If you’ve seen an arena with tall lights, a concession stand, and an announcer booth then you most likely have Gymkhana’s in your community.
Gymkhana’s are considered day racing events with horses and riders against fellow competitors. It is a safe space where horses and riders can better fine-tune their skill set, get exposure, and learn who their fellow competitors are. This means their also a great spot to build trust and teamwork between horse and rider.
Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s dig into the bones of gymkhanas. Any horse and rider can enter and compete. This means that children from ages two and up can compete as well as riders 50+ years. There are ponies, inexperienced green horses, and horses who have been there, done that. There’s really just a place for everybody here! But they don’t necessarily compete against each other. There are different classes you can enter based on your age or your horse’s experience. Everybody competes within their level of comfort which is super fun. A while back I wrote a blog about sensory walks with your horse which you can find here:
https://yourhorsefarm.com/sensory-walks-for-horses/.
In this, I talked a bit about exposure and building confidence between yourself and your horse. You can also take your horse for a sensory walk at a gymkhana. Maybe you’re unsure how your horse will respond to a
loudspeaker, flags, and other riders so you wish to first go and not enter to gain exposure, which is a great idea! If you were to put Western racing competitions into categories from least to most competitive it would go something like this; gymkhanas, junior rodeo, college rodeo, and pro rodeo. Gymkhanas are very family-oriented rely heavily on fun and have a smaller level of competition they make the perfect spot for exposure.
Once you’ve entered for the day and paid your arena fees, you’re ready to get saddled and get the day going. There are multiple different patterns you can enter (each coming with their own fee) and they begin each pattern with the first class which is usually leadline. Leadline is a class for children who are on their horse while an adult or older sibling leads them around the pattern on foot, and yes, the kid’s place even in this event! From there they move up in age of the riders so everyone is competing within their levels.
In the Gymkhana Association, there are 13 different standard patterns which include the Cloverleaf and Washington Poles. These are the two most common patterns and you’ll see both in every gymkhana. Basically, the horse and rider who can complete the pattern the quickest, place in their age group! The name of the game is speed. However, horsemanship is incredibly important among riders outside of the arena as well. You can even qualify to compete for the entire year and then those with the most points can actually win a saddle or buckle. There are so many layers to the super fun event which means everybody can win something.
If you’ve been searching for a somewhat competitive but laidback activity to do with your horse then gymkhana might be fun for you to try. Since it is so family-oriented it is easy to get your foot in the door and see what you and your horse are capable of. I encourage you to go to the arena in your town and inquire about how to get started. If you already compete in gymkhanas or want to get started feel free to reach out on my personal Insta @unbridledmama.
