Ideas including:
- Group Games
- Individual Games
- Unmounted Games
- Other Fun Activities
About "Games and Activities"
Games and Activities
No label Horse Treat Scavenger Hunt
Place horse treats on top of standards, fence posts, jump cups, etc. Have riders grab the treats from horseback and place each one into bucket before grabbing the next one...
No label Red Rover, Red Rover
Game
No label Basketball
Play basketball from horseback
No label Drill Riding Exercises
Incorporate drill riding exercises into your lessons for 2+ riders.
My students love this game! If I don't feel like dragging a barrel over, I use a pole instead of a barrel to ride around. You can also turn the pole into a jump and have riders go over it.
No label Keyhole Jump
Modeled after the classic western game of "keyhole" - another student favorite involving a jump or ground pole.
No label Traffic Light
All riders will start by staying on the rail at a walk and in the same direction. The instructor will give out verbal commands as follows:Red = Stop/Whoa....
No label Critique The Instructors
Instructor(s) will ride and have students critique the good and bad. Instructors can pretend to make faults that students can point out...
No label Treasure Hunt
Hide items around the arena for rider's to find and grab...
No label Follow the Leader Jump Course
Set up a course of poles or jumps. In a group , have young/beginner riders follow each other on their own made up "courses". More advanced riders will make their own jump courses and everyone will take turns riding that course...
Have riders create their own dressage (or any flat work) test...
No label Break Your Gait And Out
Riders must correctly perform the given riding instructions or they are "out"...
No label Red Light, Green Light
Riders will halt when given the red light command and will ride on when given a green light...
No label Fastest/Slowest Races
Races designed for riders to cross the finish line and have either the slowest or the fastest gait!
No label Around the World Race
Riders will have their horses held in the middle of the arena and will have a race to see who can "go around the world" the fastest in the saddle...
No label Tag
Play "tag" on horseback...
No label Walk, Trot, or Canter Race
A race with riders walking, trotting, and cantering across the arena...
No label Relay Race
Riders will race another team or try to beat their own team's time with handing off sticks/crops to each other on horseback...
No label Pony Express Race
Riders will walk, trot, or canter across the arena and change horses. Then head back to the finish line...
No label Barrel Race
Ride around three barrels (or trash cans, standards, cones etc) in a cloverleaf pattern, fastest time wins!
No label Hunt Pairs/Teams
Riders in pairs or teams will follow each other over a course...
No label Handy Hunter Race
Each rider completes a set course/pattern alone; winner completes every task (clear round) and has best time
No label Simon Says
Everyone knows this game so little explanation needs to be given...
No label Shapes Game
Riders will walk or trot a shape in the free end of the arena. The other riders will guess the shape...
No label Sidesaddle Race
Riders will line up side by side facing the opposite side of the arena, sitting sidesaddle...
No label Musical Chairs
Depending upon skill level, use cones for riders to halt next to when the music stops or chairs for riders to dismount on to...
No label Ride A Buck
Use dollar bills (winner keeps all) or in a pinch pieces of paper for use under the rider. I like to place one under a rider's butt, one under their calf, and one under their thigh...
No label Cones Course
Use cones, spread them out in the arena to make a path. Make the pairs narrow or wide depending on the level of the students. If the rider hits the cones or gets lost they are assessed faults...
No label Egg & Spoon Game
Every rider will get a plastic spoon and a real egg. The instructor will shout out commands and each rider must complete. If the rider does not complete the task or drops their egg they are out...
No label Egg & Spoon Obstacle Course
Make an obstacle course that students must ride through with an egg and spoon...
No label Ribbon Race
Place riders in pairs. Hand them a long piece of crepe paper, ribbon, or even toilet paper in a pinch to each hold in one hand while riding next to each other. The fastest time one lap around the arena while connected wins...
No label Postman
A game where each rider walks or trots to a designated mail pick-up spot, takes a "letter", and trots to the "mailbox" to deliver it...
No label Water Race
Riders will fill up a bucket with water they collected using a cup; the team with the most water in their bucket wins...
No label Cones Race
Set up cones and create specific rules such as weave the cones up at a trot, and canter past them all to the finish line...
No label Catalog Race
Ride over to a catalog and rip out a specific page number that the instructor shouts out...
No label Boots in the Bucket
Riders will grab boots (or really any item!) that are placed up on the arena fence or standard, etc and toss them into a bucket...
No label Jumping Competition
Riders will jump a course of poles or jumps according to the riders' level. Riders who go clear will ride in the jump off...
No label Musical Freestyle
Have students choreograph a ride to music. This can be done individually, in pairs, or even in groups. Riders can perform it in any style of riding...
No label Four Corners
Label arena corners with four letters. Ask riders questions and they will ride to the corner they think is the correct multiple choice answer...
