walk sideways to the other cone by doing cross steps. Squeeze, 'cluck', then trot to the end line to stop where the activity began. Remember to say, ‘Whoa’ to make the horse stop.
Change it
- Move the equipment closer or further apart.
- Time the activity and compare rounds.
Safety
- Ensure the jumps are low enough to jump safely.
Ask the players
- What aids (sounds and actions) do you need to use to get a horse to go and stop?
