PONY magazine – October 2017

Free!

Stationery set + mega sticker sheet!

PONYMAG.COM

THE UK’S NO1 PONY MAGAZINE

Team PONY's

10books fave horsey

Fun riding e

xercises

you'll lov e

Dress to

impreksits

QUIZ!

Cool XC

Do you think like a pony?

HACKING WORRIES

MNaY-kfy eyo!ur

SORTED!

1 0 9

770032 425195

October 2017 £3.65 Issue 830

PO scho ol bo oks

e v o r p Im your pony’s Get your pony soft and supple with our fab guide!

S

uppleness means your pony bends through his whole body in both directions. In other words, when you’re riding a bend, turn or circle, he should be bending around your inside leg in the direction you’re asking.

As well as boosting your score in dressage tests, correct bend will really help your jumping, too.

You’ll be able to stay balanced through a course and have a big advantage when it comes to tight jump-off turns!

6

PONY magazine

BEND

What’s in a bend?

Correct bend is when your pony’s body is curved evenly from his tail to his poll. To bend well, he needs to be balanced and relaxed, and you need to give him the right aids... l keep your inside leg on the girth – this is the most important part of the bend!

Think about pushing your inside leg into his side to maintain the forward impulsion and allow him to curve his body around it l move your outside leg slightly behind the girth to control his hindquarters and stop them swinging out l open your inside rein slightly towards

m Too

top tip

Look around the corner to let your pony know where you’re asking him to go. Remember to sit up tall and keep your shoulders back to stay balanced and square in the saddle.

the inside of the bend to let your pony know the direction you’re asking him to turn l your outside rein maintains impulsion and stops your pony overbending, so keep your fingers wrapped around the rein and your arm close to your side

Just right

uch

how much is too much?

If your pony’s overbending, it’s normally because his neck is bent too much while his body is straight. You can test this by checking your view while riding on a circle.

If you can see the whole side of his face, his neck and head are bent too much. If you can just see his eyelashes and the corner of his inside eye, you’ve got just the right amount of bend!

top tip

Your legs, not your hands, produce a good bend. If you just use your reins to bend, your pony won’t be supple through his body. Keep your leg on for a good bend every time!

on the straight and narrow

If you’re stiff, your pony will be, too

If your pony doesn’t bend in the direction you’re asking him, first make sure he’s had enough of a warm-up to loosen up. Then think about your aids – you’re likely to be stiff through your body and not using enough leg. Bring your shoulders down and back to relax, then focus on using your legs, rather than your hands, to make the bend.

The good news is, whether your pony has too much or not enough bend, there are loads of exercises you can do to encourage him to be more supple. Turn over to check them out!

➤

Incorrect

PONY magazine

7

n t i h t e u O

e p o n Do you ever worry about hacking in open spaces? Here are some top tips for riding out in the open

i

f you’re feeling confident then having a large, open space to hack in is amazing. But if you’re not used to it, it can be quite daunting.

However, if you can easily control your fave pony in an enclosed space, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to do so in an open space, too. Follow our top tips and you’ll be a hacking pro and having the best fun in no time!

Better together

If you’re feeling a bit nervous, ask a more experienced friend on a sensible pony to go with you. Having someone to chat to will distract you from your nerves and help you feel more relaxed.

Plus, having a friend with a bit more experience with you means they can take the lead if you or your pony aren’t feeling confident.

12

PONY magazine

Get talking

Communication is key to a good hack.

If you’re riding with a friend, make sure to talk to each other and check that you’re both happy before going up a gear. This way you’ll be more prepared and relaxed.

If you’re feeling unsure or want to stop, tell the person you’re riding with. Hacking is supposed to be fun, so don’t sit there worrying – tell your hacking buddy how you’re feeling and they won’t mind slowing down or talking through what’s worrying you.

Stay safe

Wearing an up-to-standard riding hat is a must, but a body protector may help you feel safer, too. Don’t forget a fully charged mobile phone, and make sure to tell someone at the yard where you plan to go and roughly how long you’ll be. Highvis clothing for both you and your pony is super-important when riding on roads, too.

Keep it steady

Remember, you don’t have to go flat-out the first time you go hacking. Start at a pace that you’re happy with and then up the speed when you feel more confident.

