The Equine Impact

What You Need:
Buckets
Small objects (toys, horse treats, etc.)

Here’s a fun seasonal game to play with clients on horseback! This is also a great way to use extra volunteers. It requires a little bit of setup but clients of all ages and riding ability will love this game.

Fill buckets or baskets with small objects that will be the “treats” for clients. This can be small toys, stuffed animals, various horse treats – use your imagination! Hand baskets to your volunteers spaced out around the ring, or place baskets on the fence posts. Provide larger baskets or pillowcases in the center of the arena for clients to collect their treats in. If comfortable, clients can carry their basket with them or use saddlebags on the horse.

Clients need to ride up to each volunteer or basket and “trick or treat.” They can retrieve one object from each basket and place it in their basket. Once clients get a treat from all of the individual baskets, have clients sort through their treats. Place contents on a barrel or side rail and allow clients to choose three items to keep. I find this game to be really fun if clients can take home their treats.

If clients collected horse treats, allow clients to feed their horse at the end of the lesson. This is a short and sweet lesson plan (no pun intended), but it will provide a lot of fun for clients to put their riding skills to work in a new, fun way.