PONY Magazine – April 2016

All-New! More riding, More pony care, more fun!

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THE UK’S NO1 PONY MAGAZINE

How to‹‹

read body language

your pony’s

Robert Whitaker’s

jumping secrets

ThE low-down on

laminitis

Plait

your position in

MINUTES!

CROSS-COUNTRY KIT

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April 2016 £3.99 Issue 811

n i W Whitaker!

Bounce facts

A bounce is a combination fen ce. Your pony jumps the first fence, lands and immediately takes off to jump the second fen ce without any canter strides in between.

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Riding a bounce is great jumping practice for you and your pony. Plus, it’s loads of fun! Top showjumper Robert Whitaker shares his tips on how to tackle a bounce

Our models

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Grassroots Cham

You might find a bounce on a cross-country course, but won ’t come across one on a showjumpi ng course. They’re great training for you and your pony, so even if you don’t love cross-country, give them a go!

Bounces are tricky as they nee d accuracy, impulsion and balance.

Riding a bounce is a great exe rcise for you and your pony. It can help him learn how to hold him self together and jump from a shorter canter, which will add to your jumping toolkit and help improve your technique.

Key things to remember are to

set up your pony on the approa ch and don’t rush into it.

Our trainer

Robert Whitaker is son of showjumping legend John and a successful international showjumper himself. He’s won the British Open Showjumping Championship three times, and has ridden on the British team on many occasions.

Bounces need accuracy, impulsion and balance

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f you have lessons at a riding school and are keen to try riding a bounce, ask your instructor if they think you are ready to give it a go. Only jump a bounce with an instructor present, never on your own.

Get a feel for riding a bounce by using two poles on the ground, rather than two fences. Your pony will make exaggerated canter strides over the poles, which will help you understand what it’s like to ride a bounce.

Stage 1. Set up one cross-pole.

Top tip!

Don’t just put up another fence straightaway, add a pole on the ground first.

Adding a pole will help him get used to having something there before you tackle a bounce.

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PONY magazine

Stage 2. Put a pole three metres in front of the fence, to help your pony get in the right place for take-off.

Stage 4. Put up a crosspole where the second pole on the ground is.

Stage 3. Add a pole on the ground, three-anda-half metres after the cross-pole, where the second part of your bounce will be.

✁

Thanks to John Whitaker International for their help with this feature, johnwhitaker.com

Bounce exercise 1 In canter, ride through each of the stages before moving on to the next

You may need to adjust the distance of the placing pole from the fence, depending on the size of your pony and the length of his stride. If he’s stretching to make the distance, move the pole closer, if he’s having to shorten his stride, move it out a bit further.

Now you’re riding a bounce!

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speak pony?

Can you...

Ponies constantly communicate with us through their body language, but are we listening? Anna Sail et explains how to tune in to what your pony’s trying to tell you

Hearing

Your pony can move his ears independently and his hearing is amazing! He can hear lots of sounds that you can’t, which can explain why he spooks at things you didn’t even know were there – he may have heard the high-pitched squeak of a mouse in the hedge, for example.

We often assume that our ponies are being naughty without thinking what might have caused that behaviour, simply because our senses aren’t so good.

T

o understand your fave pony’s body language, it’s essential to know more about his ancestors.

Ponies are social prey animals who evolved to live on open plains. Being a prey animal means it’s essential to communicate clearly, quickly and quietly with their fellow herd members to alert each other to approaching threats, and respond quickly to danger. This means that your pony’s body language is super-advanced, and he will use very subtle ways to communicate with other ponies and you – if you’re listening!

As pony lovers, it’s our responsibility to ensure we understand his body language to spot when he’s unhapp y or stressed before he shows it in other ways, such as biting, kicking or bucking

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Sight

Your pony doesn’t see the world in the same way as you. Whereas you have binocular vision, ponies have monocular vision, which means that they can see almost the whole way around and behind them, with only a small blind spot at their rear and one directly in front of them.

Another blind spot, if your horse is standing with a straight head and neck, is directly above his back, where you sit. Because of where his eyes are, your fave pony is also very sensitive to movements diagonally behind him and, as a result, he can be easily startled by motion in this area. He can see clearly over very long distances, too.

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PONY magazine

Smell

Your pony uses his sense of smell to find out about other ponies, including their age and gender. This explains why he may want to stop and sniff droppings that you pass out hacking – he’s detecting lots of information about the ponies who passed this way earlier on.

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Shout Out!

Lily-Bean is...

Amazing mum I’d like to give a shout out to my mum who has patiently waited for 27 years to get a pony and has finally found one. He is a coloured cob and, although he hasn’t been with us long, we love him to bits! This is a pic of him and his BFF!

Madlin Ridewood

Super Smudge

Sweet as honey

I have had my New Forest pony, Smudge, for a year and we have done everything together.

We compete for the Pony Club in eventing and tetrathlon, do showing and he has even taken me hunting for the first time. He is absolutely amazing, I couldn’t ask for a better pony!

Meet Honey! I love her more than anything,. We went to Pony Club camp together and she was amazing. We came second in the Chase me Charlie, jumping 1.05m!

Olivia Hutching

Cara Doig

I love reading PONY. I found the recipe for pony treats in the March issue and decided to make them. My mum’s horse absolutely loves them, too, even though he doesn’t usually like apples! Natalia

Awesome April My pony, April, and I have a lovely bond, she is so caring and trusting. We both love to jump and can’t wait to get out competing this spring.

Sofia Hartley

Cute Ceri

MY PONY CLUB I am a member of the Llangeinor Hunt Pony Club. I’ve competed in lots of disciplines with my pony, Daisy. Pony Club camp was fabulous – we stayed in a field with a brilliant cross-country course, an indoor school and a showjumping arena. I was on the Horse and Pony Care team last year and we qualified for the PC national championships!

Everyone at LLHPC is so friendly and helpful. We are always learning new things.

Philippa Allen 50

Without my pony, Ceri, I don’t know what I would do – I love her to infinity and beyond. She loves to hack and stands for hours to be groomed. Ceri is the best pony ever!

Ellie Rawlinson

Welsh wonder This is Miranda, my Welsh Section A mare. She really loves a good groom and if I scratch her withers, she grooms me back very gently!

Scarlett Gale PONY magazine

Jubilant Jimmy This is Jimmy – he is my new pony. I have only had him a few months, but he has already taught me how to jump. Our goal this year is to enter our first show together, and I am really excited! We wouldn’t be where we are now without the help of PONY Mag.

Chloe Elias

SUPER-CUTE PETS Hettie and Margo owned by Freya

Pepe owned by So fia

Bear owned by Evie

ARIAT Awesomoneth pony of the m

Lily-Bean has been in my family for years, and has taught me and my older sisters lots. We do loads of different activities together, including cross-country, showjumping and dressage.

When I first rode her I could only jump small cross-poles and now I am jumping 2ft 9in. Lily-Bean has given me so much confidence and fun. She will always be my best pony and I will love her forever.

Bella Righton

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