Looking for "Fun" Classes to have at a schooling show

[katie16]

Every year at our last schooling show of the year we do a couple of fun classes - Egg & Spoon, Sit-A-Buck, and usually a Halloween costume class. This year our last show will be in September so the costume class will not be held. I am looking for ideas of what to replace it with.

Ideally the class needs to be something that lower level riders could participate in as we don't have anyone above the 2'6" level with the majority of them being 2' riders or below. We even let the leadliners do the Egg & Spoon if they want to - we figure it's fun for them and they usually don't make it more than a few feet at the walk anyway!

Anyone ever done a "horse-less horse show"? What's that like? How does it work?

[DraftHorsePower]

Hahahahaha horseless horse show. I would pay to see that! Great idea.

A fun one seems to be the "Professionals only equitation"... then the kids can all stand there and yell at their trainers to keep their shoulders back, etc. lol.

[*JumpIt*]

Bareback equitation! Both on the flat and crossrails.

[katie16]

Hahahahaha horseless horse show. I would pay to see that! Great idea.

A fun one seems to be the "Professionals only equitation"... then the kids can all stand there and yell at their trainers to keep their shoulders back, etc. lol.


The shows are fairly small - they are just very local people - there are only about six to eight trainers that come. One trainer that comes and brings some lower level lesson students (or really green horses for herself to ride) does USEF rated shows and has riders with awards from state finals, florida, VT, etc. One younger trainer that comes had a successful junior career on the USEF circuit in the area. The rest are less experienced. So . . . I don't see that class working out. But I am sure the kids would love it!

[gusbabe]

We do a fun show with only games. Here are some ideas.
Crepe paper pairs with two riders each holding and end, start at the walk and speed up as necessary and safe also include changes of direction and see who's rips last.
Pony express where the first rider rides to the mail box, gets a letter, puts it in a bag, rides to a second point to hand off the bag to a second rider who rides it across the finish line. Fastest team wins.
Flag race. Rider starts with the flag races to a barrel that has a bucket (helps to put sand in bucket) on top, put the flag in and race back. fastest time wins
Not sure of name- First rider starts goes half way around ring to wehre secodn rider waits, pass off something within two barrels adn second rider brings it home. Fastest time wins
down and out- whoever is last one to clear fence at height w hich is raised after each rider gets a turn wins. If most riders are lower level you just start lower and finish lower. Our 2' riders still have fun although it does usually get over 3'
Obstacle course- not your typical trail course, can contain elements but we include things that horses would spook at, riding without stirrups at points, have had keyhole turns, small jumps, etc. Kids have lots of fun with this but it takes a long time to run
bobbing for apples. RAce horse to bobbing spot, dismount, get apple, remount, race back. We provide a mounting block and horse handler at the bobbing spot. Can get very long as well as some very wet riders. One of the horses decided to play one time!
Good luck!

[katie16]

Bareback equitation! Both on the flat and crossrails.


We already do the Sit-A-Buck and get minimal entries compared to the Egg & Spoon so I don't really want to add another bareback class.

Many of the exhibitors are not comfortable bareback (the largest "demographic" would probably be walk-trot to short stirrup level) so they don't do the sit-a-buck, just the egg & spoon. I would really like to find something that could be all inclusive.

[katie16]

We do a fun show with only games. Here are some ideas.
Crepe paper pairs with two riders each holding and end and see who's rips last.
Pony express where the first rider rides to the mail box, gets a letter, puts it in a bag, rides to a second point to hand off the bag to a second rider who rides it across the finish line. Fastest team wins.
Flag race. Rider starts with the flag races to a barrel that has a bucket (helps to put sand in bucket) on top, put the flag in and race back. fastest time wins
Not sure of name- First rider starts goes half way around ring to wehre secodn rider waits, pass off something within two barrels adn second rider brings it home. Fastest time wins
down and out- whoever is last one to clear fence at height w hich is raised after each rider gets a turn wins. If most riders are lower level you just start lower and finish lower. Our 2' riders still have fun although it does usually get over 3'
Obstacle course- not your typical trail course, can contain elements but we include things that horses would spook at, riding without stirrups at points, have had keyhole turns, small jumps, etc. Kids have lots of fun with this but it takes a long time to run
bobbing for apples. RAce horse to bobbing spot, dismount, get apple, remount, race back. We provide a mounting block and horse handler at the bobbing spot. Can get very long as well as some very wet riders. One of the horses decided to play one time!
Good luck!

