HORSE RIDING GAMES ” Reinforcing Motivation
Horse riding games are now being used by many instructors to motivate their students to engage more in learning. Motivation increases when the student riders play a game because games foster play. Play builds up motivation, which supports the learning process by providing incentive. With incentives, students are encouraged to engage in learning.
When the students are having fun with their lessons, they become more eager to learn. Therefore, incorporating horse riding games is vital to horse riding lessons. With motivation, they gain knowledge easier and faster.
Below are examples of horse riding games.
Musical Horses
This game is played just like musical chairs. However, instead of chairs, ground poles are used. The ground poles will be placed parallel to each other, about 8 feet apart. This will create what will look like a parking lot for horses. Just make sure that there is one less ground pole parking lot than the number of players.
Step 1. Instead of dance, the riders will be asked to do a discipline with their horses as the music plays. They will be asked to walk, halt, trot, canter, circle, half circle or reverse.
Step 2. When the music stops, the riders will go to one of the ground pole parking lots while continuously walking or trotting or cantering, etc.
Since the ground pole parking lots are one less than the riders, one rider will be eliminated. The number of ground pole parking lots will be equal to the number of riders, so one pole will be taken away before the game starts again. By taking one ground pole, the number of ground pole parking lots will be one less than the number of riders. The last person to be on the one last ground pole parking lot will win.
Mounting and Dismounting Game
In this game, the older riders will be paired with the younger riders. The younger riders will go to the center ring. They will be tagged up to the mounting block and watch their team mate who will be asked to do a discipline.
When the riders hear the instructor say the word halt, they will stop on the rail and dismount. The younger riders will run from the center to their partners and the older riders will mount them safely on the horse. The younger riders will race back to the mounting block on the center of the arena and the last team to get there will be out.
The younger riders will then start their riding commands. When the instructor says “halt”, the older riders will run to the younger riders who will be dismounting. The older riders will mount, while the younger riders will run back to the mounting block. The older riders will now be riding with no stirrups or in jockey style in little kids stirrups.
The last team left will be the winner.
Horse riding games have rules that create artificial conflicts. Playing these games also creates in the riders the common goals that only one team or one person can only have. So, strategic ability is developed. Another advantage of horse riding games is that they promote interaction between riders.