FLYING HIGH W
hether you’re jumping for the first time or often compete in showjumping classes, feeling super-confident will help you have tonnes of fun and get the most from time with your fave pony. Here’s our guide to feeling brave over fences.
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GROUNDED
Working on your partnership on the flat will improve your bond and help you feel more confident, too. You don’t even need to leave the ground! Why not spend some time improving your pony’s straightness, adjustability and balance, because they all help him jump better! Ask your instructor for help with exercises to try, or have a go at a few simple exercises – such as circles – and some more tricky ones, like legyielding or serpentines.
TOP TIP
Having regular jumping lessons will boost your confidence. Remember, you don’t have to spend a whole lesson jumping – ask your instructor if you can pop a couple of fences at the end of a flatwork session!
SUPERB SEAT
Practise your jumping position in walk, trot and canter around the arena and over poles. A secure and balanced seat will help you feel more confident, so make sure you can achieve this on the flat before you try over a fence. It might feel strange to pick up your jumping position in walk, but it’ll help you build up the right muscles so when it comes to popping fences, you’ll ace it every time.
Working on your partnership on
ON COMMAND
If you feel out of control your confidence will take a hit. So, spend some time practising transitions, as well as shortening and lengthening your pony’s strides. This will get him totally focused on you, so when you put a fence into the equation it won’t faze him, and you’ll know he’s listening to what you’re asking rather than taking charge!
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, e m o H
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e ur pony’s happy at home om H yo w you can make sure
T his Esme explains ho
W
e all want to give our ponies the best possible environment to live in – and ensure they’re as happy as possible, whatever we do with them. But a lot of our management techniques are pretty diffe rent to how a wild pony would live. Luckily, there are a few fun changes you can make to help your pony live a more natural and happy lifestyle. Chec k out my seven fave tips for environmental enric hment.
TOP TIP
Watch to make sure your pony’s happy within his herd – look out for any signs that he’s being bullied or isn’t getting on with his fieldmates.
Field friendly
A great place to start when thinking about your pony’s environment is in his field. All ponies need friends, food and freedom to be happy – and he should be able to get all three in his paddock. If he eats hay out in the field, lay it out in lots of different piles around the paddock (at least two more than the number of ponies) so he has to walk between them – this will also prevent any fighting between ponies who are vying for the same hay. Speaking of friends, your pony should always have access to companions. Ideally, he should be in a field with at least a couple of others, but if this isn’t possible, make sure he has a friend or two in the field next door and can always see other ponies.
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Fun and games
Apple bobbing’s a great way to encourage your pony to drink m ore water and keep him entertained at the same time! Sim ply fill his water bucket or trough and po p in a handful of apples for him to try and catch. Apples have a hi gh water conten t and aren’t too su gary, but if your pony’s prone to weight gain, you could chop up the apples in to smaller pieces so you don’t need to use as many.
Spread out Splitting your pony’s forage into separate haynets and hanging it around his stable will help keep him occupied and stop him rushing his food. If he’s a good-doer use smallholed nets or double net (put one inside another), so his ration lasts longer. This means he’ll get all the forage he needs but won’t have to stand around feeling hungry because he’s eaten everything too quickly.
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citin eld more ex stable or fi succulents e m dding so a y d b is im h , apples an ple, carrots to n o m – for exam e th and poking parsnips – nibble the to le b a e b ll e’ H . k ic a st ich will e stick, wh d treats off th r longer, an ccupied fo it keep him o b a him to work encourage is food. harder for h
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