Thanks for all the great ideas! I think the first one with the crepe paper might be the best for our situation. Or maybe the flag race too.

And I laughed at your apple story! We also offered a BIG tub where riders could bring their horses up to bob for apples (outside the ring at their convenience) and what a scene that could be sometimes!

I just had an idea pop into my head! Anyone ever done anything like Simon Says on horseback? Don't they call it a Command Class or something like that? The could start with like dropping and re-gaining the stirrups at the walk (or trot). That would likely eliminate many of the walk-trotters before any cantering would be needed!

[Peggy]

Simon Says definitely works and can be all-inclusive, as well as challenging for the more advanced riders who make it to the end.

Given your rider level, I would tend to avoid things that involve racing as a group from one end of the ring to another. There's always a walking race tho.

Walk-Trot Pairs class?

And don't think that you can't have a costume class, just b/c it's not Halloween adjacent.

[IsolaBella09]

Horseless Horse Shows are great! We do them all the time for JustWorld. Check out my signature. I also like the idea of bareback equitation.

[HandsomeRansom]

I have always been a fan of the "champagne" relay, where you fill up a wine glass which is filled all the way up. Have each person jump a crossrails course, and whoever has spilled the least amount wins!

[joiedevie99]

Crepe paper is fun and appropriate. You can also call it hunt teams and have them ride side by side for the whole class if you think riding one handed is too tricky for some of them.

Command classes are the adult version of simon says. Make sure you have 2-3 spotters to help the judge though. Kids can get super angry if some takes a few extra walk steps on the HALT command and no one sees it!

[BuddyRoo]

For a non-riding class, musical chairs.

We used to always do the boot race too--Where everyone takes off one boot and drops it in a pile at the end of the arena. On horseback, they W T or C from one end of the arena to the pile of boots, dismount, find their boot, put it on and run with their horse (on foot) back to the other end of the arena and the finish line.

Barrels could be done pretty easily and just for fun.

We always had "monkey in a tree" but it sounds like your riders maybe aren't that daring/it might not be safe for them.

We did TP relays--similar to the paper chain example above.

Watermelon race: small tables set up on one end of arena, each with a slice of watermelon. Run horse over to table, dismount, eat your watermelon, get back on, race back.

[buck22]

Simon Says on horseback? Don't they call it a Command Class or something like that? The could start with like dropping and re-gaining the stirrups at the walk (or trot).
we used to play "red light green light" and walking races (who can walk the fastest without breaking gait) and trot races (who can trot the slowest without breaking gait)... the races had start and finish lines, or relay, down the arena and back again (at fastest possible walk or slowest possible jog).

we also had a high time doing "english tea cups" where we'd jump 4 x rails with holding a plastic cup of water, whoever had the most water at the end of the 4 rails won. (would line up all the cups to see who had most water left, use clear plastic cups for this)

we also had "jousting" where we'd take a broom stick and pick up rings off the fence line.

These were all slower fun classes that kids could enjoy too. We did a lot of speed type fun events too.

[kookicat]

Loads of ideas on here. (http://www.pcuk.org/Disciplines/Mounted-Games/Championship-Results)

:)

[AppendixQHLover]

hehe..here is one of my favorite..Can't remember what it is called but it is funny.

Person goes trotting to the end of the ring. Dismounts... There is a bucket with a bat or something in it. Rider puts head on the bat and spins around a certain number of time. Person runs back to the finish line.

Two people will need to be there to hold horses.

It is very comical seeing people run after spinning. :D

[HoosierHorseNut]

catalog race- ride down to catalog (or binder with numbered pages in it) dismount, get proper page from catalog, lead horse back, fastest time wins. Horse holders at catalog spot and the rider must shut the book.

[Brooke]

Do a mounted musical chairs. Riders walk or trot a circle around the circle of chairs. when music stops they must dismount and lead the horse as they run for the chairs. You need a couple of people to help kids mount again.

