Horse Games: Games You Can Play on Horseback

Cricket, my American mustang, and I have been together for eight and a half years, and while I may not be training her per se, I do like to challenge her, and myself, occasionally.

Sometimes as horse people we get into a riding rut. We do the same thing over and over and creativity eludes us. Maybe we have children who ride or want to ride and as they advance they need more challenges. In addition, the horses we ride also need a change now and then. They are creatures of habit and if all they do is run circles around the arena they stop thinking and just move–they space out mentally. Sometimes they get really bored and begin to act out and misbehave. 

I always try to add a little something now and then to my daily rides with Cricket. Even if I don’t have a group to ride with, I modify games to fit our day. Here are a few games I've used that you can use or modify. Enjoy! 

Dolly Parton

The Dolly Parton race is played like this: Have your friends donate an old bra—the more you have, the better—and try to get all different sizes. You can also pick them up inexpensively from thrift stores or flea markets. Place the collection of bras into a bucket next to a bucket filled with water balloons, also of different sizes. Put these buckets on one end of the arena or pasture, and make sure the bras are mixed up.

Have everyone quickly pick a bra out of the bucket, then put it on and put two water balloons in the bra. Everyone now mounts their horse and a judge of your choice, with a stopwatch or some sort of timing device, shouts, “On your mark, get set – GO!” Then everyone has to canter to the finish line at the other end of the arena. Whoever has the best time without losing the water balloons wins. This is best played in warm weather and the guys can play too, which makes it much funnier than it already is. 

You can modify this game for younger kids or beginning riders by having them go one at a time. It's much safer. Just time each ride, keep track and the best time with water balloons intact wins.

Mounted Tag

Choose a rider to be “it.” Make sure all riders know to tag the rider, not the horse. Played just like schoolyard tag, as riders are tagged they can help tag others. The last to be tagged wins. Add music and an audience for more excitement. 

Red Rover

I’ll bet you remember playing the game in grade school or in your cul-de-sac when you were a child. Divide riders into two teams and place each team at opposite ends of your arena or game space. Have each team quickly discuss who to call over first, then all yell together, “Red rover, red rover send XXX right over,” and that named rider has to get over to the other side, through the team and touch the arena fence, a pole or other marker.

If they make it, they go back to their original side. If they don’t, they remain on this new side and become part of the opposition. Then the other team does the same from their end, and so on. If you are playing with advanced riders and they make it, you can allow them to take a rider back with them to the other side if they make it through. 

Egg/Baton Relay Race

Riders form teams of equal numbers if possible. Each rider will need a spoon. Each team will need one hard-boiled egg. If there are teams of eight people, then four go on each end of the arena or game space. When given the cue to start, the team leader or starter rides as fast and as smoothly as he or she can to the end of the game space with the egg in the spoon.

When that rider meets their teammate at the other end, they pass the egg from their spoon to the other's spoon and the new rider rides to the other end of the ring (where the first rider started) to pass the egg to the next rider on their team and so on. The first team to finish without dropping their egg wins!

For young or inexperienced riders, use a baton or other smooth, stick-like item and just do a relay with that. 

Musical Buckets

This is played much like musical chairs. The mounted riders ride to music around a circle of overturned buckets or barrels instead of chairs (chairs are not safe to use). There must be one less bucket than riders. The riders circle the buckets to the music, then when the music stops, they must place a foot on the bucket. The rider with no bucket is out.

Remove a bucket from the circle to maintain the correct ratio of buckets to riders, and continue until there is only one rider left. That rider wins. To add more challenge, add speed by making riders trot or lope, or use tires so the riders have to quickly dismount to touch the tire or you can have them make the horse put a foot in or on the tire, the choice is yours. 

Save-A-Dollar

Each contestant must ride bareback, so this is for more advanced riders. A dollar bill is placed under each thigh or calf on the legs of the rider, depending on the level of difficulty you choose. Of course you can use pictures, pieces of paper or, with children, have them make drawings and use those. All riders line up in the middle of the ring. One by one, each must ride around the ring keeping the dollar under each leg. Using their hands to catch or hold the bills in place is not permitted and they will be called out of the race or disqualified.

You can change the difficulty by riding the posting trot, or cantering, using a half seat, etc. Riders who succeed in the first round get to keep the money or photos or drawings.  If you use money, each round the dollar amount increases as well as the level of difficulty. The last rider still holding their bills wins! 

Simon Says

This is an excellent way to improve riding skills in a fun way. “Simon” can be mounted or not, but all others should be mounted. Riders can practice gaits, seat, posting and every other riding skill–even riding with no reins! It’s a great way to gain confidence and skill and since riders have to listen to Simon, they have to react quickly and without thinking too hard so cues and abilities improve dramatically.

Follow the Leader

Make sure riders take turns being the leader. Each leader rides at the same level, or similar way, as the other riders, so no one has to do something they aren’t ready for. Even the little ones can feel like a better rider if all other riders have to do what they do and go where they go. I’ve seen it build confidence in newer riders quickly. 

Pony Swap Challenge

Riders have to design a jump course (if prepared to do this advanced activity) and flat routine. Then riders elect a judge. They then randomly swap riders and horses so no one is riding their own. They each have to compete in both events or not, the choice is yours and can depend on the level of the riders. The judge scores the individual performances and chooses the winner of each event. You can even award ribbons for first, second, third and so on. 

Around the World

This is a great way to get people comfortable with moving around on their horse. Mounted riders have to sit facing forward, then they must turn to the right so they are seated side saddle. Then they have to turn and sit on the horse backward—not an easy feat for most. Then they turn so they are side saddle in the other direction, then back to forward. As riders become more adept at this, you can begin to do this while the horse is moving, but start at the walk.

As with any riding activity, make sure each horse is trained and can handle such activity without becoming frightened. They also must be in good physical condition to handle the extra stresses of game playing. It might be helpful to have extra hands to hold horses if needed.

I recommend everyone wear a helmet when playing games. Always make sure each rider is at the appropriate level of knowledge before engaging in the activity. Safety must always come first.