Riding regular changes of pace are important for your pony’s fitness because they’ll help him to strengthen different muscles. They’ll also help make your ride more interesting and keep him focused on you.

Riding regular changes of pace is important for improving your pony’s fitness

Top tip

Leave any gates as you find them. If you need to open a gate to ride through, be sure to shut it behind you.

,

Change it up

Don’t think you have to canter through every field.

Cantering in the same spot each time means your pony will start to predict when you want to canter, so it’s a good idea to mix things up. Vary where you walk, trot and canter each time you hack – one the best things about riding in open spaces is that you have lots of different options for where to canter, so make the most of it.

➤

PONY magazine

13

Autumn laminitisw: o n k o t d e e n u Al yo

w to prevent it ho t ou d n Fi s. e ni po r fo on iti nd co Laminitis is a common but painful

Top tip

If your pony suffers from laminitis more than once, it’s a good idea to ask your vet to test for PPID. Lab tests are free until the end of October. Visit talkaboutlaminitis.co.uk for more information.

L

ots of people think laminitis is just a problem in the spring, but it’s important to keep an eye out for it in the autumn, too. Increased rain after the sunny summer months can mean the grass has a growth spurt, which increases the risk of laminitis for your fave pony.

Although any horse or pony can be affected by laminitis, our fave native pony breeds are particularly susceptible to the condition, so read on to find out more and how to prevent it.

What is laminitis?

There’s a bone in your pony’s hoof (called the pedal bone) that’s normally held in place by strong folds of tissue known as the laminae.

When your pony has laminitis, the laminae become inflamed, which can be really painful. In serious cases or when left untreated, the pedal bone can drop and rotate inside the hoof.

Pedal bone

Laminae

24

PONY magazine

Prevention

How does it happen?

plan

are, it’s much what the causes Once you know re’s what you He . e condition th t en ev pr to r easie can do... stop him ur pony’s field to 1. Strip-graze yo lush grass. of s cess to load ac ng vi ha ly en sudd t him graze tric fencing to le You can use elec ually move the field, then grad r of ponies a smaller area of ng on the numbe di en ep (d . t ou g fencin his grazing area ity) to increase al qu g in az gr d an th a weightape ight regularly wi 2. Check his we , and adjust t gaining weight no ’s he re su e to mak cordingly. ercise levels ac his feed and ex ht food for his ’s eating the rig ed much 3. Make sure he normally don’t ne es ni po e tiv na – needs er is enough to d often a balanc an , eds. ed fe et ck bu and mins he ne getting the vits ny. po ur yo r fo make sure he’s specific advice r fo ist on iti tr Ask a nu d starch as this high in sugar an et di a d oi Av 4. e feed is best – initis. A high-fibr can trigger lam minitis Trust if proved by The La the bag). look for ones ap d will be marke on is (th re su un e you’r utine to make ried exercise ro d 5. Maintain a va keep him fit an enough work to o to g in do sure he’s doing t no e make sure you’r healthy, and to . on hard ground rk much fast wo to make sure lar farrier visits 6. Maintain regu ndition. co es stay in good your pony’s hoov

There are lots of different reasons why a pony might get laminitis, but common factors include... l eating too much lush grass There’s often a growth of rich and leafy grass with the autumn rain, which contains high levels of sugar and starch. Ponies love to munch on this l obesity Overweight ponies are being fed more calories than their body can use up. This means they carry extra fat on their body, which puts strain on their internal organs, legs and hooves l concussion Too much strenuous work on hard ground over a long period of time – such as a summer of heavy competing – can cause concussion in the hoof, which affects the laminae l hormones Ponies with a hormone imbalance – such as pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID, previously known as Cushing’s), equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) and insulin resistance – are much more prone to laminitis.

top tip

Introduce changes to his feed gradually over a period of at least 10 days.

top tip

If you can’t strip graze your pony’s field, use a grazing muzzle instead. But don’t keep it on for more than 12 hours at a time and you should restrict his grass access when he’s not wearing it. You can do this by stabling him or keeping him in a bare paddock.

➤ PONY magazine

25

¡äõðãæó ¢¡ « îâè ðï ôâíæ ïðø

¶µ´¿³§­ ©µ³ ¹®µ¶