Horse&Rider Magazine - June 2023

In this feature. . . ➤ Elevate your schooling session

The power of polework

Part one: A change of pace

Check your accuracy, improve your horse’s way of going and have fun in the saddle with polework expert

Nina Gill

It’s no secret that polework is beneficial for horse and rider, both physically and mentally, but the focus of every polework session doesn’t need to be solely on improving your skills. Poles should bring with them an element of fun for you and your horse, too. So, why not try my supersize layout that will help you feel the power of polework and enjoy your time with your four-legged friend?

Set it up

For this layout, you’ll need 22 poles, ideally standard 3m ones. Start by creating two triangles in the middle of your arena so the points that touch lie over X. Place two poles parallel to the long sides 3m away from X on each side. At the base of one triangle, position four raised walk poles (0.8–1m), and then three trot poles (1.2–1.5m) perpendicular to the walk poles. At the other end, create a channel with two poles on the second and fourth stripes on five-band coloured poles. Add two more poles at a slight angle the same distance apart and, finally, create a triangle at the top.

TOP TIP

Don’t worry if you don’t have enough poles to create the entire layout. You could divide it up into three sections and try the lines one at a time over several sessions.

Photos: Jon Stroud

➤ Test your aids and accuracy ➤ Develop your horse’s co-ordination

Our expert

TOP TIP

Try to get into a habit of riding through each new line in walk first, no matter how many poles are involved or how simple the line is. Doing this will give your horse the chance to understand where he’s going and for you to build his confidence. Plus, walking over poles is much more beneficial for horses physically compared with trotting or cantering.

Our models

Animal chiropractor

Rebecca Stroud has owned Gremlin for two years. This lovely 18-year-old Gelderlander has previously competed at Grand Prix, but is now teaching Rebecca at Prix St Georges and enjoying the occasional fun ride.

Nina Gill is a BHS Stage 4 Coach based in Warwickshire. She is the owner of Fancy Footwork Equestrian and creator of the Polework Patterns app.

In this feature. . . ➤ Improve your horse’s proprioception

Quick thinking

JUMP CLEAR WITH JAY HALIM

Jay Halim explains how to give your horse the mental and physical skills to jump perfect clear rounds

Every rider dreams of that perfect clear round in the competition arena, when each fence feels effortless and the ideal stride comes naturally. But even though it may look easy from the ground, constructing a flawless clear is no mean feat. There are many ingredients involved in setting yourself up for success in the showjumping arena, but we’ll focus on your horse. The two key components any horse can develop to increase his chances of leaving the poles in their cups are footwork and jumping technique. I have an exercise for each that you can practise at home to increase your horse’s skillset and set him up for success at a show.

PART ONE

As told to Kiera Boyle. Photos: Peter Nixon.

Our expert

Jay Halim is a top British showjumper and much-loved equestrian personality. He balances producing his string of horses with teaching and coaching from his Cotswold base, as well as breeding sports horses under his JTH prefix.

➤ Teach him to think on his feet ➤ Perfect his jumping technique

A key skill of a showjumper is that they’re fast on their feet and can think for themselves

Sit backrelax and

If fear of riding in front of others is spoiling enjoyment of your horse, Alison Buttery has some ideas

Whether it’s at the yard or in competitions, many people feel uncomfortable riding in front of others. This can be for lots of different reasons and it can even prevent you from having fun with your horse. There are some common reasons why you might feel anxious about riding in front of others, but with some work you can manage these feelings and enjoy your horse, no matter who’s looking on.

Photos: Bob Atkins, Lucy Merrell

No judgement

When riding in public, whether at the yard or elsewhere, do you believe that others are judging you in some way, causing you self-doubt and anxiety? Do you worry about making mistakes or performing poorly? This can be especially true if you’re competitive or working towards specific goals.

For example, you might imagine the worst-case scenario happening and assume it’s inevitable. This can make your anxiety feel much worse and even prevent you from challenging yourself and trying new things.

Perhaps you’re guilty of mind reading, which is a type of cognitive distortion whereby people believe they know what others are thinking, without any evidence to support their beliefs.

For example, you might assume that others are judging you and thinking or saying negative things about you when, in reality, they’re not paying much attention to you at all. This kind of thinking can be very self-defeating and lead to unnecessary anxiety. ➤

Our expert

Alison Buttery is a certified mindset and confidence coach, a BHS APC senior coach and an experienced rider, who specialises in helping riders overcome their nerves. She’s also the Founder of The Everyday Equestrian.

As told to Rebecca Philpot. Photos: Jon Stroud

wisely Warm up

Veterinary physiotherapist Harriett Wareham shares her five favourite ways to upgrade your warm-up routine – get ready to reap the body-boosting benefits!

Our expert

Harriett Wareham PgDip MNAVP is a veterinary physiotherapist and Founder of Animals in Action Vet Physio. She has over 10 years’ experience working with animals having previously worked as a head eventing groom, an equine and canine massage therapist and at a small veterinary practice as a veterinary physiotherapist.

It might not be anybody’s favourite part of a ride, but the warm-up is vital for setting the scene for what’s to come. Physiologically, your horse’s warm-up works to reduce and prevent injury during his work, while mentally, it allows you to get your horse in the zone and ready to metaphorically sit at his desk.

The science behind it

The warm-up helps to get blood and oxygen pumping through your horse’s body and ensures his muscles, tendons, ligaments and fascia are elastic and warm. A lack of elasticity will restrict range of moment and, if

his muscles are tight, you won’t get the flexibility from him that you need to start asking him to do anything more difficult.

Your warm-up period also gives you time to assess how your horse is working. Is he moving well? Is he offering a balanced, rhythmical, pace? If he feels lazy or reluctant, is he okay? If you do a similar warm-up regime each time, you can compare how he’s feeling from one day to the next. How does he normally feel at the end of that 10 minutes?

If he doesn’t feel as good as usual, consider why. Was it a particularly rowdy night in the field? Has a new horse joined the herd? Has he been in longer than usual?