THE FLAG
GAME
Difficulty Rating: 3 out of 5
stars
Equipment needed
• One flag on a cane per
team member.
• Two containers per team
to stand the flags in –
cones are ideal.
How to play
Place one cone at the top end
of the school and the other on
the centre line. All but one of
the flags are put in the centre
line cone, and one is given to
the number one rider for each
team.
All riders begin mounted
at the start/finish end. On the
signal the first rider (who is
already carrying a flag) rides
to the far end and places the
flag in the cone. They then ride
back, picking a flag out of the
centre line cone and passing it
to the number two rider. This is
THE SACK RACE
Difficulty Rating: 4 out of 5
stars
Equipment needed
• Two bins or containers
and one sack (hessian or
an empty feed bag) per
team
How to play
Divide each team in two
and start the game with half
mounted on the start line and
the other half on foot at the
top end.
Place a bin per team about
¾ of the way down the school
and the other at the top end.
On the signal the number
one rider, who is carrying
the sack, rides to the first bin
and drops the sack in before
continuing to end where the
number two rider is waiting
behind the second bin.
The second rider runs to
the bin, step into the sack and
jumps to the finish line and
hands the sack to the next
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repeated by the rest of the team
until all four flags are placed in
the cone in the far end of the
arena.
If the cone is knocked over
the rider must put it upright
again, replacing any flags. If any
flags are dropped they must be
picked back up again, mounted
or dismounted.
Variations
You can do this game with only
two flags per team. Layout the
cones as above but only have
one flag in the centre line cone.
The race starts the same for
rider one. This time, following
the handover rider two places
their flag in the centre line cone
and collects the flag from the
top end, rides back and passes
the flag to rider three. Rider
three puts the flag in the top
cone and collects the flag from
the centre and passes to rider
four. Rider four repeats the
action of rider two and so on.
rider, who repeats the action of
the first rider.
Variations
Divide each team in two
and start the game with half
mounted on the start line and
the other half on foot with
ponies at the top end.
Place one bin per team half
way down the school with the
sack already in the bin. Rider
one rides to the bin where
they get off and step into the
sack and then jumps to the top
end leading the pony. At the
top rider two gets in the sack,
jumps to the bin where they
place the sack back in the bin
and remounts to ride across
the finish line, rider three
repeats the actions of rider
one and rider four repeats the
actions of rider two.
This continues until all the
riders have completed and
the final rider has crossed the
finish line.
Image credit: Photophilia.co.uk
Image credit: Photophilia.co.uk
Below Image credit: Photophilia.co.uk
STEPPING STONES
RACE
Image credit: Photophilia.co.uk
Everything Horse UK • Issue 27• December 2015
Difficulty Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Equipment needed
Stepping stones are placed in a line
approximately 30cm apart in a school,
or school-sized area. They can be
specially bought or you can use sturdy
pots or buckets. A minimum of six
Stepping stones are recommended per
team.
How to play
Start by dividing each team in two. Half
of the riders go to the opposite end of
the school, and the other half remain at
the start line.
On the signal, rider number one
rides to the stepping stones, dismounts
and leads his or her pony, stepping
carefully across the stepping stones
before re-mounting and riding to the
opposite end of the arena where they
tag rider number two. This continues
until all
of the
riders
have had
their
turn.
The
winning
team is
the one
whose
final
rider
crosses
the line
first.
If a pony or rider knocks a stepping
stone, the rider must set right the fallen
stone and begin again from the first
stone. If the rider loses balance and
steps on the ground before crossing all
of the stones, they must return to the
first stepping stone and try again.
December 2015 • Issue 27 • Everything Horse UK
Variation
If available, bending poles or cones
can be used for weaving to increase
the difficulty of the ridden part of the
game.
Remember to safe but to have fun!
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