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The grass is always greener
• good grass coverage – try to avoid areas with really long grass because it’s hard to gauge what the ground underneath is like
• hard, rutted or muddy ground – riding on these surfaces can be damaging to your pony’s legs and increase the risk of injury
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18 PONY magazine
• find a place that’s relatively flat – slopes are OK, but avoid steep hills
Top tips to help you perfect your schooling sessions on grass
Riding on grass is great for improving your pony’s balance, co-ordination and focus. Unlike riding in a perfectly flat arena, your pony needs to think carefully about where his feet go, so he doesn’t slip or trip up. But riding on grass usually means riding in an open space, which can be a bit daunting. Here are our tips so you can maximise your schooling sessions every time.
• check for mole hills and rabbit holes – you don’t want your pony to trip or fall
Before you get on board and start schooling on grass, it’s super-important to choose and check the area carefully. Here are some things to remember…
• other wildlife – if you’re riding near hedgerows or woodlands, watch out for animals, such as birds and deer, because they might get disturbed which could frighten your pony If you’re at a comp, you shouldn’t have to worry about this too much because the event organisers will have allocated a safe space for you to warm up and compete in. But always stay vigilant while you’re riding and look out for any areas that you’d prefer to avoid.
TOP TIP If you’re feeling nervous about riding in an open space, go somewhere secure so you know your pony’s contained should you take a tumble.
Whether it’s your first time schooling on grass or you’ve done it a million times before, always allow your pony to have a look around before asking him to get to work. Ponies are super-sensitive to change and some will notice the smallest of differences to their surroundings. Letting him have a moment to take it all in means he can process it, then get in the zone.
Research has shown that regularly riding on grippy surfaces (such as wax-based arenas) can increase the risk of injury to your pony, especially compared to grass, so make sure you change up the surfaces you ride on as much as possible.
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SIGHTSEEING
UNDER HOOFGrass can be super-slippery if it’s wet, but unlessthe ground is very dry and hard it actually allowsyour pony to move more naturally. It’s a more givingsurface, which means as your pony’s hoof lands, theloading forces that get sent back up through hislegs have less of an impact on his joints because theground soaks up some of the force.Ponies who are barefoot tend to have better gripon grass, but if your pony’s shod then ask your farrierto put stud holes into his shoes. This means you cangive him extra grip and confidence if the groundconditions are challenging.
PONY magazine 19
24 PONY magazine part one FFANCYANCY FANCY
Nina Gill is a BHS Stage 4 SeniorCoach Super series! This is the first feature in our brand new polework series. We’ve got an epic layout for you to try and more than six different ways to ride through it – you don’t want to miss it!
OUR EXPERT
The ultimate guide to polework with expert, Nina Gill Here at Team PONY we love polework, not just because it’s the perfect way to jazz up a schooling session, but also because it has endless benefits for us and our ponies! But why’s polework so useful? Let’s find out more about its foundations with the help of an expert. FOOTWORKFOOTWORK FOOTWORK
PONY magazine 25 A BIG BONUS Recent research shows that polework has a positive impact on ponies’ way of going and also riders’ riding. Here are some of the benefits regular polework sessions can bring to you and yourimprovespony... your relationship with your pony encourages you to be more accurate improves his co-ordination, balance, suppleness, paces, flexibility and strength improves your reaction times teaches him to problem-solve improves mental ability and physical agility highlights weaknesses in your position –then you can work to improve them! enhances his responsiveness to your aids
