PONY magazine – August

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Robert Whitaker’s

jumping

tips!

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Which famous horse would you be?

Give your pony a

spa day!

He’ll love you forever!!!

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August 2017 £3.99 Issue 828

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A good jump means you’re more likely to leave those fences up and ride a clear round. Check out Robert Whitaker’s top tips for improving your pony’s jump

With thanks to John Whitaker International for their help with this feature, johnwhitaker.com

T Our models

Robert is part of the Whitaker family’s showjumping dynasty, and son of John Whitaker.

He’s been the British Open Showjumping Champion an impressive three times, and has ridden on the British team on many occasions.

He’s riding Catwalk IV, a 14-year-old Holsteiner.

he shape your pony makes over a fence is called a bascule. A good bascule is a rounded arc – similar to the shape a dolphin makes as it jumps out of the water.

A poor bascule is when your pony jumps flat, often with his head in the air and a hollow back.

This means he can’t jump as high, so he’s more likely to knock down poles. Improving your pony’s bascule produces a better jump, which helps leave the fences up and allows you to move up the levels!

Best foot forward

The foundation of a good jump is flatwork. If your pony isn’t balanced and in a rhythm on the approach to a fence, he won’t be able to take off well. It’s superimportant to focus on how well your pony moves on the flat before you think about jumping!

Top tip

Adjust the distance between the poles to suit your pony’s stride length.

Hot to trot

Trotting poles are a great way to work on your pony’s rhythm. Start with four poles on the ground, each about 1.2m apart – that’s roughly one and a third of your steps. Ride over the middle of the poles, keeping your pony straight through his body.

You should feel his trot lengthen slightly and open up, so keep your hands soft with an elastic contact to allow him to move forwards.

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Top tip

Let your pony take his time to work out how to trot through the poles well – don’t rush him over them or you’ll unbalance him.

Sit it out

Trotting poles can also be ridden in sitting trot.

This helps test your control – your pony might be tempted to rush through the exercise or slow right down to get out of working properly.

Sit up tall and roll your shoulders back to maintain a strong position. Keep an even contact and wrap your legs around his sides to maintain the energy.

Top tip

Make sure to ride over the trotting poles on both reins.

Top tip

If your pony tries to jump in over the first raised pole and becomes unbalanced, place another ground pole one pace in front of it to encourage him to trot over them calmly.

Raise the bar

Once you’ve got the hang of trotting poles, you can challenge your pony by alternately raising each side of the poles. This encourages him to lift his legs higher and keeps him focused.

Let your pony think for himself through this exercise. It might take him longer to get the hang of it, but be patient. By riding softly and straight over them, he’ll learn to work out what to do with his legs for himself, which is super-helpful when it comes to jumping.

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g n i k hacus happy mWahethker yoeu hasve your own pony odroruidtewahty awe ct. Fin Fa . n fu is g n i k c a h riding scho ol, love it so much!

Space to race!

Being out of the arena means you’ve got so much more space to make use of, and there’s no better way to do so than having a race. Or if you’re on your own, even just taking your pony for a good canter is great fun, too.

Chat time!

Can you think of a better way to catch up with your mates than taking your ponies out for a hack? No, neither can we! Round up your friends at the yard, pick a route, pack some snacks and head off for the afternoon.

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Chill out Is too much homework making you stressed? Although riding with friends is really fun, sometimes going for a hack alone gives you the headspace you need to have a good think and relax.

F Bond with your pony BF Hacking is the perfect opportunity to bond with your fave pony while you’re in the saddle. Spending more time together than normal and putting extra trust in each other will improve your relationship no end. Your pony will have fun and enjoy the chill time with you, too.

t It’s something differen Especially if you normally have lessons, doing something different will make your riding time even more interesting and it’ll really improve your riding, too.

Go exploring You can explore so many places in the local area with your pony that you’ve not been to before and you’ll be surprised how many you didn’t even know existed. Have a look at a map before you go and choose some places to hunt out.

Jump something new Jumping’s always fun, but jumping something new is even better!

There might be some logs out hacking and because it’s not what you’re used to you’ll feel a great sense of achievement afterwards.

Top tip

Don’t get too carried away with how fun hacking is and forget your safety basics – always wear a hat and high-vis if you’re on the road.

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Shout

Out!

Gorgeous Guinness This is my pony, Guinness.

He’s super-kind and loves to be pampered! I’ve ridden him for two years and wouldn’t swap him for anything. I love him soooo much.

Alice Drury

Amazing Amber

Beautiful Bella This is my amazing pony, Bella. She was unbroken when I got her two years ago, but she’s made so much progress since then. I’ve just started competing at local shows and she’s been brilliant.

Bella is such a sweet mare and wouldn’t harm a fly. She’s the best ever!

Poppy Richardson

This is my Welsh cob, Amber.

She takes everything in her stride and, despite the odd tantrum, really looks after me on the ground and when I’m riding. She’s taught me everything I know and is one in a million.

Meghan Gibbs

Gifted Gibby This is my fab pony, Gibby.

Although I’ve not owned him for long, we’ve already been to lots of showjumping competitions together. This summer I’m hoping to do some BE80s and take him to Pony Club camp. I love him sooooo much and he’s the best pony I could ever wish for!

Elizabeth Barratt

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PONY magazine

MY PONY CLUB I’ve been a member of the East Aberdeenshire Pony Club for more than five years. It’s given me the most incredible opportunities and some amazing friends. One of my

highlights was when my team came second at the Interbranch Grassroots Eventing competition!

Jessica Jubb

Lily is...

Dynamic Dotty

Delightful Dusk

This is my pony, Dotty. We both love eventing and were recently placed at our first event. Dotty is my best friend and I love her to Pluto and back. She always tries her absolute best and is defo the best thing that’s ever happened to me.

Sarah-Jane Haggas

Handsome Hugo This is my pony, Hugo. When I rescued him four years ago, he was very worried and nervous. I recently took him to the beach and we loved galloping in the sun. His confidence is growing so much every day and I’m really proud of him.

Jane Hayes

This is my amazing pony, Buster. We love to jump and I’m hoping to go to some shows soon. Even though we’ve had our ups and downs Buster always try his heart out for me. He has a really cheey personality and has taught me a lot about riding. I don’t know what I’d do without him, he’s the best pony in the world!

I don’t own a pony but I love riding at a nearby riding school. I’ve been learning on Bobby for five years now and he’s the best pony in the world. I love reading all the tips and advice in each issue of PONY mag, as I can use it when riding.

Thanks to PONY, we’re now jumping 90cm!

Amelia Kiersey

Emily Hill

SUPER-CUTE PETS George owned

by Lara Candy

Pixie owned

by Sophia

pony of the month

This is my pony, Dusk.

Although he’s often a little cheeky, he’s also very talented. I’ve owned Dusk for five years and I love him to the moon and back. We’ve recently been jumping 60cm and scored 75% in our dressage test.

He’s the best pony ever!

Dela Bute

Brilliant Buster

ARIAT Awesome

Poppy owned

by Lily Rudd

This is my awesome pony, Lily. She’s helped me gain so much confidence and we’re now flying over 90cm courses. Last year, I was lucky enough to represent my Pony Club in loads of team disciplines. This was so much fun and Lily always tried her heart out. She is my best friend and I love her to the moon and back.

Bryony Rowley Camwell

WIN

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