Handy Pony/Horse class - ideas please

minesadouble

minesadouble

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Pretty much as title really, anyone seen any really good ideas at shows lately?

Wehave had pegging washing online, catching rubber ducks, bending, a bale pen, anyone have any other good ideas?

Thanks in advance :)
 
When I was a kid we used to have to open umbrellas and shake them, do a small jump, drag a sledge or a sack, carry some plastic containers/bottles on a large string from one jump wing to another.

How about carrying a glass of water from a table to another without spilling too much?
 
Transferring a flag between cones to start and then back to finish. Time starts when you say go and stops when they let go of flag.

Walking over plastic (led).

Leading through a trailer (front unload, no partition)

Riding though a 'scary' lane e.g. a narrow path through traffic cones, flapping things, scare crow etc.

Do a gate or a slip rail.
 
Just a word of warning with the washing line one - I always remember seeing a young kid doing this in a handy pony, and her pony spooked running under the line - garrotting the poor kid quite badly. She ended up being carted off in an ambulance.
 
Sorry can't think of anything as the last handy pony class I did when I was 8 years old on an extremely fiery Sec A has been successfully blocked from my memory! All I can recall happening is being dragged around, trodden on and lept on because she was so terrified of everything :D
 
carrying one jug of water to the bucket and pouring it in with out spilliage. Posting a letter through the letter box, Hanging up some washing on the washing line.
 
Moomin1 said:
Just a word of warning with the washing line one - I always remember seeing a young kid doing this in a handy pony, and her pony spooked running under the line - garrotting the poor kid quite badly. She ended up being carted off in an ambulance.
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:o When we did the washing line thing we did it dismounted ;)
 
Make a sort of 'S' shape track with poles to walk through - you have to get the turn just right. Two concentric circles of markers - ride into centre of inner one, dismount, rider steps away from pony into outer circle. Horse must stand still for 10 seconds.

You could perhaps enhance the safety of a washing line exercise by attaching at one or both ends with equi-ping or similar?
 
I loved handy pony as a kid!
A row of straw bales that you had to dismount at, run along whilst leading the pony then jump back on.
One had a wood clown that you had to push/kick it's head down.
Picking up a ball and throwing in a bucket.
Stepping stones.
Small jump.
Backing up in an alley way.
Putting the rubbish out.
Can you tell I LOVED gymkhana games???!!!
 
Just been to a camp over the weekend where one of the games we played was equine apple bobbing. Much hilarity ensued cos most of the horses didn't have a clue what we were trying to get them to do. What was interesting was that the ones who galloped to the bucket then acted the most confused when asked to calmly remove an apple from it!
 
Lots of good ideas already. One or two that always rooted out the real handy ponies include picking up a bin bag half full of cans (so it rattles when picked up) and walking a few steps then putting it down again (but do brief kids to let go if pony runs off, you get so many ponies headed off across the field flat out with child valiantly hanging onto the bin bag if not!) and a pair of jump wings with a door frame fly fringe thing across them for the horse to walk through.
 
The only handy pony I've ever had the chance to participate in had activities including a huge blue tarp walk, dismount walk a balance beam leading your pony and mount from the ground and dismount and walk your pony through a horsebox. I can't remember the other ones, I'm sure we had to pick up, carry and drop something but I cant remember if it was flags or something like a ball or something entirely different :o Had a great time though :)
 
Look at Le trec obstacles & adapt them, maypole is surprisingly scary, 2 parallel poles caught out a lot of the "posh" horses at our recent comp, they couldn't get the idea of walking between & kept jumping out.
 
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