No label Which Direction Exercise
The instructor should stand in the middle of the arena. Send one rider down the centerline towards the instructor while all other riders are on the rail. This rider must wait for the instructor to point towards the direction they will turn their horse back to the rail (right or left)...
No label Halting Game
Riders to go large around the rail at a walk. When the instructor raises their hand in the air, all horses are to halt. The first horse that halts, wins...
No label Trail/Obstacles Course Lesson Ideas
A list of fun trail/obstacle course ideas to incorporate into your lesson program whether your students ride english or western!
No label Ranch Horse Trail/Obstacle Course
Add these ranch horse trail and obstacle course ideas to your lesson plans, even if you ride english!
No label Musical Poles
A fun game where riders need to be next to a pole when the music stops...
No label Bean Bag Game
Challenge riders to ride with bean bags on their hats and other spots and watch their positions improve. Where bean bags keep falling off, help by correcting the rider’s position...
No label Scavenger Hunt
Set riders up in pairs and send them off to find things beginning with a certain letter for example; things beginning with the letter B might include; bark, bottle, binder twine etc...
No label Capture the Flag – Equestrian Style!
Lay down a line of poles across the middle and two standards at either end with a saddle pad on them. Same rules as on foot if you or your horse is touched by the other team you are out and have to go to a corner until one of your team members can tag you back in. First team to get the flag (saddle pad) from the other side back to their side won...
No label Stepping Stones
Set up a row of stepping stones using buckets, mats, towels, or anything else handy that can be safely stepped on. Riders begin at a starting line, race towards the stones and dismount once they reach them. Then, they lead their mounts as they cross the line of “stones”, and re-mount once they’ve finished. You can play this game as a relay, time your riders individually, or set up several stations of stepping stones and race simultaneously...
No label Bottle Exchange
Set up two small tables a decent distance a part. Place a sturdy reusable bottle on top of one of the tables. Riders reach down and grab it from one table and set it down on the other...
No label Carrot & Cracker Race
All participants line up behind the start line. Another person waits at the other end of the arena with a few crackers and a carrot. The horse is ridden to the waiting person/instructor. The rider then gets crackers and the horse gets the carrot. The rider must eat the crackers and then whistle a short tune. When the tune has been whistled, and the horse has eaten all the carrot the team then races back to the finish line.
No label Musical Mounting
Play some music, and announce the gait or movement that you want the riders to pick up. When the music stops, the riders dismount, cross in front of their horse to the off side, and remount from the wrong side.Last person back in the saddle is out, and the game runs in as many rounds as it takes to get a winner.
No label 5 Points Game
Each rider has 5 points, the aim of the game is to keep all your points. They walk around and you shout an instruction - halt, for example - and the last one to establish the halt loses a point.Whoever still has all 5 points at the end of the game wins
No label Spelling Game
One at a time (if in a group) a rider will ride up to the arena letters at a gait specific to their level and touch each one. The goal is to touch the letters to spell a word. The other riders or instructor must guess the word...
No label Grandmother’s Footsteps
When you have your back turned, students can walk (trot or canter depending on level) but when you are facing them they have to halt...
No label Cow Game
If you have some volunteers, such as parents or barn help, you can play the "cow game" which is basically "cutting". Our riders love this and works on steering and stopping. You can let them pick out their own "cow" or choose one for them. Make a "corral" out of ground poles and have them "herd" their cattle into the corral.
No label Musical Transitions
“Musical transitions” is useful for all levels and ages. I play music and they walk, trot, or canter (according to their level) then when the music stops they have to either halt/turn circle/etc.
No label Beanie Babies Hunt
Hide beanie babies around the arena (in reachable spots for students on horses) and then have them bring them to you or throw them in my bucket. It helps with situational awareness in rings, and steering.
No label I Spy
Set up plastic toys around the arena then play "I Spy". Once the student guesses the item, they have to go retrieve it.
No label Hands On Heads
To play the game, have all riders halt (or can be done on the lunge at a w/t/c). Start off with basic commands such as hands on heads, hands on shoulders/hips/knees and then move on to to parts of the saddle, horse, bits etc that students can reach.
No label Animal Names
Halting at arena letters, riders are to say an animals name beginning with that letter. You can even ask your rider to make a noise that goes with that animal.
No label Traffic Lights
A game of ‘traffic lights’ going from red, orange, and green to encourage soft hands. Riders prepare the horse to stop at the orange signal by half halting, red light is the halt with the rider sitting back and closing both hands. Green light is walk back off again.
No label Dodgeball
Ride through a set of cones (pattern) pick up a ball or beanie baby, ride back to instructor. Students get one throw at the instructor!
No label Cone Knocking
If you have willing enough horses, have your student ride up to cones placed throughout the arena and see how many they can knock down in x minutes.
