The Equine Impact

What You Need:
Bean bags or balls
Buckets, rings, or cornhole board
Barrels or tables

Cornhole is normally a team game played with bean bags and raised platform boards with a hole in it. Teammates stand opposite each other and toss the bean bag into the hole in the platform. Every bean bag that lands on the board is worth 1 point; every bag that gets through the hole is worth 3 points. Teams play to 21. So this sounds a little intense for a riding lesson right? Let me give you some ideas to adjust it!

Although cornhole is traditionally played with bean bags and platform boards, there are ways to adjust the game to make it more rider-friendly and to use a lot of toys you may already have. Instead of bean bags, use balls. Instead of a platform board, use a bucket, rings, or hula hoops. Set up your “boards” on each side of the arena. Set your bean bags/balls somewhere riders can reach it from the horse (like a barrel or table). Let’s stick with bean bags and boards for this example, but sub in whatever toys you have!

To play, have the rider pick up the bean bag and line up with the platform board. You can make this as easy or difficult as the rider can handle by shortening or lengthening the distance of the toss. Have the rider toss the bean bag onto the board. Sometimes I will set a goal for the riders to get to a certain number of points to finish the game.

I will tell riders they need to get 5 points to win. One point for every bean bag on the board (or ball inside the hula hoop) and two points for every bean bag through the hole (or ball inside the ring). This game can be played with individual riders or in a group setting. It can be played in teams or independently. It can also be altered so one lesson it’s played with bean bags, one lesson it’s played with balls, etc.

This is a great game to improve hand-eye coordination and focus in a lesson. It requires riders to pay attention to the activities in the ring, to focus on the target, and to use hand-eye coordination to accomplish the task. Let me know if you try this in a lesson or if you have any questions!