For my barn’s Christmas party we are going to be doing a fun show. It is only people from the barn attending…mostly all are beginners, some will just w, some will w/t some will ride all gaits.
I’m looking for some ideas that are safe but fun for all age groups. We will being doing a couple of flat classes but most will be games.
Egg and spoon? We did it like a western pleasure class, W,T,C with an egg balanced on a spoon. It was a lot of fun. Boot race, were everyone puts there boots at one end of the arena and then they race on horseback to the pile, find your boots, put them on and race back. If you have beginners you could keep it to a trot only.
You could do a trotting barrel race (same with pole bending).
My barn did a race where everybody lined up, walked as quickly as they could (without breaking gait) to the other end, trotted back as fast as they could, cantered back down the other way, and then had to get off and lead their horse back as fast as they could on foot. You could leave out the canter part if you want max participation, I suppose.
There’s also that bribe your horse game (I’ve never done it) where you have to get your horse to follow you through a pattern (or obstacles?) without being on a leadrope.
I’ve seen people do things where two riders hold a ribbon of tissue paper between them and have to ride around at different gaits (or through a pattern too? I’m not sure) and the pair that does it the longest without breaking their ribbon is the winner.
Some kind of flag race (again, you could have them do it at a trot or have one for trotting and one for people who want to be able to canter) where they have to pick up a flag (or a stick or whatever) from a barrel on one side of the ring, ride down and around to the other side, deposit it on another barrel and whoever does it the fastest wins.
Generalized obstacle course. Doesn’t have to be fancy. Like walk over a tarp. Navigate through a ‘maze’ of poles on the ground. Have the rider open a gate, ride through, and close it again without getting down (you can do this with a rope looped over a jump standard). Have them pick up a jacket and put the jacket on while the horse stands, then take the jacket off and set it back down again. Stuff like that.
And there’s always costume class. 
EDIT:
And ride a buck where everybody sits on a dollar bill and whoever gets through the class without losing theirs gets to keep the bills.
I always enjoyed a pairs class where you ride it like a flat class and try to match your partners gait.
How about a stick-horse race for those kids with no horse. Our local show does it for the kids under 5. They all “walk, trot, canter” both directions and everyone gets a ribbon. It is very cute and fun to watch.
Cake walks are fun too. Chose a spot on the rail to be the winning location and then everyone walks on horseback or on foot until the music playing stops. Whoever is closest to the spot when the music stops wins a cake.
How about the Lipstick Game at a walk? 2 riders, one sitting facing backward of and one sitting facing forward, with the backward rider facing the forward rider. Forward rider controls the horse while the backward rider tries to apply lipstick to the forward rider. I could see tons of laughter on this.
What about a command class?
Or the parking lot game?
Marshmallow on a fork tied with a long string throwen over the rafters rider has to ride up (whatever gate you want) eat the marshmallow without touching it and come back.
Drunkards paradise 2 riders one has to steer the horse and hold a baby bottle of koolaid (not that kind) for the other rider usually done bareback & at a few different gates but has to go around the ring or threw a course.
We used to play a game in our lessons with poles laid out in a loose course shape. Each rider gets to pick their own pattern as long as they go over all the poles and the fastest rider wins. You could split people into walk, w/t and w/t/c classes. It’s a lot of fun and quite safe. Also doesn’t require much in the way of equipment!
My barn had a couple fun days like this. We had a few games that haven’t been mentioned:
“musical stalls”: put a row of poles parallel to each other so they form “stalls” (like parking spots). Make sure there is one less stall than the number of horses. Have the riders walk/trot/whatever gait you want to use to music. When the music stops, each rider has to try to find a stall to park their horse in. Whoever is left without a stall is eliminated, and a pole is removed to make one less stall. Repeat until one person wins.
relay race with different activities: one person has to go to the far end, dismount, and bob for apples. Next has to dig around in a bucket of shavings to find the hoof pick. Next is given a page number of the phone book, has to find the page and rip it out then ride back to start with the page.
keyhole race, pole bending, etc can all be done at the walk or trot
Trail/Obstacle class where you lead the horse, not ride. You can be simple or creative about the obstacles. This can be wicked fun.
I like the idea of an obstacle/trail type course because it can be changed to suit the skill of the riders.
Personally, I hate “command class” especially for novice riders, because they can be called “out” within seconds of starting. It’s such a bummer and very often doesn’t recognize rider or horse skill (just luck).
And I say this as the mom of a little girl who lost the command class at the 4H fair on the very first command (walk-halt) when the judge just happened to be standing next to her horse and the horse shifted his weight and moved 1/2". This within about 10 seconds of starting the class – they were 7-9 year olds. So for the rest of the class she had to stand in the middle. So sad. 
Oh, there are so many. Here are a few.
Do a “race” at certain gaits. Get everyone on the rail. At the walk, riders walk on the rail. If they pass someone at the walk (come off rail only to pass another rider, then get back on rail. Rider who was passed is out of the race. If you break gait, you are also out! Then all trot. You will weed a lot out here. Then finally, canter. Hard to to trot fast without cantering. 
Another is a team relay. One horse and two riders. One rider (on foot) and horse stay at one end while other rider is at the other end of the arena. At go, the rider with the horse has to put on a big baggy pair of jeans and tshirts while holding the horse. Rider then gets on horse and races to the other end to their riding partner. Rider gets baggy clothes off and other rider then must get those baggy jeans and tshirts on and hop on horse and race back. Either race with the other pairs or time it. Fun class.
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