INSIDE your mag... INSIDE your mag...
PONY team adventures
Who’s who? Who’s who?
PONY magazine, Olive Studio, The Timber Yard, Grange Road, Tilford, Farnham, Surrey GU10 2DQ
Tel 01428 601020
Advertising enquiries 01428 601028
Email pony@djmurphy.co.uk
Team PONY
Editor-in-Chief Louise Kittle
Assistant Editor Sarah Burgess
Editorial Assistants Kirsty Lucas, Megan XavierWitherington
Head of Art and Design Sarah Garland
Deputy Head of Art and Design Adam Witt
Designer Lucy Claydon
Digital Marketing Manager Lianne Tadd
Marketing Assistants Alex Uren, Emily Weeks
Art Editor Paul Smail
Marketing Co-ordinator Alison Hill
Advertisement Manager Evie Edgar
Production Manager Eleanor Dunn
Executive PONY
Managing Director Zoe Cannon
Commercial Director Abi Cannon
Smooth operation PONY
Office Manager Vicki Owen
Accounts Manager Caroline Leishman
Accounts Executive Sarah Smith
Photography
Burghley Horse Trials/Peter Nixon, Jon Stroud, Kim Neith Thompson of Neith Art & Sculpture. Volodymyr Burdiak, Gurdev, PIC Femke Ketelaar, Rita_Kochmarjova, Daria Koskova, Doug McLean, Tom Tietz, Vera Zinkova/shutterstock.com.
PONY subscriptions 01442 820580
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PONY recommends you wear an up-to-standard riding hat at all times when mounted.
This month...
The team are enjoying spending time with their fave equines while the sun shines. There’s nothing better than long days, blue skies and loads of time with your four-legged BFF! No matter what you’re up to this summer, PONY has the inspo you need! From epic cross-country tips to how to get the most out of your riding school time, pony care secrets and loads of fun quizzes and puzzles, your horsey summer just got a little bit better! Until next month!
Ask
Spruce up your pony on p54...
Write to us at PONY mag, Olive Studio, The Timber Yard, Grange Road, Tilford, Surrey GU10 2DQ or email pony@djmurphy.co.uk the team: If our ponies had a super power...
Lou, PONY Ed Ted would be a treat detector...
Sarah, Assistant Ed Prince’s would be speed!
Alex, Marketing Teleport for Halo. She’d be in the feed room!
OUR FAVE SNACKS I need energy before I ride, and my fave thing is a granola bar! Alex, Marketing Assistant An apple. It’s sooo refreshing in summer and it means Blaze can have a sneaky bite, too! Lucy, Designer
DJMur phy
WIN WIN
ADVENTURES ADVENTURES NEW NEW
Discover why riding different ponies is so
great!
Do you have your own pony or perhaps you always ride a particular one in your lessons? If so, you might be uber-confident on him and a bit nervous about making a change, but riding different ponies from time to time can do wonders for your riding skills. Find out why, right here and give it a go! Trust us, you won’t regret it!
1
Riding a pony with loads of experience is brilliant because he’ll be able to help you add more skills to your own repertoire! Maybe he’s a master at flying changes and you’ve been desperate to get to grips with the movement so that you can do it on your own pony!
2
OK, this might sound crazy but it’s actually a good thing to know what your weaknesses are, and riding different ponies might help you discover them! Why? Because then you can get advice and begin work on improving. That means you’ll become a better rider all round – winning!
Top tip
Ask questions! If you feel nervous about riding a pony, it’s the best way to build your confidence and learn more about him. Remember, there’s no such thing as a silly question!
3
There are sooo many different types of pony, each with their own personality, way of going and habits. Gaining experience riding all these ponies will expand your knowledge loads and you’ll know how to get the most from them! Awesome!
feel confident... riding in front of others feel confident... riding in front of others
Don’t be daunted by riding in front of an audience! Our tips are here to help
Do you feel nervous when other people watch you ride? Well, don’t worry, it’s totally normal to feel that way! Check out our guide to staying cool when all eyes are upon you.
Why do we feel nervous?
Feeling nervous tends to happen before or during situations where you might feel judged, like when you’re riding in front of others. When nerves kick in, your brain releases a chemical called cortisol, which can cause lots of changes in your body – increasing your heart rate, sweating and muscle tension –which all contribute to that fluttery feeling in your tummy! This is called the fight or flight response and it’s something our bodies naturally do to prepare us for tricky situations.
Pinpoint the problem
Top tip
Ask one or two people you know well and trust to watch you ride while you get used to it.
The first step to helping you feel confident riding in front of others is to understand why you feel nervous to begin with. Maybe it’s only certain people who make you feel uncomfortable or perhaps you don’t like anyone watching you ride.
Once you’ve pinpointed where the issue lies, you can begin to understand why you feel as you do and plan how to work through these emotions.
horsey housework horsey housework
Our guide to perfecting your stable chores!
Whether you’re mucking out, sweeping up or scrubbing feed bowls, keeping your pony’s stable spick and span is an important part of caring for him. So, check out our top tips to help you master every job and save time, too!
Clean and tidy Clean and tidy
Your pony’s stable is his bedroom, so it should be comfortable, clean and safe for him. Make sure to muck out his stable every day, and, if you can, skip out throughout the day to prevent him from treading the droppings into the bed. This can save bedding and makes mucking out quicker, too!
bedding matters bedding matters
Choosing the right bedding can be tricky, as it will depend on your yard setup and your pony’s individual needs. Ponies with respiratory issues might need a dust-free option, while messier ponies may benefit from something superabsorbent to keep their stable clean and dry.
Top tip
When your pony is out in the field, leave the bedding banked up at the sides to let the floor or rubber mats dry.
Research has shown that ponies have the best quality of sleep on straw! did you know? you know?
Top tip
If your pony’s stable has rubber matting, lift the mats regularly and give the floor a good scrub with disinfectant to remove any grime lurking beneath them.
Filling up haynets is one of those jobs you either love or hate! But, have you considered feeding your pony’s hay from the floor? Not only does it save time filling the haynets, it’s also much better for his posture and breathing! If you do need to manage his intake and feed from a net, fill extra haynets over the weekend to save time during the week before and after school!
mucking out master
mucking out master
Whether you’re on full muck-out duty or using a deep-litter system, cleaning your pony’s bed is super-important as wet and dirty bedding can cause problems for his hooves and lungs. When your pony urinates, a gas called ammonia is produced, which can irritate his airways – this is why removing all wet bedding is key!
Remember to chuck back the muck heap every time you empty your wheelbarrow. This makes it easier for the next person to empty theirs, keeps the yard clean and tidy, and creates more room!
