PONY Magazine – March 2020

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Pony Club magazine inside!

le b i s r reve quin se book!!

note UK ONLY

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Perfect your

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Mary King’s

awesome

polework Be confident

out hacking

Super-cute

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KNOW WHEN TO

CALL THE VET Meet

jumping exercises

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15 January – 11 Febraury 2020

PONYMAG.COM

March 2020 £3.99 Issue 861

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JOHN

making

Top tip

strides P

If you don’t want to jump, you can use all of these layouts as polework exercises instead.

Three brilliant jumping exercises for you to try

ractising your jumping will be waaaay more fun if you have a go at our awesome exercises. They’ll help you improve your pony’s rhythm and balance over fences, and they’ll

teach you to ride smooth turns, too. Plus, each set up can be ridden a few different ways, so you can base a whole schooling sesh around just one exercise!

Try the exercises with your instructor first, so they can check the striding’s correct for your pony.

Top tip

EXERCISE 1: BOXING CLEVER Who knew that you could get so many benefits from four cross-poles? This layout will work on all the skills you need to ace a course of fences.

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Set it up

Build four cross-poles in the middle of the arena to create a box shape. Each pair of fences should be two canter strides (approx 10m) apart.

Photos: Lucy Merrell

How to ride it

1. Start by trotting your pony over the cross-poles as doubles. Focus on keeping him straight by aiming for the middle of each one.

2. Move up into canter and jump the first pair of fences again. Keep a positive rhythm and count the number of strides your pony takes between them – it should be two. If he pops in an extra stride, try again but this time ask for a more forward canter by squeezing him with your legs.

3. Now try linking the doubles of cross-poles together in canter. Beginning on the left rein, jump the first set of fences, then make a

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10m

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smooth, sweeping turn to the left and go over the second pair.

4. This time include a change of direction. Start on the left rein and canter over your first double. Then, come back to Up the challenge trot, change Why not try changing canter lead canter lead over the fence? and make a As you take-off, look where turn to the you want to go, open the right before rein on that side and put jumping the a little more weight on next pair of your inside seatbone. Just cross-poles. remember it may take a few repetitions for him to understand what you want.

EXERCISE 2: GET IN LINE This exercise is super-versatile because it’ll help your flatwork as well as your jumping!

Set it up

Build three low uprights down the middle of the school. They should be one non-jumping stride (approx 6m) apart.

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6m

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How to ride it

1. Use the fences to help you warm-up, by riding around and in between them in walk, trot and canter. You could even ride a three-loop serpentine through them, too (A)!

2. When your pony’s warmed up, jump through the line of fences (B). Encourage him to move forward with an energetic, bouncy canter and wrap your legs around his sides to keep the impulsion over all three fences.

3. Finally, use this layout to practise jumping on an angle, which is a useful skill that’ll help you save time

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in a jump-off. To do this, approach the middle fence on a diagonal line (C). You still want lots of energy in your pony’s canter, but keep the pace steady to make the exercise easier. Also, remember that even though you’re approaching at an angle, you should still be aiming for the middle of the fence.

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Top tip

To help you ace jumping on an angle, use a stripey pole so it’s easier to aim for the middle.

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star rider inspo I

with

f you’re looking to improve your pony’s paces or jump more clear rounds, who better to help than eventing stars Mary King and Chris Burton!

They’ve shared some of their fave exercises to give you some inspo for your schooling sessions, and help you achieve your riding goals in 2020!

OUR EXPERTS

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Mary King

Eventing fave Mary has won silver and bronze Olympic medals, plus two World Championship golds!

Chris Burton

Chris rides for Australia, but is based in the UK. He’s competed at two Olympic games and won Burghley in 2016.

Top tip

Always make sure your pony’s thoroughly warmed up before you start riding these exercises.

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PONY magazine

Exercise 1 tick tock clock

, Poles make schooling extra fun on them g usin and Mary says a circle’s great for improving your fave pony’s balance and , suppleness. If you love jumping t mee to you help this exercise will too. e, strid ect perf the on fences

SET IT UP

Imagine a 20m circle’s the face 3, of a clock, and place a pole at ugh eno ve Lea ck. o’clo 12 and 9 6, room between the fence and the end of each pole, so you can ride . around them as well as over them

HOW TO RIDE IT

1. Pop your pony into canter and make sure he’s going forward in an energetic, bouncy pace.

2. When you’re ready, turn onto your 20m circle and choose a pole to start with. Ride over the middle of it, but go round the outside of the other three.

3. Now ride another 20m circle, this time going over your first pole and the one on the

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opposite side of your circle. Go round the other two.

4. Then add in another pole, so you’re riding over three and missing out one. Finally, ride over all four poles. r 5. Count how many strides you pony’s taking between each pole – if he’s staying in a rhythm it’ll be the same each time. Depending on your pony’s size, he should take three or four strides between them. e 6. Give him a breather, then hav . rein er oth the on a go

UP THE CHALLENGE When your pony’s acing the clock face exercise, you can try adjusting his stride around the circle. So, ask him to take slightly shorter steps to add in a stride between two of the poles, or encourage him to take slightly longer steps so he covers the distance in one stride less. You could even try varying his stride all the way round the circle, so shortening his stride between the first pair, lengthening between the next two, then shortening, then lengthening.

web extra

To watch Mary riding this exercise head to bit.ly/ MARY_TICKTOCK

Made by horse owners for horse owners

Top tip

In association with

If you don’t want to canter, you could ride the clock face exercise in trot instead.

baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk

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