The Best Game To Teach Young Riding Students!

This might seem like a lofty claim, and I don’t have years of experience teaching students to ride, I only just started! But I have confidence in this game of my semi-own invention. That’s right I didn’t 100% invent this activity. It’s an already well known game that my six year old riding student and I put a twist on. 

So I know that you’ve played red light, green light before? It’s a really great game used by sports and PE teachers all across the country. If you ever took riding lessons or went to horse camp as a kid you have probably played it on horseback too! Red light, green light is a great way to add a fun twist to the commands we give our students every lesson. Green for “walk on” and red for “whoa.” It teaches the student to listen and obey as well as learn the cues by heart. 

Ready for the twist? 

It all started with yellow light. “What about yellow light?” My student asked after many rounds of red light, green light. Because he was already going at a walk it didn’t make sense for yellow light to mean slow down…so I gave it a new meaning: trot. “Yellow Light!” I called out, and horse and student began to trot across the yard. Next thing I know my student is making up all kinds of “light” commands: blue light is turn right, purple light is back up, orange light is around the world, and rainbow light is pat the horse good job! Many more “lights” were invented and used. The student got sent home with a smile and homework: finding a task for “brown light” to represent. 

So all those “lights” might be a bit of a stretch, but I think the principle of the activity is what matters. My young students are not only riding horses for educational purposes, but to have fun. In teaching horse lessons, the teacher has to give lots of directional commands whose repetition can be burdensome for both teacher and student. Assigning words or “lights” to each verbal command helps to keep things interesting and fun! Other benefits include: 

• Listening and memory skills 
• To accomplish the task, the rider has to think through the cues and aids on their own and then execute them all in a timely fashion  
• Encourages complete focus on the task at hand (this is important for young riders who are easily distracted) 
• Possibilities for “light” meanings are endless; for older, experienced students the “lights” could cue transitions, gaits, etc.… 

More horsey posts: 15 Mounted & Unmounted Activities- For Kids

This lesson activity is really the best! I am very proud of my student’s creativity and plan on using this game for many more lessons to come! I hope this gave you inspiration for your next riding lesson (if you’re an instructor) *let me know if it did in the comments!* Or if nothing else the simplicity of this silly game brought a smile to your face!

Tails & trails, 

Reese