I need your ideas for mounted games that kids can do without having to hold the reins in one hand because I am running out of ideas. Oh, and they can only walk so far. Yesterday we had a relay race in which they'd go to the end of the ring, circle the mounting block, and come back. Today we did "pole bending" and "barrel racing" around jump blocks. We aren't going to be doing bareback rides.
I also need your ideas for not strangling know-it-all kids who yell at me when their horse doesn't stand like a stone statue or doesn't walk at mach 3 or whatever.
In other news, Lex is doing well. She has a new best friend. His name is Slim.
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| That's DOCTOR Slim to you. |
After her ten minutes of grazing, I took her back into her stall and unwrapped her standing wrap so I could re-wrap it. I was standing with my back to her while she munched her hay. The next thing I knew, she'd sidled up next to me and leaned her shoulder into my back. I scratched her chest, rubbed her head, and just hung out there, for a long time. She was really snuggly last night, too. I think she is really starved for contact since she doesn't get to hang out with her buddies in the paddock at night. I also think she likes me. My trainer said to me one day that he thinks she's a tough horse, and that we have to make sure she's tough for our team. I have a feeling we'll be able to accomplish that. She's such a good horse. All of this mess is definitely worth it.
I help out at a summer camp every summer here is some of the games we do
ReplyDeletemounted water balloons
jousting with pool noodles
hold a diving ring in your hand then they have to take a pool noodle and spear the ring with the noodle and walk away
And to deal with those annoying kids, say because you say so and you are the boss no buts about it
Hope this helps
Simon Says & What's the Time Mr Wolf can both be played on horse back. Also obstacle courses can be fun, you just set up a heap of random stuff on the ground (keyholes, L shapes to walk through, poles to walk over, bending poles etc.). Also pair riding, building up to drill teams, is pretty cool.
ReplyDeleteRed Light Green Light -- walk only is fine, and sneakily helps hone all sorts of stuff.
ReplyDeleteMusical chairs if they can mount/dismount to sit in the chairs, or musical boxes-defined-by-poles-on-the-ground if they need to stay mounted the whole time.
Amen to the mini-courses defined by blocks/standards (to walk through) or poles on the ground to walk over. I am always amazed by what a kick kids get out of walking over a three inch pole. :)
This is the 21st century so maybe they would enjoy bareback texting races - the first text received by the instructor wins. Or how about Angry Birds riding: knock over towers of blocks with a thrown bean bag while cantering past. Or how about some version of Quidditch, sans Bludgers?
ReplyDeletetotally joking. The only game I can remember from my own horse camp days is the egg & spoon race, which I hated.
HAHAHAHA I love these ideas!
DeleteEveryone hates egg and spoon! Why do people still do that?!
Ok, now I want to play horseback angry birds.
DeleteMy sympathies about the kids. No idea what to do with them.
ReplyDeleteLex sounds adorable. :) Hope she is healing well.
Instead of musical chairs, you can you do "musical feed bags" -- that way they don't have to dismount. Horses just stand on the feedbag/chair.
ReplyDeleteAlso bobbing for apples... always fun to watch the horses to see if they do it!
Or Carrot races -- walk up, dismount, and get the horse to chase the carrot back.
I used to set up a "maze" or trail using ground poles. I would create a zig-zaggy path using the poles as guides and the poles would get closer together as the path went on. It was a practice in steering, if your horse touched one of the poles you were out and had to start over. Excellent for walk only kids.
ReplyDeleteSimon says and red light green light are also great walk only games.
Alcohol and Anti Anxiety meds usually keep me from out ride murder of children.
ReplyDeleteYep. And counting backwards from ten before I speak gives me a chance to unclench my jaw.
DeletePaint the pony? For hours and hours... good luck with the kids! Glad Lex is doing better :)
ReplyDeleteWe do paint the pony! We have the perfect horse for it: An anhydrotic, huge, grey gelding we can't figure out anything else to do with.
DeleteRegarding the kids, everyone else's ideas are way better than any I could have come up with. :)
ReplyDeleteLex is absolutely adorable! How is her eye?
Her eye's all better, I think! We did the neopoly goo four times a day for five days. I don't see anything wrong with it - I don't think anything's colonized in there. Whew.
DeleteY'all have awesome ideas! I'm gonna use some of them today!
ReplyDelete