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April 2017 £3.99 Issue 824
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How to ace transitions
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Flawless jumping
clear t c fe r e p e h t t e g Can’t seem to ping? Find m u j w o h s e ’r u o y n round whe out ho w to fix it! Stretch it out
your pony’s It’s super-important to make sure re you begin befo you to ning liste and warmed-up h reins to bot on jumping. Walk, trot and canter les and circ in ing stretch out his muscles, mix p him Kee d. ben to him shapes to encourage ns. sitio tran of lots g ridin by focused on you is to ping jum A great exercise to warm up for the n dow ter can his ask your pony to lengthen rten up again on long side of the arena, then sho to stay listening the short side. It encourages him stable canter to your aids and gives you an adju reins. h bot on e stride. Repeat this exercis
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PONY magazine
A rhythmical, balanced canter is key to a good jump
It’s much easier to jump from a balanced canter Get rhythmical
An unbalanced approach is more likely to cause faults
Top tip
If your pony rushes, try to stay relaxed. If you just pull on the reins, he’s likely to resist. Sit quietly and use half-halts, transitions and circles to get his attention back on you.
A rhythmical, balanced canter is key to a good jump. If your pony’s balanced when he approaches a fence, it’s much easier for him to take off and clear it. An unbalanced or rushed approach could cause him to knock a pole. Check your rhythm by counting his strides in your head. Count ‘one, two, three’ in time with his strides. Your rhythm should stay the same – if you find your counting gets faster, especially as you approach a fence, you’re not in a rhythm. Use half-halts to ask him to listen to you and stop rushing.
Top tip
Build it up
Once you’ve got the perfect showjumping canter, it’s always important to jump a few warm-up fences before riding a whole course. A good warmup helps prepare your pony and lets you check if he’s listening to you – this is key if you’re planning on riding a clear round! Start with a small, inviting cross-pole and aim to keep the same rhythmical canter on approach and landing. Jump the fence on both reins and when you’re both happy, put it up to a small upright fence and do the same thing.
To ride a half-halt, close your hands around the reins to contain his energy, while wrapping your legs around his side to keep him moving forwards. Your aids should only last for one stride to encourage him to wait and listen to you.
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! p u GiddyW ith our We all love a go od canter w ons ansiti fave ponies, but are your tr fo ot-perfect?
Impulsion isn’t the same as speed, so don’t let him rush
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PONY magazine
ng, a hooling or jumpi hether you’re sc quality od go a is key to good transition lance ba un n ca on nsiti canter. A bad tra f on of e use him to strik your pony or ca get it to w ho d out – read on to fin the wrong lead right every time.
A go od trot produces a go od canter
The Importance of impulsion
Impulsion is the energy your pony creates from his hindlegs that pushes him forwards into the bridle. To maintain the energy produced from impulsion, keep a soft, elastic contact and wrap your legs around your pony’s sides to keep him straight. Remember – impulsion isn’t the same as speed, so don’t let him rush. You need impulsion to ride a transition from trot to canter so your pony can push up into canter easily, but you also need impulsion when you ride a downwards transition to keep him moving forwards and maintain his energy.
Top tip
If you’re not sure what impulsion should feel like, imagine you’re riding uphill. Your pony uses more energy (impulsion) to push himself up the hill with his hindquarters, but his speed doesn’t change.
Top tip
Remember to warm your pony up on both reins in walk and trot before you start cantering.
Know the aids
Before you ask for canter, make sure you’re riding a forward, active trot and he’s listening to your aids.
1
Go into sitting trot a couple of strides before you want to make the transition.
2
Keep your inside leg on the girth and move your outside leg just behind the girth, and squeeze.
3
Maintain a soft contact to allow him to move forwards into canter – if you’re holding the reins too strongly, he’ll be confused by your aids.
To ask your pony to come back to trot, sit up tall and close your hands around the reins. Keep impulsion in the trot by wrapping your legs around his sides – although you’re moving down a pace, your pony should keep the same energy.
Leading leg
Top tip
In the same way as you’re right- or left-handed when you write, your pony’s likely to have one rein he’s stronger on. Remember to practise transitions equally on both reins to help him with this.
When your pony canters, it’s correct for him to lead with his inside foreleg – this means his inside foreleg moves further forwards with every stride than his outside foreleg. It’s much easier for him to balance like this, especially when riding on a circle. Remember to come back to trot and change the canter lead when you change the rein. It’s best to learn to feel whether you’re on the correct lead or not – you should feel his inside shoulder moving more strongly than his outside. If you haven’t got the hang of this yet, a quick glance down to see which leg is moving forwards more will let you know.
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Shout
Out!
Charming Chancy This is my pony, Chancy. We love doing Pony Club activities and hacking out. Her favourite things are treats, being ridden and being groomed. She’s the best pony ever and I love her loads.
Ellie Wood
This is my new pony, Freya. I loved her as soon as I saw her and I hope we’ll have a great 2017 together.
Evie Morgan
Reader’s email PONY magazine is amazing! It’s helped me learn so many things and has tested me, too! I don’t think I’d be the rider I am today without PONY mag.
Freya West
MY PONY CLUB I’ve been a member of the South Oxfordshire Hunt Pony Club for three years and I’ve made some great memories. I’ve attended camp three times and it’s an amazing experience. When I first joined I was very nervous, but now I’m surrounded by amazing friends and instructors and compete on the dressage and showjumping teams!
Flo Carter 56
Fantastic Freya
Brilliant Becks This is my amazing pony, Becks. We love showjumping and working hunter showing, and earlier this year we started doing Team Quest. We’ve been to Pony Club camp three times and we always have a blast. We have a great bond – he’s my best friend and I love him sooo much.
Isla Ross PONY magazine
Fab friends! This is me on my pony, Storm, and my friend, Shev, on her pony, Tilly. After a bad riding experience Storm has brought my confidence back. I’d like to thank Shev and Tilly for helping me along the way!
Lauren
Amazing Missy
Wonderful Wizard This is me and our family horse, Wizard. He’s sadly not with us anymore, but I’d like to thank him for being awesome! He was a gentleman of a horse and loved carrots and jumping. This picture is of me giving him a bath on a hot summer day. Thank you, Wizard, for everything.
Eimear Finlay
This is Missy, my TB X pacer. I’ve had her for about 14 months and she’s amazing! We recently came first in both of our showjumping classes at my second ever show! She really is super and I couldn’t ask for a better horse. She’s the most honest jumper you’ll ever see and I love her to pieces!
ARIAT e Awesomm onth pony of the
Georgia Everton
Perfect Paint This is my pony, Paint. Our favourite thing to do is cross-country as we love going really fast and jumping solid fences. This is us the first time I jumped a water fence and he was so good!
Mia Holden
Moomin the hero! This is my Shetland, Moomin. Not only is he super-cute, he’s also a hero! My pony was field-bound with an illness and became upset and nobody could go near her, so we decided to get her a companion. We bought Moomin and they soon became best friends!
Laurie Checkley
SUPER-CUTE PETS Barney owned by Ella and Oliver
Sebastian is...
Mil ie owned by Miyah
Rocco owned by Lauren
This is Sebastian. He’s a Welsh X and I’ve had him for three years. He’s really sweet and gentle and loves jumping, especially cross-country. I’ve been through a tough time lately but Sebastian’s always there for me. I love him all the way to the moon and he’ll always be my best friend!
Molly Lumsden
WIN
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