Horse Games for Girls

Lessons provide an excellent learning environment for young equestrians looking to improve their riding skills. Instructors can help girls who ride at all levels develop a better seat, work on horsemanship knowledge and prepare to compete. But sometimes girls just want to have fun! Traditional riding lessons, as well as horse shows, can be highly structured, and freedom and play can better allow young riders to explore the physical boundaries of riding and become comfortable in the saddle. Games on horseback tone down the structure and provide a more relaxed environment than an organized horse show.

  1. Balance Games

    • Balance is one of the most important physical skills when it comes to riding. It is necessary for maintaining a good seat in the saddle and for letting the horse move properly. If a rider is properly balanced, she will be able to give her mount clear signals because she can maintain her movement separate from that of the horse. This is why some of the most traditional mounted games focus on balance. Two versions of a popular balance game involve holding an object while riding. One version calls for an egg on a spoon, and the other a Styrofoam cup of water. The girls ride in a circle at different gaits while holding the spoon/egg or cup of water in one hand. The last girl to drop her egg wins. If water is used, the girl with the most water in her cup at the end is the winner. This game can be modified for different ages and riding levels by calling for different gaits.

    Speed Games

    • While speed games on horseback tend to be pretty competitive, they can also be a lot of fun. The easiest speed game is the plug race, which is a simplistic form of a barrel race that uses only one barrel. The barrel is placed at the other end of the arena, and the girl with the fastest time riding around the barrel and back wins. Younger girls who are just learning to ride can perform plug races at a trot.
      Speed games can be made more interesting by adding extra elements. For instance, a rider may be timed while she rides to the other end of the ring, puts on a costume and then rides back.
      Other speed games such as relay races promote team work between young riders. For a relay race on horseback, set up four stations around an arena or field and post a girl and horse at each station. Have each girl ride from her station to the next and pass off a large, safe object (like a cut-up water noodle).

    Advanced Games

    • Another, more advanced mounted game that encourages teamwork is the ribbon pair. In this event, two riders must carry opposite ends of a ribbon while performing different requested maneuvers. A rider must have well-developed, independent aids for this game and it is therefore best for girls riding at an intermediate level or higher. The object is to not drop the ribbon.
      Intermediate riders are also skilled enough to ride bareback and can participate in ride-a-buck games. These are a test of the seat and involve holding a dollar bill between the thigh and the horse's side while riding the walk, trot, canter and possibly gallop bareback. The last person to lose her dollar not only wins but gets to keep all of the money.