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November 2016 £3.49 Issue 818
l o o ch
sflatwork
part 2
School work doesn’t have to be boring! This month, we show you more exercises to master on the flat
Top tip
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Sit up as tall as you can with your shoulders back as you ride this exercise – it’s easy to tip forwards and lean into the bend, but this will encourage your pony to fall in and lean on the forehand.
hether you want to be the next Charlotte Dujardin or Scott Brash, good flatwork helps with all elements of riding including accuracy and strength. Get your teeth into these exercises to keep flatwork interesting and fun for you and your pony!
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Exercise 1: get bending
This exercise is a fab way to get your pony supple, as well as making sure you know how to ask for the correct bend. 1. Place three jump blocks along the centre line. 2. In walk, turn down the centre line at A, weaving between the blocks. Cross the centre line between the blocks and keep the sizes of your loops the same in both directions. 3. As you cross the centre line, change the direction of your bend – turn your body and
keep your inside leg pressed against your pony’s side to make sure he’s bending through his whole body. 4. Once you reach the end, change the rein across the diagonal and repeat the exercise. When you’ve perfected this in walk, try it in trot – remember to change your diagonal as you cross the centre line each time. You can challenge yourself even more by riding 10m circles around the blocks with each bend.
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Exercise 2: zig-zags
Top tip
Riding zig-zag leg-yields will help to make sure you’re using the correct aids to ask your pony to move over, and will encourage him to be more responsive to your leg. 1. Use the same blocks as in exercise one. In walk, turn up the school just after the first block. 2. When you’re parallel with the block, leg-yield to the left over the centre line so that you’re on the left on the second block. 3. Ride straight for a couple of strides, before leg-yielding in the other direction across the centre line and past the third block. 4. When you reach the third block, straighten up and re-join the track. Change the rein across the diagonal and repeat the exercise. Take it up a level by riding this exercise in trot. Remember to use half-halts to prevent your pony rushing through the exercise.
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To leg-yield, your pony should be straight through his body with his head slightly bent away from the direction of travel. To leg-yield left, push your pony over with your right leg just behind the girth. Close your left hand around the left rein to stop him drifting through his shoulder and keep your right hand soft.
A
Leg-yield left
Leg-yield right
Exercise 3:
Ask for a square halt...
back it up
Once you’ve mastered the square halts you practised in Part 1, you can have a go at rein-back. Rein-back not only makes sure your pony is listening to you, it also engages his hindquarters and lifts him off the forehand. It’s a great skill to have as it comes in handy for opening gates out hacking! This exercise helps make sure that your rein-back stays straight and doesn’t drift from side-to-side. 1. Set up two poles on either side of the centre line, wide enough for your pony to fit between. 2. Walk between the poles and halt in the centre, making sure you’re square. 3. Sit up tall, keeping your legs pressed firmly against your
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pony’s side and squeeze the reins slightly. 4. Use your voice to praise him as he moves backwards, and release the pressure after a few strides. Only ask for a couple of steps of reinback at first, until you both become more confident. 5. Once you’ve finished your rein back and praised him, ask your pony to walk on. Ride straight down the centre line and change rein. 6. Repeat the exercise a couple of times, then trot on around the school – If your pony doesn’t you’re sure understand your aids, ask a to notice a helper on the ground to gently difference in push him backwards at his his movement. chest as you apply the aids. Remember to praise him for his efforts!
Top tip
...then rein back confidently
Jenny wants to get Prince going in a good canter for jumping. Which of these is best? A rhythmical, bouncy canter with plenty of impulsion. A super-fast canter – he needs to be motoring to get over fences! A very relaxed, steady canter. Jenny shouldn’t get Prince too excited.
Are you a
jumping genius?
Jenny’s instructor, Mel, puts up a crosspole for Jenny to jump first. Jenny asks why they’re good fences to start with. Can you answer her question? They’re not really – they’re just easy to build! They’re good because they guide ponies towards the middle of the fence and encourage them to produce a balanced jump. They’re usually small, so they aren’t scary for the rider.
