Hi
I’ve been roped into helping at a pony camp - I ride but have never been on a pony camp or anything similar (games etc) so am utterly clueless what to do. I’ve got the young little ones, with the aim for the three days being getting them off the lead rein. Please can you help with ideas for activities? What is Redlight Greenlight?Barrel races?
Thank you!!!
Have them either run through the barrel pattern or just laps around the arena on foot every morning. They will be calmer and your experience will be much better.
red light green light is where the kids move on foot or on horseback on green light and stop on red light. Whoever makes it to the “finish” line first without breaking the rules wins. They do this a lot with semi private classes for young kids at our barn. Start them on one end and the finish is at the other.
For camps, decorating old horse shoes is popular when not on the horses. Get some washable paint, colorful string, stick on gems and let them figure it out.
With the real small kids, they are super excited and want to get on the horse- but some will quickly want to get off the horse too just because attention spans are short. They will also ask when snack time is about every 10 minutes and have to use the bathroom whenever you are trying to tell them anything.
They love the silly things horses will do like scratch their neck on a post or do a funny face.
You can set up routines for them to do on foot- come up with patterns and even put out poles for them to jump over on foot.
If they are big/coordinated enough, they can practice “around the world”. No idea if this is a real thing or just something that a former coach made up.
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Hold the horse so it doesn’t wander.
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Have kiddos drop reins and stirrups.
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Kiddo has to swing a leg over the withers, so they are sitting sideways. Then again, facing rear. So on, until they have completely spun around and are facing forwards again.
It’s silly, mostly, but helps teach balance and it’s something to do. And a bonus if the pony is short, the sand is deep, and the kiddo falls off laughing their booties off.
Yes, Around the World is a thing.
Consider the skills they will need for the stated goal (getting off lead rein) and then come up with games involving those.
Red light/green light is good for practicing halts and transitions. So is Simon Says. (You can incorporate other skills into this like having them point at various parts of the horse or tack. If they’re really young keep it simple like ears, tail, bit. Also balance things while still on the lead rein like putting a hand on their head or dropping and picking up stirrups.)
Build an obstacle course to practice steering. Weave through cones, step over poles, make a circle, etc.
Practice dismounting properly by having them ride down the arena, dismount, run up stirrups, reins over head, hand the pony to an assistant (who helps with those tasks if necessary) and then come back to the finish line on foot or doing something silly (hopping in a sack, putting on some articles of clothing first, etc)
Musical chairs except have cones they must stand by or build squares on the ground from poles that they must stand in.
So much yes to this! Pretending to be a pony burns off lots of energy and they can learn from what they do. Barrel patterns, courses of poles, Simon-says, all those things can be done on foot. Just avoid having them lunge each other…it’s cute until someone gets out a lunge whip…
Another unmounted activity can be a scavenger hunt, where they have to go find things like a bay pony, a saddle, a horse with a blaze, a hoof pick, etc.
[QUOTE=stonesong;8963831]
Have them either run through the barrel pattern or just laps around the arena on foot every morning. They will be calmer and your experience will be much better.[/QUOTE]
So much yes to this! Pretending to be a pony burns off lots of energy and they can learn from what they do. Barrel patterns, courses of poles, Simon-says, all those things can be done on foot. Just avoid having them lunge each other…it’s cute until someone gets out a lunge whip…
Another unmounted activity can be a scavenger hunt, where they have to go find things like a bay pony, a saddle, a horse with a blaze, a hoof pick, etc.
