Ideas Please!

[bigmare]

We are trying to organise a Christmas 'Fun Show' at our yard. We have a real mixed bag and want to cater for everyone but the aim is to have fun and get EVERYONE joining in (whether it be riding, baking a cake, being a judge, whatever) We need a big moral boost at the moment and thought this may just do it!

So come on all of you lovely people... help me get a list together for games & ideas... I'd really appreciate it! Thank you;)

[lobeliaoverhill]

We used to have a Christmas 'Do' at the RS I used to go to in Scotland, we decorated ourselves and the ponies with tinsel (you do need to be careful around the ponies eyes!) and ride through the town, back to the yard for mice pies and hot punch (non alcoholic - well I hope it was!!). Prizes for the best turnout. In lieu of a ride through town (horribly embarrassing) mounted games would be fun!

[Mimi + Me]

You could set up a small jumping course. People could chose a partner, andafter the first person has jumped they pass a christmas cracker onto the next person who goes round the course. A bit like a relay race. The best cracker to get would be one of those plastic toy ones you get for dogs, otherwise paper ones might disintegrate!

I'm sure there are a lot of gymkhana games you could adapt with a Christmas theme.

[popularfurball]

Is it a livery or a RS and are there loads of kids or mainly adults?

We used to dress up two of the ponys and father christmas used to come visit - they wore antlers and everything :D

Also a gymkhana - an adults AND a kids - silly stuff like around the worlds, egg on spoons, bean bag on head etc - they are always fun and very competitive no matter what age :p

If you have fields etc then treasure hunts on horseback or on foot if not big enough, a long ride out with a pub lunch and ,ulled wine on return...

We also used to have a "blindmans bluff" but you get blind folded, and you then get a horse/ponmy pout in front of you - using hands only you hgave to identify the horse/pony in front - the person who gets the most right (elimination process) wins :)

[melmo1313]

Oh I LOVE these ideas especially the horsey blind mans buff!

[mlp2]

At my old yard we had an inhouse show, everyone had to take part in every class.
We did the usual inhand tack and turnout, a ridden class, a simple dressage test, and then an obstacle course (cones to weave through, poles to go between, a water tray, a loop to pick up and put on etc.) It worked well as there was something for everyone.
It was in the summer though and we rounded it off with a bbq.

[bigmare]

Is it a livery or a RS and are there loads of kids or mainly adults?

We used to dress up two of the ponys and father christmas used to come visit - they wore antlers and everything :D

Also a gymkhana - an adults AND a kids - silly stuff like around the worlds, egg on spoons, bean bag on head etc - they are always fun and very competitive no matter what age :p

If you have fields etc then treasure hunts on horseback or on foot if not big enough, a long ride out with a pub lunch and ,ulled wine on return...

We also used to have a "blindmans bluff" but you get blind folded, and you then get a horse/ponmy pout in front of you - using hands only you hgave to identify the horse/pony in front - the person who gets the most right (elimination process) wins :)

Its the livery yard, so yes a real mixed bag of horses, ponies, adults, children!!!! Love the blindmans buff game!!!

Thanks for all all great ideas..... please keep them coming - I'm very grateful!!:)

[Snowyboy]

Oh my! i could have posted this - I didn't run fast enough when we were talking about it

we need classes for non riddens, riddens, highly strung horses, little ponies with kids, over excited ponies, age of riders 5 - well over retirement

the only set thing is we are going to do hot dogs, mince pies, mulled wine, non alcoholic mulled wine, soft drinks crisps etc


I thought we could have best dressed Christmas combo - so that covers everyone and maybe award best kid, best adult, best non ridden??

games??

jumping??

its to have fun!

[shanzee]

Horse and hound jumping always goes down well at our yard shows - horse jumps round first then rider passes over to dog and runner who have to jump the same course.

And silly games are always fab - musical mounting blocks where when the music stops you race to a block and 'claim' it by getting off the horse and standing on the block is always interesting.... Shows who the fit people are!

[popularfurball]

Horse and hound jumping always goes down well at our yard shows - horse jumps round first then rider passes over to dog and runner who have to jump the same course.

And silly games are always fab - musical mounting blocks where when the music stops you race to a block and 'claim' it by getting off the horse and standing on the block is always interesting.... Shows who the fit people are!

Ah yeah we used to play that - very funny!! Also the game where you have a course of fancy dress - so a pile of hats a pile of tops, pile of skirts, and a pile of gloves and a pile of bags - you have to mount and dismount between each pile - the firtst one home properly dressed wins :D

Can't tell I used to lead in pony birthday parties :p