PONY Magazine - December 2023

GIFT! EPIC STORY BOOK

*

E V ’ U O Y S N G 7 FSOIUND YOUR

Pippa Funnel ’s

pony BFF

polework

TIPS

WIN

Aoo-ffZ

CLOTHING BUNDLE!

ffeeeeddiinngg

with This Esme

BROWBAND 1 2 9

770032 425065 18 October – 14 November 2023

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TRAVELL

A COOL

Dec 2023 £4.49 Issue 910

hAPPINYG

MAKE!

*UK ONLY

Jumping with Meg Elphick

INSIDE your mag...

Who’s who?

PONY magazine, Olive Studio, The Timber Yard, Grange Road, Tilford, Farnham, Surrey GU10 2DQ Tel 01428 601020 Advertising enquiries 01428 601028 Email pony@djmurphy.co.uk

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

PONY team adventures This month...

E

venting icon Pippa Funnell is sharing a fun polework exercise anyone can try. I know that for a fact because everyone at PONY Mag Towers has been giving it a go and we love it! Turn to p18 to find out more, then send us your pics!

What colours does your fave pony look best in? It’s time to work them out, then turn to p30 to make him a gorgeous, unique satin browband to lift your mood on rainy autumn days. Until next month!

xx

Prepare your pony for clipping season on p56

MEET THE PONY TEAM

Smooth operation PONY

Office Manager Vicki Owen Accounts Manager Caroline Leishman Accounts Executive Sarah Smith

Photography

Peter Nixon, Jon Stroud, Mark Heighes, PJ photography, Chrislofotos

PONY subscriptions 01442 820580 Back issues ponymag.com/shop Digital issues Visit the App store or Google Play Printed by William Gibbon & Sons Ltd. Distributed by Marketforce PONY magazine and Charlie are trademarks and copyright of DJ Murphy (Publishers) Ltd. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written authority from DJ Murphy (Publishers) Ltd.

Lou and Ted PONY Ed

Sarah and Prince Assistant Editor

Write to us at PONY mag, Olive Studio, The Timber Yard, Grange Road, Tilford, Surrey GU10 2DQ or email pony@djmurphy.co.uk

While every effort is made to ensure the information and advice contained in these articles is correct, DJ Murphy (Publishers) Ltd, its employees and the authors will not accept any responsibility for loss or damage to any person acting or refraining from action as a result of anything included in or omitted from such articles.

Awesome AUTUMN

Articles, photos and drawings are welcome but we cannot be liable for their safe return. Please enclose an SAE. You can read our full terms and conditions, and privacy and cookies policy at bit.ly/PONY_TERMS and bit.ly/PONY_PRIVACY The paper used in PONY is sourced from chain-of-custody certified manufacturers, operating within international environmental standards.

This ensures sustainable sourcing of the raw materials and sustainable production.

OUR PLANS FOR THE SHORTER DAYS

We’re sorry, but it may not be possible to include cover gifts on copies of PONY distributed outside the UK. PONY supports social media safety – to have a Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or YouTube account you must be at least 13 years old. Always get your parents’ permission, too.

Clipping! Making sure Prince’s coat is ready for exercising in the cold weather.

Sarah, Assistant Editor

PONY recommends you wear an up-to-standard riding hat at all times when mounted.

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PONY magazine

Fran and Sekonda Production Editor

bones makes up a pony’s skeleton system

700

the number of muscles a in your pony’s body

I’m going to clean and de-cobweb D’artagnan’s stable!

Megan, Editorial Assistant

WIN

Discover whether you and your fave pony are soulmates on p32

bloomfields bundle see P10

be a better rider

6 12 16 18 26

FLYING SOLO Hack out alone confidently FEEL THE RHYTHM Try Meg’s trusty jumping idea ACE IT Praising your pony AROUND THE CLOCK Pippa Funnell’s pole exercises THE FEAR OF FALLING Tackle your falling off fears

on the cover

on the cover

see yourself in pony

45 74

PONY SQUAD All the horsey news and goss!

PONYGRAM The best of #cheerycuddle

Pony care explained on the cover

Great reading

32 34

THE BEST OF FRIENDS on the cover Have you found your soulmate?

I TOOK MY HORSE TO SCHOOL Will Cathy find her voice?

awesome stuff

4 22 24 30 41 58 61 64 70 71 72

PONY LOVES...

Thundering Thoroughbreds!

CANTERING COLOURS Find the pony coat colours BACK TO SCHOOL How good is your schooling?

MAKE... on the cover A satin browband BEST HORSEY YEAR Have a go at our new challenge!

MUDDY MATTERS Ready for the mud? Take our quiz HELP We answer your questions WIN Amazing prizes up for grabs PONY PICKS Our fave products this month!

