Alright, so a few days ago, I got this idea in my head to try out this “horse soccer ball” thing. Never heard of it before, but it sounded wild, so I figured, why not?
First things first, I had to find one of these balls. I looked around online and found out they’re pretty popular. Who knew? There are tons of these things on Amazon, selling like hotcakes. I picked out a bright red one, 17 inches, that’s supposed to be anti-burst. Sounded sturdy enough.
While I was waiting for the ball to arrive, I did a little more digging. Turns out, it’s not just about kicking a ball around. This is like, a whole sport. Horseball, they call it. Two teams, horses, a ball, and goals. It’s like basketball and rugby had a baby, and that baby grew up to be a horse sport. Wild, right?
So, the ball shows up. It’s big, it’s red, and it’s definitely anti-burst. I’m thinking, “Okay, how do I get this thing ready for action?” I remembered seeing something about using twine to make it easier for the horses to handle. I grabbed some double-length twine, folded it over the handle of the ball, and started braiding. It was a bit of a mess, but I got it done. Tied a knot at the end and hoped for the best.
Now, for the fun part. Getting my horse, Champ, to play along. I introduced him to the ball slowly, let him sniff it, nudge it a bit. He was curious, a little cautious at first, but then he started to get into it. I rolled the ball towards him, and he bumped it with his front legs. We went back and forth like that for a while. It was hilarious watching him figure it out.
Next, I tried to get him to move the ball around the field. That was a bit more challenging. Champ would follow the ball, but he wasn’t quite getting the idea of “dribbling” it. We spent a good hour just chasing the ball around, me laughing my head off, and Champ probably wondering what his crazy human was up to this time.
- These horse soccer balls are tougher than they look. Champ gave it a few good kicks, and it held up just fine.
- Horses are smarter than you think. It took some time, but Champ started to understand the game, at least a little bit.
- It’s a great way to bond with your horse. We had a blast, even if we weren’t exactly playing a proper game of horseball.
- It is a good workout for both of us. Running around the field trying to control the ball, Champ was getting a good run, and I was definitely feeling it in my legs the next day.
Here’s what I learned from this little experiment:
So, yeah, that’s my horse soccer ball adventure. Would I do it again? Absolutely. It’s a fun, silly, and surprisingly good way to spend an afternoon with your horse. If you’re looking for something different to try, give it a shot. You might just discover a new favorite pastime.
