RELAY RACE
THE PYRAMID GAME
Difficulty Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
Difficulty Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
MOUNTED GAMES FUN
this Christmas...
Image credit: Photophilia.co.uk
Image credit: Photophilia.co.uk
M
ounted Games is fast,
fantastic and lots of fun,
and can also increase rider
agility, accuracy and help
teach the importance of team work.
During the festive period many riding
schools and livery yards indulge in a
little extra fun on board our rather furry
equines to help everyone feel the spirit of
Christmas.
Below are some suggestions for fun
Christmas games which can be easily
done with equipment you will find in
any yard.
Using the difficulty rating you can
find just the right game for you, and
there are plenty of ways you can alter
the rules depending on the size of your
team, availability of equipment and
the ability of
ponies and
riders.
It’s great to
have fun over
Christmas but,
never forget to
wear a hat!
Equipment needed
• A baton per team
• A cone or bending
pole per team.
How to play
The teams begin at the
start/finish line. The first
rider, who is holding the
baton, rides to the top end
of the school, around the
bending pole and back to
hand over the baton to the
next person. This continues
until a team’s last rider
crosses the line, holding
the baton, when the game
is over.
If the baton is dropped,
the rider must stop and
pick it up to continue
the game. This can be
done from the saddle
or by dismounting and
remounting.
Variations
There are lots of ways to
vary this game! You can use
bending poles and cones
for weaving, or vary the
pace to suit rider ability, for
example walking away and
trotting back.
Equipment needed
• Two tables per team
– these could be litter
bins with something
placed on top of them
or anything which will
make a sturdy surface
to place containers
on, such as a chair or
stool.
• Containers –stackable
boxes, depending on
the number of riders
per team, such as
rectangular ice cream
tubs.
How to play
A table is placed on the
centre line and another is
placed at the top end of
the school, upon which the
boxes are put unstacked.
All of the riders begin
mounted at the start /finish
end. On the signal, rider
number one rides to the
top end table where they
collect a box before riding
back towards the start/
finish end, placing the box
on the centre line table as
they go. They then tag rider
number two, who collects
Image credit: Photophilia.co.uk
Image credit: Photophilia.co.uk
THE PONY CLUB
The Pony Club, Mounted Games is
just one of nine exciting disciplines
available to Members of The Pony
Club, the international voluntary
youth organisation for people up to
the age of 25.
As well as numerous riding and
competition opportunities at all levels,
Members receive training in horse
care and can gain Badges and Tests,
right up to the prestigious Pony Club
A Test.
Members learn in a fun and unique
way; forming lifelong friendships,
achieving personal goals and gaining
20
core qualities such as sportsmanship,
citizenship and loyalty.
If you are a young person interested
in horses and riding, visit The Pony
Club website www.pcuk.org for
details of your nearest Pony Club
Branch, for those who have their
own ponies, or Pony Club Centre,
for those who do not own their own
pony.
In association with The Pony
Club, Sportsmark manufacture
a range of Mounted Games
equipment. Visit www.sportsmark.
co.uk to view the range.
Everything Horse UK • Issue 27• December 2015
the next box and places it
on top of the box left by
the previous rider. This
continues until all of the
boxes have been collected
and the stack is complete.
The winning team is
the one whose final rider
crosses the line first with
all the boxes stacked on the
centre line table.
If the table is knocked
and the pyramid falls the
rider must re-build it,
mounted or dismounted, in
the correct order.
Variation
To make the game easier
for smaller riders, they
could dismount to stack
the boxes, as shown, and
either lead their pony back
or remount to cross the
finish line.
To add a bit more
technicality you could use
boxes of varying size or
write something on the
side of each box so then the
boxes have to be stacked in
an order, either largest to
smallest or to spell a word.
Image credit: Photophilia.co.uk
December 2015 • Issue 27 • Everything Horse UK
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