How much do you know about jumping? Use your knowledge to guide Jenny and her pony, Prince, through their jumping lesson, then find out if you’re a jumping genius! Jenny needs to warm up Prince ready for jumping. What should she do in her warm-up? Trot round on both reins until Prince is relaxed and warm, then ride him over some trotting poles. Walk, trot and canter on both reins and ride lots of transitions and shapes to make sure Prince is listening. Canter Prince round the edge of the arena as fast as possible to really get him going.
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Now Jenny has started jumping, Prince has become a bit excited and strong. What should she do? Give Prince a smack with her whip and tell him not to be so naughty! Get off and walk him round for a bit until he’s calmed down. Ride a few half-halts and some transitions to get Prince listening again.
Prince has calmed down, so Mel puts up an ascending oxer for Jenny to jump. What is an ascending oxer?
How did you do?
A fence with poles on two separate pairs of wings. The front pole is slightly lower than the back pole and there’s usually a ground line. A straight bar with a slanted pole directly underneath. A fence with two poles, each on separate wings, but the poles are level in height and there’s a ground line, too. Mel asks Jenny if she knows what the term ‘seeing a stride’ means. Which of these would you tell Jenny is correct? Being able to judge the spot where Prince will take off on the approach to a fence. You’re seeing a stride if you can see your pony’s legs moving when you’re in your forward seat. Knowing how many strides your pony will take between fences in a combination. Mel asks Jenny to recite the five stages of jumping. Which of these is correct? Approach, take-off, moment of suspension, landing, getaway. Build-up, take-off, in the air, landing, canter on. Turn in, ready to jump, take-off, flying, come down. Uh-oh! Prince has refused at a scary filler. What should Jenny do next? Take the fillers away immediately and try the fence without them. Shout at Prince so he knows he’s been naughty and approach the fence again, this time with more speed so Prince doesn’t have time to stop. Canter a circle to rebalance Prince and approach the fence again. She should look up and ahead and keep her legs on, too.
Next, Mel asks Jenny to jump a double. Which of these things should Jenny remember? To approach the double in a faster canter, so Prince has enough speed to jump the second element.
Mostly apple = Total genius! Woah, check you out! You’re a total jumping genius! Jenny and Prince had a supersuccessful lesson thanks to you. Keep up the good work.
To ask Mel to put both fences down a bit – Jenny wants to be able to jump the fences confidently. To approach in a rhythmical canter, aiming straight for the centre of the first element. That way, she’s more likely to get a good, straight jump over the second.
Jenny has finished her lesson. She and Prince have worked hard. What should she do before taking Prince back to his stable? Dismount and feed him all the mints she has in her pocket. Walk him round the arena on a long rein to let him cool down and stretch. And give him a big pat, obvs! Nothing. He can go straight back to his stable and have his dinner.
Mostly riding hat = Nearly there You’re not quite a jumping genius just yet, but you do know some of the basics. Swot up using PONY mag and you’ll soon know your stuff!
Mostly showjump = Maybe next time Uh-oh, you need to up your jumping knowledge! Jenny and Prince’s lesson was a bit of a disaster. Read through all the jumping features in old copies of PONY, then try our quiz again. You’ll be a pro before you know it!
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Insider
PC Champs The PC Insider team went behind the scenes at Cholmondeley Castle for the Championships. Can you see anyone you know?!
It’s a long walk from th e stables!
Cute!
Photos: 1st Class Images
Taking a break from it all...
No pony? No problem! Time for the Centre Equitation competition! 6
Pony Club mini magazine
King of the castle!
Pete’s in charge of XC control!
ing stuff... it b il a n is s t l he resu Waiting for t
Epic selection of rozzies
Check out the size of that ditch!
Pony Club mini magazine
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