No label Beanbag Letter Throw
Using beanbags or stuffed animals, have riders grab one (can be specific such as grab the blue beanbag or the flamingo stuffed animal) and ride up to a specific arena letter (w/t/c) and throw the beanbag at the letter. Repeat with other beanbags...
No label Beanbag Targets
Put targets around the arena and have your rider throw bean bags towards the targets...
No label Water Gun Shootout
A fun game where you tape balloons to cones and have riders shoot them with a water gun. You can set the cones around the arena for a specific pattern or have riders ride around a lap around the track, shoot one balloon and then ride a lap around before shooting the second one, etc.
No label Touch the Standard
Students will ride up to and touch the top (or side for beginners/ponies) of each standard in the arena...
No label Pony Express Mail Delivery
Set up numbered mail boxes all throughout the arena - can use cardboard boxes from deliveries...
No label Water Cup
Carrying a cup full of water from point A to B at the walk... *Adult version - use wine and drink at the end!
No label Pole Bending Out on The Trail
Using trees out on the trail, practice steering around them...
No label Ball Game
Set up a bunch of balls on the tops of your jump standards...
No label Gates
Have rider practice opening and closing gates...
No label Barrel Grab
Set up a barrel at the end of your arena. Hand your riders a tennis ball or rock. Have riders race...
No label Phone Book Game
Place a barrel at the end of the arena with a phone book...
No label Command Game
The aim of the game is for riders to quickly follow the instructor's command...
No label Backing Race
Set up cones or barrels for riders to back their horse through. Winners...
No label Bucket of Cookies
A trail obstacle with a bucket tied to a tree on a simple pulley system...
No label 50 Obstacle Challenges
A list of 50 different obstacle ideas - make a course or practice one-by-one!
No label Road Runners
A game on rating your horse's speed at the trot (minimum two riders needed)
No label Squirrel Game
A fun dismounting game
No label Crocodiles & Tadpoles
A game using four poles and four cones...
A fun scavenger hunt on horseback...
No label Easter Games on Horseback
Here are some Easter themed games you can include in your riding lesson plans. These games are great for riders of all levels; your beginner riders can stick to walking and/or trotting while your more advanced riders can try these games at a trot/canter!
The Traffic Light Game is a simple yet powerful exercise that uses the familiar concept of traffic lights to develop instant responsiveness, adjustability, and rider timing. By assigning specific responses to "Green Light," "Yellow Light," and "Red Light" commands, both horse and rider develop lightning-fast communication that translates directly to better dressage tests and smoother jump courses.
No label Pick a Letter or Landmark
A student-directed navigation exercise where the rider chooses the path rather than following instructor commands. Start in the center of the arena. The student picks any arena letter (or landmark if your arena doesn't have letters) and rides directly to it. Upon reaching that letter, the student immediately picks the next letter and rides there. Continue this pattern until the student has ridden to every letter in the arena. The critical rule: no riding on the rail - all paths are through the arena interior, creating zigzagging routes as the student navigates from letter to letter.
No label Clean Your Room
Riders will clean up toys by collecting them from around the ring and putting them back into a "toybox".
No label Sammy Snake
Sammy the Snake teaches younger riders how to ride a three-loop serpentine...
No label Leaf Collecting
Riders will collect "leaves" placed around the arena.
No label Give A Gift
Riders will find scattered horse treats throughout the arena and later on feed their mounts after their lesson!
No label Write Your Name
Ride around to letters placed throughout the arena and spell a rider's name or horse's name.
No label Mother, May I?
An adaptation of a popular game where students will complete specific riding tasks.
No label Animal Scavenger Hunt
Match stuffed animals to its own animal card.
No label Horse Colors
Match horse colors on pictures placed in the arena.
No label Matching Game
Match colored rings to corresponding colored cones.
No label A Few Fun Lesson Ideas
Riding lesson ideas to help keep young children engaged.
No label Lunge Line Lesson Ideas
Ideas for young riders to stay engaged on the lunge line while having fun learning riding skills
No label Chase the Instructor
Play a game of follow the leader/chase the instructor where young riders can walk/trot while "chasing" the instructor.
No label Superhero Exercises
“Super hero” moves for warm up and cool down which can kill a lot of time in a beginner lesson - go through the gamut of Spider-Man, Aqua Man, Batman, Thor, Ironman etc... doing all excersizes imitating the hero’s signature move!
No label Jurassic Park
I hide large plastic dinosaurs on the jumps or other reachable spots for students on horseback. Have a bucket in the middle of the ring. Students have to go "capture" all the dinosaurs and return them to jurrasic park (the bucket) . They are learning to steer and control the pony while playing the game. And all little kids love dinosaurs. You can substitute unicorns or sea animals or whatever they love!