horse camp games

[taylor]

Ok so I tried to do a search for this but couldn't find anything. I need some ideas for our horse camp. Either riding or non-riding games. all ages and all levels. Thanks:D

[gotatrotter]

Paint/decorate an old horseshoe.

Horse parts bingo. (make a 5x5 plain grid and photocopy for each camper, read off a list of 24 horse parts -- middle space is "free" -- and have campers randomly write the words on their grid, then use your trusty lesson horse in halter and point to different parts of horse -- you'll have to keep track of the parts you point to until someone has bingo (could also work with tack)

30 minute plays (put 4 or 5 props into a brown paper grocery bag, divide campers into equal groups, each group chooses a bag and makes up a play using the props they have -- in 30 minutes, then perform for others)

If it's stinkin hot -- take a break and use the water from a hose for a limbo
contest.

[OMARockz89]

"Parts of the horse" - label random parts of the horse on index cards, and then have them stick them on a horse that will tolerate it.

We also let the campers paint our 30-something-year-old Arabian pony last year (the same one that plays "parts of the horse"). It was fun, and he didn't mind. Make sure you get non-toxic paint of course! However, the campers got bored with that and decided to paint the 7-year-old child afterwards. I got to hose her off...

[PonyPrincess]

We taught them how to perform 'gaits' during the most recent round of ours - it works best on two legs, but if you've got someone who can do it on four, the kids'll get a kick out of laughing at them.

The 'walk' was just walking, the 'trot' was a jog with high steps (I'm sure you could include some diagonal hand motions, if you wanted), and the canter was - er - well, I'm hoping other people do this sort of thing, too, because I don't know if I can explain it. -wry grin- But we basically just had them skippybouncerun with the leading foot always in the front. Then we took them into an arena not currently in use and had a 'horse show'.

[JLWmassage]

Riding games are always fun :drool:

Sit a buck
egg and spoon
poll bending
barrel racing

just to name a few

[ASB Equestrian]

Then we took them into an arena not currently in use and had a 'horse show'.

We did this at our horse camp. We did an "equitation" class and practiced our patterns, which, surprisingly, was an educational experience. Read a pattern and have the kids memorize it and "ride" it, then critque them. It's a lot of fun :p

[asblover04]

Red light green light (only walking for begginers).

For more advanced riders you could split the kids in to groups and then race to see which group can put a completly taken apart bridle back together.

I've always had fun doing those :)

[kickshaw44]

musical squares - that is fun!!

drop in the bucket - hand 3 carrots to the rider and have them go around the arena - dropping one carrot in each of 3 buckets

panty race - rider runs down to a bucket filled with...underwear - puts them on, gets back on the horse and runs back

phonebook race - rider is given a last name to retreive from the phonebook - rider runs down to the end of the arena - looks up the name - tears out the page - runs back

carrot race - rider runs down to a barrel with a carrot on it - horse must grab the carrot - rider runs back

egg and spoon race - place egg (boil it first!) in spoon and let riders go at w/t/c until there is only one person left

water glass race - fill water cups upto a level marked by a pen - let riders go at w/t/c and then see who has the most water left

ride-a-buck - place dollars (or sticky notes) between the riders knees and the horse - let riders go at w/t/c until there is only one person with their "buck" left

also, we had a "draw your favorite horse" contest.

you could also make horse treats (like the bird seed feeders you make in grade school)

[eal0417]

this summer at camp we've had a lot of extra time so we came up with games.

for breeds...
pick a few breeds.
counselors stand maybe at one side of the ring and campers at the other.
call out a characteristic of a breed(maybe write them on notecards) and whoever raises their hand first takes a set amount of steps forward. (i did two giant steps)
and whoever wins gets a prize or something.

we also played a trivia game where if the camper got the question wrong they got squirted with water within a close proximity. surprisingly they LOVED it because it was so hot. and they also learned very very quickly parts of tack, clors, markings, and breeds.
we mixed a bunch of random questions from everything we had learned that day or week to play the game.

:thumbup:

[CelticEquine]

Ha Emily! I was reading your post and did not realize that it was yours, and I thought that the breeds game sounded familiar. And then I noticed it was you. Lol!

Anyway, we also did the bingo and a horseshoe hunt where they found the horseshoe and then could paint it and make it into a photo frame.

[taylor]

Thanks a lot guys! Some of these we have done before but I'll try some of the others you mentioned.

[boots]

Get some non toxic finger paints.
You can split the kids up in groups...with each group having one horse and a dependable holder for the horse.
Let them have a contest seeing who's group can paint the best indian pony. They will each have thier turn putting thier own symbols on the horse with the paint. ( flowers hearts rainbows... whatever)
take group photos of them and thier painted ponies.
vote on the best one.

and then they can spend the next half hour bubble bathing to remove the paint, and all kids love the bubble bath thing!

[dealerjack08]

you may also want to try latigo races(set up several western saddles and have the kids in teams race one by one to tie and untie a latigo properly), scavenger hunt with grooming tools, rescue ride( two teams using one horse each must get each team member from side of the arena to the other, bareback without mounting blocks)