Horse Moving Games

Whether played for fun at home or for competition at a gymkhana, games on horseback offer exciting ways to put your abilities to the test in practical and not-so-practical situations. Students and instructors learn where weaknesses are and experienced riders test their horses and brush up on their skills. Games offer a chance for riders to bond with each other and their horses, establishing new levels of trust and confidence among humans and animals.

  1. Dash

    • In the Dash, individual riders race across a timer line, around a single barrel placed 120 feet from the line, then back over the line. The pattern can be run to the left or the right. The horse and rider completing the course the fastest without touching the barrel wins.

    Scurry

    • The Scurry has the same pattern as the dash except jumps are placed on each side of the path between the timer line and the barrel. Knocking down the barrel or a jump results in no score.

    Carry the Mail

    • In Carry the Mail, the rider races across the timer line to a barrel placed 120 feet away. While turning around the barrel, the rider picks up saddle bags that are placed on that barrel. The rider drops off the saddle bags on a barrel placed 40 feet from the timer line, then races back across the line. The two barrels are in a straight line at a 90-degree angle from the timer line, and the pattern can be run from the left or the right.

    Flags

    • The Flags game has four barrels placed as corners on a square, with each side of the square 90 feet long. The rider races from the timer line to the first barrel 40 feet away and picks up a flag, dropping it off at the second barrel. The rider picks up another flag at the third barrel and drops it off at the fourth, then races back across the timer line.

    Keyhole

    • In the Keyhole race, there are two cones placed on either side of the race path 40 feet from the timer line. The rider races down the path and through the cones, then turns in a small circle in the "keyhole" and races back through the cones and across the timer line. The circle in the keyhole can be made to the left or right.

    Baton Race

    • Teams of two horse and rider combinations participate in the baton race. One rider starts at the finish line, races across the arena and hands a baton to the second rider. The second rider races back to the finish line. Dropping the baton results in no score.

    Sack Race

    • The Sack Race requires the rider to race across the arena, dismount, put both feet in a burlap sack, then lead the horse back to the finish line.

    Egg Race

    • In the Egg Race, riders are given an egg on a spoon and race as fast as they can to cross the finish line without dropping the egg.