Horse Owning Games

Playing games with your horse is one of the best ways to fight boredom and keep your riding hobby exciting and fresh for both you and your horse. Both horses and riders tend to get bored when they do the same thing every day, and riding on the same trails or in the same ring can become quite redundant. Introducing new games and activities to your mount is one of the best ways to keep him engaged, help him learn new things and work on conquering new challenges.

  1. Broom Polo

    • Broom polo is one of the easiest, and cheapest, games you can play with your horse. All you need to get started is a couple of old brooms and a soccer ball or similarly sized play ball. You can play broom polo against other interested riders when you visit the barn, or you can set up a goal at one end of the ring, corral and pasture. You can practice your goal shooting, both from a standstill and on the run. Playing broom polo with your horse gives him something new to do, while helping you develop the balance and hand-eye coordination you need to become a better rider.

    Musical Freestyle Riding

    • Musical freestyle is a mainstay of the dressage world, but you do not have to participate in that high-end equine sport to enjoy riding to your favorite tunes. All you need is a boom box or iPod dock, a suitable arena and some imagination. You can practice pairing your favorite music with your horse's movements, enjoying some unique rides and helping both you and your horse fight boredom. Whether you are practicing for an actual musical freestyle exhibition or just having fun at home, riding to music is a great activity.

    Jousting

    • You can channel your inner knight or pretend you are at the local Renaissance Faire by setting up your own jousting arena at home. Jousting is a very inexpensive game to play with your horse, since you can easily create a jousting arena using items you already have. Your jousting "lance" can be a riding crop, a lunge whip or even a tree branch, while your "rings" can be easily constructed using simple baling twine.

      The easiest way to create your own jousting arena is to attach a piece of wood to the fence posts in your riding ring or corral. Attach a smaller piece of wood to that piece, forming an upside-down "L." Make a loop with a piece of rope or baler twine and attach that "ring" to the "L" with a string. After the jousting course is set up, ride your horse with your riding crop or lunge whip "lance" in hand and spear the rings as you go. Start at a walk, then work your way up to a trot, a canter and finally a gallop.