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.
Here are examples of horse riding games.
Musical Horses
Musical horses was derived from the game musical chairs. But in this game, ground poles are used instead of chairs. The ground poles will be placed parallel to each other with about 8 feet of space between them. This space will serve as the chair so there must be one less space than the number of riders who will be playing the game.
Step 1. The riders will ride on the rail to music and must do whatever is asked for ” walk, trot, canter, halt, half circle, reverse or circle.
Step 2. When the music stops, the riders must immediately occupy one of the spaces between the poles. However, they cannot just command their horses to run to it, they will have to continue to do the discipline while heading towards the poles.
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
There will be two riders in this game, who will work as a team. For each team there will be an older rider who can mount from the ground and a little rider with mounting blocks. The younger riders with their mounting blocks will go to the center of the arena. They will keep an eye on their older team mate, who will do the commands.
The older riders will do what they are asked to do until the instructor says halt. This will be the time when they will stop and dismount while their younger partners run towards them. They will safely mount the younger riders, who will race back to the mounting block. The last team will be eliminated.
The younger riders will then be the one to do what the instructor will command. When the instructor says halt, the older riders will go to the younger riders to help the younger riders dismount. Then the younger riders will go back to the mounting block while the older riders mount. The older riders will ride with no stirrups or in jockey style in little kids stirrups.
The game will continue until only one team is left.
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.