PONY magazine, Olive Studio, The Timber Yard, Grange Road, Tilford, Farnham, Surrey GU10 2DQ
Tel 01428 601020
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Team PONY
Editor-in-Chief Louise Kittle
Assistant Editor Sarah Burgess
Editorial Assistants Kate Fry, Megan XavierWitherington
Head of Art and Design Sarah Garland
Senior Designer Adam Witt
Junior Designer Lucy Claydon
Digital Marketing Manager Lianne Tadd
Marketing Assistant Emily Weeks
Art Editor Paul Smail
Retail and Merchandising Assistant Evie Epps
Marketing Co-ordinator Alison Hill
Production Editor Franchesca Slack
Advertisement Manager Evie Edgar
Production Manager Eleanor Dunn
Executive PONY
Managing Director Zoe Cannon
Commercial Director Abi Cannon
Smooth operation PONY Office Manager Vicki Owen
Accounts Manager Caroline Leishman
Accounts Executive Sarah Smith
Photography
Peter Nixon, Jon Stroud, Olga_i, Lenkadan, OlesyaNickolaeva, Pavlina Trauskeova, Andrew Angelov, Lucy Merrell, Arthorse, slowmotiongli PONY
Picture perfect
Medium paces require your pony to lengthen his stride to cover more ground while staying in the same rhythm and tempo. To be able to do this correctly, your pony needs to extend his head and neck forward to lengthen his frame and swing through his back, working into the contact. He should also remain in good balance and feel light in your hand – as if he’s powering up a hill!
What’s the benefit?
There are actually lots of benefits to riding medium paces. Not only does it look supercool and mean you’re a totally awesome rider, it also shows that your pony…
• is forward thinking
• can work from his hindquarters
• has a well-muscled topline
Looking for a super-fun jumping exercise that will improve your course-riding skills? We’ve got just the thing for you! Our epic Y-grid will boost your ability to ride between fences and help you achieve a dreamy clear round – so why not give it a go?
For this exercise you’ll need four pairs of wings and eight poles as a minimum – if you want to make one of the fences into an oxer that’s totally fine, or you can use fillers instead of poles!
This exercise is set up to have four strides in between the end of the double and each of the single fences, but you can tweak it to suit the amount of space you have available in your arena.
Try to set up the fences so you can jump them in both directions without moving the poles – this will make life sooo much easier and your session much more efficient!
Getting your pony’s muscles ready for action will help make your session super-successful so be sure to warm him up thoroughly. After you’ve worked him long and low to start with, encourage him to bend his body in both directions by riding lots of circles and turns. You could ride circles around the fences you’ve set up to get him familiar with the task ahead, as well as square and smooth turns to help prepare and refine your aids for the exercise.
When you set up the fences, keep them as cross-poles until you’ve completed all the levels. Not only will this build you and your pony’s confidence slowly, jumping over cross-poles can also help you to stay straight and improve his technique over fences. Then, when you’ve nailed the cross-poles, you can turn the fences into uprights.
When it comes to level two and incorporating the turn, try to avoid pulling on the reins to make the move because this might cause your pony to drift and, therefore, you won’t be straight to the next fence. This might then lead to a run-out, too – not ideal!
To ride the perfect turn…
• slightly shift your weight into the stirrup of the direction you’re going
• look at and angle your upper body towards the next jump
• keep your outside rein close to your pony’s wither to support his shoulder
• press with your inside leg to get him to bend through his ribcage
Once you’ve made the turn, be sure to channel your pony straight by sitting evenly in the saddle and keeping an even rein contact.
If your pony really struggles to turn in one direction more than the other, or always lands on a specific canter lead, it could be a sign that he’s sore, so it’s sensible to get him checked over by your bodyworker and vet.
Ponies are so much more than just adorable animals, they have the power to bring tons of positivity and happiness into our lives. Their gentle nature, playful personalities and unconditional friendship can really have an impact on our wellbeing, both mentally and physically! So, let’s explore how ponies can help us feel better.
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Ponies don’t spend time inside lounging on the sofa or playing on a gaming console, and if you want to spend time with ponies, then neither will you! Their natural environment involves lots of lovely green space and being at the yard means you get to enjoy the amazing outdoors, too! By witnessing the trees and hedges change throughout the seasons, you’ll get to see science in action and become more connected with nature, and, in turn, you’ll learn how to love, respect and care for the world around us. After all, we want our ponies to live in the best environment possible, right?
Ponies don’t judge, criticise or hold grudges – they love unconditionally. When you spend time with your fave pony, you’ll experience a sense of acceptance and love that can make you feel truly valued. His companionship can help to ease feelings of loneliness, as well as boost your self-esteem, leaving you feeling brighter and lighter after you’ve been hanging out together!
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Caring for a pony is a very important job! With the guidance of a knowledgeable grown-up and PONY mag’s top tips, you can feed, groom and ride your pony to help keep him feeling healthy and happy. Did you know that these kinds of tasks teach you valuable life skills? For example, time management – can you muck out and then tack up your pony in time for your lesson?
Taking ownership of the decisions and choices you make for your pony helps you to learn accountability, too. Forgot to turn the tap off when filling the water bucket? Then, it’s your responsibility to clear up the mess!
Being with ponies certainly keeps you busy! Riding, grooming, mucking out and sweeping are great for your fitness, but, more importantly, these jobs can help you feel better, too! When we move, our body releases endorphins which are a type of hormone that boosts our mood. That’s why we always feel better after a trip to the stables, even if we only poo pick a field or have a quick grooming sesh. Science has also proved that physical activity supports our emotional health, as well as helping us get a good night’s sleep!
