PONY Magazine – June 2021

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Social media star Pony Nuts shares some fun gridwork exercises

umping’s one of my fave things to do, and gridwork’s a super-fun way to practise! It’s perfect for my young horse, Bella, because it helps her learn to see a stride and feel confident over fences. It’s a great activity to introduce your pony to jumping if he’s had a break, too. So, here are my fave gridwork exercises for you to try at home!

Top tip

Get loads more advice on how to build fences so they’re the perfect striding at bit.ly/PONY_ JUMPING_STRIDES

EXERCISE 1 COMMAND CENTRAL C

This exercise will help you stay straight when you’re jumping.

The tram lines will guide you to the centre of the cross-pole and is a good way to practise jumping over a single fence.

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Set it up Build a low cross-pole, with two poles on each side along the approach.

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How to ride it 1. Pick up a forward trot or canter while riding large around the arena.

2. Look up and ahead towards the cross-pole. Ride a smooth turn round the corner, then go through the tramline poles. Keep your legs pressed against your pony’s sides and widen the reins to help channel him to the middle of the fence.

3. Look ahead and stay upright in your position, while allowing your pony to find the perfect stride for take-off.

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4. Once you’ve jumped the

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fence, ride straight for a few strides, then canter large around the arena.

Ride the exercise twice more, then change the rein and have a go the other way. Having the tramlines after the fence will help you stay straight when you land, but make sure your approach is straight, too. straight approach.

Top tip

Make sure you’re happy with your pony’s canter before approaching the grid. He should stay in the same rhythm all the way through, so ride a circle to help you adjust the rhythm if he’s cantering too fast or slow.

EXERCISE 2 TWO BY TWO C

Adding a second fence gives your pony more to think about, and your aim is still to stay straight over both cross-poles.

Set it up Build a one stride double 6–7.5m apart. Leave one pair of tramlines on the approach.

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How to ride it 1. Ride the exercise exactly as you did before, but now you’ll need to jump over two fences instead of one. Make sure your approach is super-straight so you jump over the middle of each cross-pole. The tramlines on the approach will help guide you.

2. When you ride over the two fences, keep your shoulders up as you move into your jump position. This will help you sit up quickly on landing after the first fence.

3. Keep your legs wrapped around your pony’s sides between the fences and move into your jump position again over the second fence.

4. Ride large and repeat the exercise a few more times, before changing the rein and having a go the other way.

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onwards

upwards

How to make the transition from ponies to horses

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e all absolutely adore ponies – their cheeky character, ability to ping over a fence and, of course, their cuteness!

However, there’s just one snag – their size.

You’re destined to grow taller, but your pony isn’t.

So, there may come a day when it’s time to move on to a bigger steed. But don’t worry, we’ve got some words of wisdom to help you make a smooth transition from ponies to horses.

SURE SIGNS You may be just the right size for your fave pony right now, but there’ll likely come a day when you’ll start to notice a change. Some signs you may be getting too big for him include your...

• upper body towering above his neck and withers • legs hanging several inches below his belly • balance becoming harder to maintain, especially over fences • saddle feeling too short Moving onto horses isn’t just about looking in proportion. Being too big for your pony can also affect your effectiveness as a rider. If your legs are too long, you’ll struggle to give him the correct aids and your position will suffer as a result.

Plus, if your upper body’s too tall, it can unbalance the pony if you make any sudden moves.

GROWING UP Everyone’s destined to grow bigger and stronger as they mature, so moving from ponies to horses is a natural progression.

As you get older you’ll not only grow taller but also heavier, which is completely healthy and normal. But, it may affect the pony you’re riding, because even the stockiest ones struggle to carry over a certain weight.

You may also need a bigger saddle as you grow taller. Ponies are smaller than horses all over, so one that fits you perfectly may be too big for your pony.

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Top tip

Why not ask someone to video you riding?

Watching yourself back is a really good way to improve your position, and see what you’re doing well, too!

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE There are a few key differences you’re sure to notice when riding a horse rather than a pony.

Some things you may find a little unfamiliar are...

Strides Horses have much longer strides than ponies. It might feel like his canter’s really slow and that you need to rise out of the saddle for longer in trot – but you’ll soon get used to it!

Responsiveness Horses tend to need clearer aids than ponies, and aren’t so nippy. You might feel like the first horse you ride is a little lazy in comparison but, once you figure him out, you’ll be away!

Size When riding a horse, you may feel a long way from the ground! Try to put this out of your mind, though, and ride him as you normally would. He may also feel wider, so your legs might ache when you get off!

Turning There’s a lot more horse to manoeuvre round corners, so you’ll need to prepare for turns earlier and allow him more room when you’re riding a shape. He also won’t be able to balance as easily as a pony, so can’t make such sharp turns in a jump off!

MOVING ON When the time comes that you outgrow your fave pony, you’re sure to feel sad and a little nervous about riding an unfamiliar horse. But, there’s plenty of options available.

If you’re able to, you could keep your pony and get a new horse, too. You may be able to find a sharer to ride him a few days a week, or you could loan him to a child who would love and care for him – so he’s still yours, but goes to live with them, instead.

If keeping two horses isn’t an option, there are tons of lovely people out there who could give him a wonderful home. Make sure you vet his new home so you know he’ll love it. It’s nice to keep in contact, too, so you can check up on all the fun he’s having with his new owner!

If you ride at a riding school, your instructor can work with you to select the right horse to move onto, and you’ll still be able to say hi to and cuddle your fave pony. Who knows, you may even end up enjoying riding horses just as much!

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