N EXT MONTH A sneak peak at January’s issue PONY POST The cutest Christmas cards

SUPER-CUTE posters! see P37

visit the website...

Think you know all about winter turnout? See if you could improve your knowledge and keep your pony happy.

Head to... bit.ly/WINTER-TURNOUT

Never miss an issue!

GIFT! EPIC STORY BOOK

*

U’V SIGNS YO 7 FOU ND YOUR pony BFF

E

Pippa Funnell’s polework

TIPS

WIN

Aofof-Z

CLOTHING BUNDLE!

feed fe eding ing

MAKE!

A COOL

hAPPY

TRAVELLING

with This Esme

BROWBAND 1 2 9

770032 425065

18 October – 14 November 2023

PONYMAG.COM

DJMurphy

on the cover

Dec 2023

A–Z WINTER FEEDING Test your feeding knowledge HAPPY TRAVELLING Travel tips from This Esme!

CUTTING EDGE Prepare your pony for a haircut

£4.49 Issue 910

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Jumping with Meg Elphick

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PONY magazine

3

u n o d r A cloc e h t

k

Put your pony’s suppleness to the test with Pippa Funnell’s easy exercises

M

aking sure your pony is supple on both reins will really help boost his performance. My handy exercise will not only keep his suppleness in check, it will also help you ride amazing turns and perfect circles – so why not give it a go?

In the beginning

Pippa Funnell MB E is the author of Pippa’s Pony Tales and a top eventer who has won th ree Olympic medals!

Brilliant bending

It’s important you understand how to ask your pony to bend correctly and know what to look for when he’s bending because if he’s overbent or unable to bend in both directions, he might find these exercises pretty tricky.

To ask your pony to bend, you need to…

• use your inside rein to get him looking in the direction you’re bending • keep your outside rein close to his wither to support his shoulder • press with your inside leg to ask him to bend through his ribcage • use your outside leg to support him through the turn

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PONY magazine

While you’re getting your pony warmed up and ready for action, think about riding lots of large sweeping turns and circles on both reins. Then start to incorporate changes of bend, figures of eight and three- and four-loop serpentines.

• turn your shoulders and look towards the direction you’re going Then, as your pony starts to bend, think about his…

• neck and head – you don’t want him to have too much bend to the inside, otherwise he’ll be at risk of falling through the shoulder • shoulders – they should be If your pony struggles to travelling on the line around bend one way more than the your turn or circle other, get him checked over by • body and hindquarters – he his bodyworker and vet. It might should be bending through his be a sign he’s sore or stiff, so it’s ribcage and his hindlegs should best to get him checked out to be following the path of his help him feel and perform forelegs at his best.

Top tip

exercise one You can do this exercise in all three paces but it’s best to work your way up so start off in walk until you’re nailing it. The aim is to ride over the middle of each pole – essentially, ride a perfect circle! Easy!

Set it up

All you need for my super-suppling exercises is four poles! Place your poles on a 20m circle – imagine it’s a clock face, so you’ll have one pole at 3, 6, 9 and 12.

You want the circle to be a continuous smooth turn – as if the poles aren’t even there – so you’ve got to focus on maintaining the bend throughout. Have a go at this a few times, using your leg aids and outside rein to tweak your line if you drift off, and then give your pony a pat and a break before riding it in the other direction.

Once you’ve perfected riding over the middle of each pole, why not try aiming for the outer or inner sections? That’s a great way to check your and your pony’s skills!

PONY magazine

19

The

f o r a fe

falling

Six steps to overcome your fears of falling off

I

f you’ve ever worried about falling off or getting back in the saddle after taking a tumble, you’re not alone. Every rider will fall off at some point, which can lead to a real confidence knock, so it’s perfectly normal to feel a little anxious about it happening again.

But when your worries get out of control, it can slow down your progress and take the enjoyment out of doing what you love – having fun and riding your fave pony! So, what can you do to help stop the negative thoughts about falling off? Follow our sixstep guide that’ll leave you feeling bold and brave!

1 Safety first

You can’t put a price on safety, so it’s wise to invest in high-quality, certified safety gear. An up-to-standard riding hat and body protector will help protect you from injury in the case of a fall, and other items, such as safety stirrups and air jackets, can help, too.

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2 Slowly does it

Confidence is a skill that takes time to develop, so, if you’ve recently had a fall or haven’t been riding for long, don’t rush into things if you don’t feel ready. Go at your own pace and enjoy the ride – you’ll know when you’re prepared to take the next step.

3 The perfect match

Riding a calm and sensible pony is the best way to get your confidence back. Plus, it gives you the chance to practise and perfect your skills without worrying whether your pony will get excited or spooky.

PONY magazine

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