Gretna Green race - Riders start at one end of the ring - walk or trot to the other end (breaking is cause for elimination - keeps it safe) where his partner is waiting. Partner must mount somehow and they ride double back to the starting line.

Pole bending is fun. You can set up two lines of poles and the kids run against each other. Again at the trot only. Great for the very young ones.

[HenryisBlaisin']

Grooms' class is always good for a laugh.

Our local 4-H show has a stick horse class where riders of stick horses demonstrate their very best gaits and pop over a few low cavaletti.

[Across Sicily]

My barn does fun shows during the winter and the "fun" classes are everyones' favorites. Every single rider enters! We change it up every show... for example, we do Trot-A-Barrel (or walk a barrel, if you are more comfortable) at the first one, then a Keyhole (at the trot) at the 2nd one, then a Pole Bending (at the trot... and it's really cones) at the third one. For the "grand finale" we do a combination of all the classes... so you pole bend down to a barrel you trot around, then trot into the keyhole and turn around and trot back home! It's really fun and they are definitely the most hotly contested classes - nobody cares who wins the equitation or the age divisions but ooooh if you win the Fun Class it's a big deal alright!

[Simbalism]

A fun class that we do at our riding club end of season show is pairs rope hold or whatever you want to call it. Two riders hold a length of rope(approximately 3 feet long). each rider holds an end and proceed to the end of ring and around a barrel and back to start. can be done at any gait and although speed helps, keeping hold of the ribbon is what counts. So could be good for the more beginner riders as well as more advanced riders. Another fun class we do is mug shuffle. This also a pairs class. Need 4 upright poles spread about 2 horse lengths apart, and two metal or plastic cups. Start with a mug on 1st and 3rd poles, 1st rider rides down and picks up 1st mug and shuffles it to 2nd pole, picks up 2nd cup and transfers to 4th pole. 2nd rider than goes in opposite direction and picks up 1st cup and transfers to next pole and then down the line and picks up next mug and transfers to last pole and across finish line. Another class (single rider) rider is given a tennis ball or any small handheld item, goes to end of ring to a barrel with a small bucket placed on top. put item in the bucket continue around barrel and back to finish. Also a timed class. We also do a command class. Rider must perform change of gait as it is announced. Riders are tagged out when they are the last to perform the change as called. We also do barrels beginner and advanced(beginner trots, advanced canters), beginner pole bending(trotting for beginner) and advanced(cantering).

[akhunterrider]

my favorites have been the trotting race and a variation of the egg and spoon game where you hold an egg in your hand behind your back and do a small course of jumps.

[Hoon]

I remember doing a "Dollar Bill Class" when I was a kid. You stick a dollar bill between the rider's lower leg and the horse, then put them through their paces (walk, trot, 2-point, etc.). Whoever keeps their dollar the longest wins all of the dollars. Promotes good leg position too!

[twoposies]

Man all these suggestions are bringing up memories of fun shows we used to have when I was a kid, they were such a blast!

So the musical chairs we did with burlap sacks and called it Musical Sacks, I think - music played the announcer told everyone to walk, trot or canter, counter canter, sitting trot, etc, music stopped you had to get your horse's foot on a burlap sack.

We also did many of the pre-mentioned, pony express, bobing for apples, boot race, pairs class - those who rode most in synch won, if I recall, egg n spoon, ride a buck, bareback eq, I think we did a version of a puissance, which never made it above 4', I'm sure there were more, but I forget. They were fun though I'd love to do one now!:)

[HunterJumperLuv]

We always did a variation on Musical Chairs called Musical Stalls. You could also limit it to walk trot so then its safer and your kids can all compete.

Same idea as musical chairs but when the music ends, you steer your horse into a "stall" made of ground rails (2 rails/cavaletti).

Helped to have a "handy" horse who could turn on a dime.

We also did a "grand prix" and a "pony prix"

jumper style time first round jump off with the jumps set at a reasonable height for all riders entered.
We also had "grand prix" style ribbons for that class, I still have my pony prix ribbons from when I was like 8. makes for a great addition to any ribbon wall!

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

Oooh I love the command class! Except last time I got beat by a dressage pro at the local county fair--which I thought was sort of lame (why would she enter that class?). I'm probably just being a sore looser!!