[blazn]

Some very nice people close to me put on a monthly gymkhana and I would love to go. It sounds like a lot of fun, but I have no idea how to play the games. I've watched, but I'm still confused.

What is a scurry, and how do you do it? How about a quadrangle or a flag race? I know what barrel racing is, and I think I know what pole bending is - weaving through a line of poles with a flying change at every turn of direction, right? And you run straight up to the top of the line of poles and then weave through on the way back?

Trying to decide what event/s would work best for my horse (and not embarrass the family).

[MyGiantPony]

Scurry race is usually a 3 bounce combination, gallop around a barrel, back down the bounce combination and over the finish.

Our flag race - we put a barrel with a bucket of sand on the rail - there's a hand-held flag in the bucket. Grab the flag, gallop around the ring, put the flag back on the bucket.

Quadrangle is probably the same as raised box keyhole. Gallop up to a box made out of 4 rails, usually raised off the ground a few inches, do a 360 degree turn on your horse, jump out of the box and gallop back over the finish line.

Gymkhanas are FUN!!!

[DLee]

Our scurry races had at least a stride inbetween, but other than that the same as MGP described.

Ahhh, takes me back. Keyhole Race, Boot Race, Trailer Race... good times, good times.

[Roxyllsk]

Scurry jumping is 4 jumps set 2 along each long side of the ring - you can go around them either way, but basically you have to go around the ring 2x, (4 jumps) as fast as you can. The jumps are usually itty bitty crossrails.

[blazn]

So, practice for the scurry would be maybe cantering over rails on the ground, or cavaletti, and lengthening/shortening the canter stride? For the quadrangle/keyhole, canter stop turn canter? Flag race must need leg yield + gallop and stop?

This horse is a seriously gaited TWH, who will hit his back legs on anything raised very high. Do you get penalized for hitting the poles?

[furlong47]

Pole bending is actually ride straight out, weave back through the poles, turn around the end pole and weave again going the other direction, then ride straight back across the finish line.