HORSE RIDING GAMES: Strengthening Motivation

Horse riding games are to be employed by many instructors to galvanize their students to engage more in learning. Inducement increases when the scholar riders play a game because games foster play. Play builds up incentive, which supports the training process by providing motivation. With inducements, scholars are inspired to take part in learning.

Since play promotes fun, then games should be integrated in studying. Therefore, it will be simpler for student pony riders to learn pony riding if they can learn through horse riding games.

Below are examples of horse riding is pretty much like musical horses is pretty much like musical chairs, only that rather than chairs ground poles are used. The ground poles will they are parallel to one another and about eight feet apart. The poles should look like a "parking lot" but for horses not for vehicles. The number of spaces between poles should be one less than the number of riders.

Step 1. Music will be played and the riders with their horses will do a discipline. They will be asked to walk, trot, canter, halt, half circle, reverse or circle.

Step 2. When the music stops, the riders must right away 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.

Surely there will be one rider which will not get a space since the ground pole parking lots are one less than the riders. That rider will be eliminated and the number of spaces and the riders will be equal, so one pole must be removed. This may make the spaces between poles one less than the rider again. The last rider to get the one last space will be the winner.

In this game, the older riders will be paired with the younger riders. The younger riders will go to the center ring. They will be tagged up to the mounting block and watch their team buddy who will be asked to do a discipline.

When the riders hear the trainer say the word "halt", they'll stop on the rail and dismount. The younger riders will run from the center to their partners and the older riders will mount them safely on the pony. The younger riders will race back to the mounting block on the middle of the arena and the last team to get there will be out.

When the trainer asserts "halt", the older riders will go to the younger riders to help the younger riders dismount. Then the younger riders will return to the mounting block while the older riders mount. The older riders will ride with no stirrups or in jockey style in small kids' stirrups.

The last team left will be the winner.

Horse riding games help riders develop their strategic capability as these games create synthetic conflicts designed by rules. They also foster interaction between riders.

About the writer : Lisa Blackstone owns and operates Arabian pony training and breeding business. Having grown up with horses, she knows the intrinsic benefits that appear from an involvement with horses. For additional information on horse riding, please visit Horse Riding Lesson and Learn to Ride a Horse.