Hobbies And Interests
DS Games
Many horse games intended for preteens are available on the Nintendo DS portable gaming system. "Petz Horseshoe Ranch" enables kids to breed and nurture a horse family by mixing varieties of the animal. Kids then tend to the animal as it grows, and equip horses with various accessories and toys. "Pippa Funnell 2: Farm Adventures" places preteens in the role of a horse trainer. Players are given foals to care for, and must train them to compete in contests as well as brush and wash them. An unusual feature in this title is the ability to interact with the horses via the DS microphone, with the animals responding to players' voices.
Other Video Games
Horse games for preteens are also available across several other gaming platforms. These titles include "Disney Princess Royal Horse Show," a PC game in which kids play as a famous Disney character such as Snow White or Cinderella. The player's aim is to compete in a major horse show in Disney Kingdom; along the way, she must train her horse and unlock hidden secrets. Wii title "My Horse and Me" again challenges players to nurture a horse and then enter it into competitions. Players use the Wii Wiimote and Nunchuk controllers to control how fast the horse is going by moving these devices up and down. The game includes training sessions to help kids learn how to play.
Board Games
These games are typically multiplayer. "Horse Show" is based around the world of competitive show jumping and is designed for kids aged 8 and up. Players use cards which represent horses and show equipment to create a hand of five cards each round, and then compare their hand to those of other players to determine who wins a Blue Ribbon. Players aim to win more Blue Ribbons than their rivals. "Pony-opoly" is a variant on the property trading game "Monopoly," with participants collecting ponies and treats as they progress around the board. Players must avoid ending up in the Stable, which is this game's version of the Jail.
Party Games
A few party games for kids are based around the theme of horses. In "Horse, Horse, Pony," one child is elected to be 'it' for the round while everyone else is positioned in a circle. That child walks around the circle, tapping each player on the head and saying horse; at any time, she can choose to say pony instead. If this happens, the pony must get up and chase after the first child; if he catches her, the first child is out of the game and the pony becomes 'it', while if the first child makes it all the way around to the pony's place in the circle, play resumes with the pony now 'it'.