ok bo g in ur lo ! co te cu s u l p Mindful
colouring
BOOST YOUR
dressage
How to
skills!
make your
pony happy WIN!
guide to
boots!
MEGA
pony + rider kit
DJMurphy
12 January – 9 February 2022
March 2022 £3.99 Issue 887
PONYMAG.COM
Bling products for you
Epic quizzes! + your pony
Got the moves? part one
How to tackle some brand-new dressage movements
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ooking for something new to try with your fave pony? Why not use our easy-to-follow guide and have a go at leg-yield and turn on the forehand? You’ll learn how to do each movement, as well as what they’re useful for and how to solve common issues – let’s get started.
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Perfect prep Getting your warm-up right
If your pony’s struggling with the aids to go sideways, have a go on the ground instead, positioning your hand where your leg would be to push him across.
is so important because it’ll influence the rest of your schooling session. It’s worth spending time working out an effective warm-up for your pony that’ll get him listening to your aids and working forwards into your hands every time. For both leg-yield and turn on the forehand, he’ll need to understand that your leg aids can mean sideways as well as forwards so think about how you can get him prepped in the warm-up.
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Don’t worry about where his head is, just make sure he’s working forwards
BUILDING UP
It can be tricky to know how long to warm up for and what to do. So, here’s our step-by-step guide that’ll help set you up for success... Start off by spending a couple of minutes on each rein going large around the arena in an active walk, with a loose contact. Don’t worry about where his head is, just make sure he’s working forwards. Check he’s listening to your aids by using your outside leg to push him off the track, then your inside leg to move back out. Start to ride some large circles and wide turns using just your leg and seat. After 5–10 minutes of walk, pick up trot and have a go at the same exercises. Ride loads of transitions throughout your warm-up to check your pony’s hindend’s engaged. To make sure your transitions are smooth, prepare yourself first, then be clear and consistent with your aids so he understands what you’re asking. When you’re ready, move up into canter. Practise shortening and lengthening your pony’s stride to check he’s listening and working forwards into the contact. Finish your warm-up with some spiralling circles in and out in walk and trot to check he’s feeling supple and understands the leg aids you’ll be using later on. Let him have a quick breather before you get going with the next part of your session.
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p u t o o B This Esme’s guide to different types of boots
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s to protect onies wear boot ere are their legs. But th pes to ty lots of different oviding pr l al , m choose fro kinds of slightly different riders use y an M n. protectio different a few types for with their activities they do e ones I use th e ar pony – here sper. with Joey and Ca
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Remember to always do up the straps front to back – this will help you make sure the boot’s on the correct leg!
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Take care to clean your pony’s boots thoroughly so you don’t irritate his skin with dried sweat and hair.
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Once done up, you should be able to fit two fingers between the boot and your pony’s leg to make sure they’re not too loose or tight.
Brush it off The main type of boot, which you can use for all different purposes, is a brushing boot. The y offer all-round protection from below the knee to the fetlock but aren ’t too heavy. This makes them ideal for jum ping, hacking and flatwork if your pony needs prot ection. They have a strike pad on the inside of the leg and are done up with Velcro on the outside.
did you know? You can often buy brushing boots that match the rest of your gear. Some companies even do full matching sets, including boots!
At the forefront
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If your pony’s prone to knocking poles, tendon boots won’t stop it happening – why not chat to your instructor about exercises that can help him to go clear?
owjumping, e popular for sh Tendon boots ar otect him from ny’s legs and pr support your po so ed ’re open-front knocks, but they ps ta a pole if he he can still feel ned to cover sig de one. They’re pony’s front the back of your fetlock and leg from knee to alongside rn wo they’re often his hindlegs. fetlock boots on up with They usually do e have stud Velcro, but som ticated straps. as hooks with el
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