PONY Magazine – Spring 2021

plus

brilliant

Pony Nuts

XC

tips

pony novel

GIVE YOUR PONY’S

paces

the wow factor

Ace your next

warm up

SJ comp

5bond

5 facts about

LIKE A PRO

ways to

with your fave pony

Charlotte

Dujardin 9

9 9

s l a o f E T U -C R PE U S t u o b All a

10 February – 9 March 2021

explained

770032 425966

pony teeth

Spr 2021 £4.25 Issue 875

PONYMAG.COM

Scales of Training

power PLAY Learn all about impulsion

Y

instructor ou may have been told by your ard with forw go to y pon r you to encourage t this wha w kno you do but on, ulsi more imp course, Of rgy! ene means? Well, it’s all about e we’v so , fast g goin there’s more to it than just y’s pon r you e mak can you how got the lowdown on zing! paces feel active and look ama

Top Tip

Schooling in a field or while out hacking can help encourage your pony to go forward more willingly. But only do this if he’ll stay calm and won’t get too excited!

6

PONY magazine

As well as moving forward, your pony should show a springiness in his steps

Collection

n Prime positio impulsion for speed, but you’ll

Straightness

It’s easy to mistake forward. need to do more than just push your pony show in to s need he There are four key things that ld... shou He . lsion order to create impu 1. want to go forward 2. have a spring in his step 3. be supple through his back 4. engage his hindquarters

Impulsion Contact Suppleness Rhythm

Your pony needs to be flexible through his back and able to work in a consistent contact before he can have true impulsion. Check out the previous three issues of PONY to learn more about the other scales of training that you’ll need to master! You can also read them online, at ponymag.com in the pony know how section.

1

Eager to go forward You need to be able to encourage your pony ut to take active, positive steps forward witho He legs. your with him nag y tantl cons to having gly, which should react to your aids quickly and willin . is known as being responsive A good way to improve how well your pony itions responds to your aids is to ride lots of trans to him e urag in your schooling sessions, and enco you more The ask. you as move off your leg as soon . react he’ll er quick the s, ition practise the trans oing Some ponies are naturally more forward-g you ack, laidb than others but, even if yours is really if s pace his in y energ e should still be able to creat way. right the you school him

2

A spring in his step ld As well as moving forward, your pony shou he when is This . steps his in s gines show a sprin more look s pace his so legs, his ds exten and flexes powerful floaty. To achieve this, he needs to take long, r than rathe nd, grou the off strides that push him high . short, choppy ones squeeze To ask him to lengthen his stride in trot, le, and sadd the of with your legs, and rise higher out rds, forwa hips your ing for a moment longer. Push him towards the pommel of the saddle will help . want you what d understan

3 Top tip

Your pony should be strong enough to balance and support himself around turns, as well as on straight lines. Spend time working on getting him nice and supple before you think about adding impulsion.

Feeling supple gh In order for your pony’s energy to flow throu bit, the to egs hindl his from , body e whol his relaxed. it’s important that his neck and back stay use his and les, musc back his Ideally, he’ll stretch over e wher is h whic elf, hims ort supp to tummy muscles way, That in! s come act cont rein the on work all your rd, when you use your legs to squeeze him forwa flat and long ming beco and r instead of getting faste get l you’l so back his gh throu work in his outline, he’ll es. strid his in lift more

4

Engaging his hindquarters Your pony’s hindquarters need to be really body strong so they can power the rest of his more of take to him e forwards. To help this, encourag ises exerc riding by egs hindl his weight back onto his a riding and ches haun he on-t turn, like rein-back . circle a of ad inste e shap ond diam

Turn over for an impulsion-boosting exercise

PONY magazine

7

all clear How to ace your next showjumping class

P

lanning to enter a showjumping competition with your fave pony later this year? Well, we’ve got loads of great tips that’ll give you the best chance of achieving an awesome clear round!

Right on schedule

Practice makes perfect Anyone can enter a showjumping class, but it’s a really good idea to make sure you and your pony are ready first. Then, you’re much more likely to have a fun, confidence-building experience! Before you look at any show schedules, your pony should be happily jumping different types of fences such as uprights, oxers and doubles, and have seen a few brightly coloured fillers, too! It’s also important that he’s fit enough to jump a few fences one after the other, as competition courses can be made up of 8-15 fences!

Ask your parents if you can book some extra lessons to help you prepare, and try to hire different arenas locally to get your pony used to being ridden in new places over a variety of fences.

Once you’ve found a show you’d like to go to, have a look at the schedule and choose a class to enter. Most are based on the height of the fences, so in a 70cm class that’s the maximum height the jumps will be in the first round. If you’re new to showjumping or you haven’t competed for a while, it’s best to begin at a lower height than you’re practising You’ll need to find out your at home. Then the fences will seem competitor number before super-easy to you and your pony, so the show and take it along you’ll feel way more confident. with you. You can either use a dressage-style bridle number or print it off on paper and secure to your jacket or saddlepad.

Top tip

Top tip

Walk this way

Ask your instructor or an experienced rider if they’ll walk the course with you, and give you some tips to help you ace all the fences!

Before you compete you’ll get to walk the course and look at the fences up close. As well as being able to learn the order you’ll jump them in, it gives you a chance to work out the number of strides between doubles or related distances, and spot anything that might worry your pony. For example, if there’s a jump close to the ring entrance you might need to use a little extra leg at that point to stop him drifting towards the way out!

There’s loads of important info to find out when walking the course, so make sure you give it your full attention and don’t use it as an opportunity to chat to friends or check your phone!

10

PONY magazine

Don’t be phased It’s really important to know that showjumping classes can be run in different ways, and you’ll need to find out how yours will be judged. This info may be printed in the show schedule, or you can ask the secretary or class steward on the day. There are generally three different formats, and they all affect how the jump-off part of the competition is run. You can have a...

• jump-off class This will have two separate rounds. All of the competitors ride the same course in the first round, then everyone

who jumps clear goes through to a second round. This is usually over a shortened course, and will be against the clock • single-phase class There’s just one course of fences but it’s divided into two and the second half is timed. You’ll go straight into the jump-off section without stopping, and faults from both halves of the course will count • two-phase class This is similar to single-phase, but you only jump the timed section if you’ve gone clear over the first part of the course. If you pick up any faults, the judge will ring a bell to signal you need to leave the arena

did you know?

If a class has a separate jump-off round you won’t get a chance to walk the course.

Instead, the fences you need to jump will be marked on a course map, or written at the top of the steward’s board.

Getting ready to go

Making sure your pony’s properly warmed up for your class is really important, and the best thing to do is have a plan to follow. So, work out in advance how long you’ll need to spend in walk, trot and canter on the flat before popping over a fence. When you’re ready for your first practice jump, start with a cross-pole, then try an easy upright before building up to an oxer. It’s best to pop over your last warm-up fence when there are If you haven’t been two or three riders to go before you. allocated a start time for your round, let the ring steward know you’re there and ask them to put your number down.

Top tip

PONY magazine

11