PONY magazine – Spring 2017

Get the perfect jumping position PONYMAG.COM

THE UK’S NO1 PONY MAGAZINE

Meet

B e n Ma

her!!

How your

pony learns

REVEALED

My jodhpur disaster!!!

Real readers’ confessions!

Free!!

Cool pony 9 8

9

770032 425188 * UK only

Spring 2017 £3.49 Issue 823

lip balm!*

Top tips for

road riding ››››››››››››››

HORSEY

NAIL ART how-to!

Nosy pony!

WHERE DO YOU READ YOURS?

Horsey news, views and goss!

PONY recommends you wear an up-to-standard riding hat when mounted

We read ours with our guinea pigs, Mist and Shy. Ellen and Harriet Lewis

charge!

Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site is hosting an exciting new exhibition this year, celebrating the role of the horses and riders who guarded the wall as the frontier of the mighty Roman Empire.

Stretching the full 150 miles of the wall, the exhibition will explore the role and daily life of the Roman army’s cavalry. It brings together amazing artefacts and a huge cavalry re-enactment, too!

The exhibition takes place from April to September. Find out more at hadrianscavalry.co.uk

The misadventures of Charlie!

Photos: Ben Blackall, Trevor Meeks.

What a great idea to get away for a mini-break, Charlie. This hotel is lovely!

You’re in room number 24, just that way.

4

PONY magazine

Here we are!

Yeah, of course!

Are you sure he said room 42, Charlie?

Hey!

Oops, sorry!

We must be room 24!

Charlie!

SPOTTED!

We’ve been keeping an eye on all the latest celeb gossip over on social media – what have your fave riders been up to?

The one and only Clare Balding visited the PONY stand at Olympia and met loads of lucky readers. @ponymaguk Team PONY have had an amazing time book signing with Clare Balding at @olympiahorse

jump to it

Irish showjumper Billy Twomey had a winning start to the year, holding onto the title of grand prix champion at the Liverpool International Horse Show – getting his hands on an impressive prize of £17,500!

William Whitaker had set a tough time to beat in the jump-off, completing a clear round in 38.79 seconds, but Billy wowed the crowds with his impressive round, finishing in a time of 37.32 seconds.

Eventing legends William Fox-Pitt and Nicola Wilson as you’ve never seen them before - in the city! @aliceplunkett bumpkins @foxpitteventing and Nicola Wilson on the tube in London!

‘Ello, ‘Ello, ‘Ello!

Pedestrians in London were treated to an unusual sight when a police horse looked like he was getting on a bus in Islington!

PC Dan Smith was helping a passenger who’d fallen ill, and his horse, Invictor, was there to lend a helping hand.

bit.ly/twiggy_ponypal VIRAL VID!

Our fave Pony Pal pony, the adorable Twiggy, shows size doesn’t affect her speed in this supercute vid! Check it out with the link above.

Send in your funny pony-related videos to pony@djmurphy.co.uk

Super-cute Major knows how to get what he wants at Redwings! @RedwingsHS Is it dinner time yet?

Adoption star, Major, always was a fan of dinner (we know the feeling) PONY magazine

5

r u o y t c e f r e P

g n i p m ju n o i t i s po

re in the cu se u yo s ep ke on ti si o p A correct jumping y when on p ur yo d an u yo r fo r saddle and is much comfie ng fences you’re tackli

D

o you know w hat makes a good jumping position? Find out here, then turn over to it into practi put ce and troubl eshoot comm problems! on

The stabilisers Your legs should remain at the girth to help you stay balanced in the saddle. Keep your weight in your heels by pushing them down and check the stirrups are on the balls of your feet. Aim to keep your weight even across both stirrups to stay balanced as you jump.

Wrap your legs around your pony’s sides – this will keep you secure as well as helping you ride confidently over a fence and giving him confidence, too.

Did you know?

Your leg position is ke y to the rest of your body staying in balan ce when you’re jumpin g.

6

PONY magazine

Top tip

Remember to shorten your stirrups a couple of holes from your usual flatwork length for jumping.

This will help keep your leg secure.

The fold As your pony takes off to jump, your body should fold forwards with his movement.

Bend at your hips rather than just leaning forwards, because this will push your legs back and unbalance you both.

Keep your shoulders back and avoid rounding them as doing this will pull you forwards. Looking up and ahead will prepare you for landing and help you maintain your position as you look to the next fence.

The release

Your pony will stretch out his neck to jump the fence, so it’s really important to release with your hands so he can stretch without you catching him in the mouth.

Try to keep an elastic contact, following his mouth over the fence, rather than dropping the contact on approach.

Top tip

Ask a friend to take a pic of you in your stationary jumping position or use the arena mirrors to guide you. That way, you can see what areas you need to work on!

Practi ce makes perfect No one looks like a pro right away – it takes loads of Get the hang practice to achieve the standing still perfect jumping position!

To begin with, try going into your jumping position while your pony’s standing still. This will help you feel where your leg and body should be to remain balanced and secure.

Once you’ve got the hang of this, try it in walk, then trot and canter. Give it a go for at least a few minutes every time you ride, whether you’re jumping or not, and you’ll be amazed at the difference it makes!

of your jumping positi

on while

Turn over to check out some common jumping position problems and how to solve them.

➤ PONY magazine

7

top tip

Make sure you’ve read the Highway Code before riding on the roads. It’s also a good idea to take the Pony Club or BHS road rider safety test to put your knowledge into practice.

The

open road Follow our easy tips to stay safe on the roads and you’ll be a pro before you know it

Be seen, be safe

top tip

Remember to always wear an up-to-standard riding hat. A body protector’s a good idea, too.

12

PONY magazine

The golden rule of riding on the road is to always wear high-visibility clothing so that cars and other road users can see you quickly and easily. It’s best to have high-vis clothing for both you and your pony.

Although it’s safest not to ride on roads in poor visibility, if you can’t avoid it, make sure your highvis clothing also has plenty of reflective material.

These are the silver-coloured strips that reflect car headlights.

There are loads of high-vis and reflective options out there, from hat bands and tabards for you to breastplates and leg wraps for your pony.

Seeing double

You can ride no more than two ponies side-by-side on the road.

Always place a nervous or young pony on the inside, with a more experienced pony on the outside to give him confidence in traffic.

On narrow or busy roads, or when you’re approaching a bend or junction, move into single file. If the less experienced pony is confident in traffic but can be spooky at things on the side of the road, place him behind the other horse so he can be led past calmly. If he’s not particularly spooky, but gets worried with cars approaching from behind, let him go in front of the more experienced pony.

➤

Top tip

Watch out for the road surface you’re riding on – avoid walking your pony over drain covers because they’re often slippery.

did you know?

Ponies aren’t allowed on pavements. Keep to the lefthand side of the road, riding in the same direction as traffic.

PONY magazine

13

S p r i ngP O NYmag az i ne o ns al eno w!

p o nymag . c o m/ s ho p