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It’s official – spring is here. Yay! To celebrate, we go hacking with Harlow and Popcorn (spoiler alert, there were zoomies involved!). And we’ve also been getting some groundwork tips from Meg Elphick and the lovely Winnie.
Plus, what if we told you we’ve got seven sure-fire ways to help you boost your bond with your fave pony? Turn to page 30 to get started!
Until next month!
MEET THE PONY TEAM
Lou
Sarah
Fran
Learn all about sweet itch on p44! 62
Easter treats
SPOILING OUR EQUINE BESTIES
I love to make Prince some cute Easter treats from his fave feed!
Sarah, Assistant Ed
I make a mini Easter treat hunt for Sekonda, he’s sooo good at finding them!
Fran, Production Ed
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and Prince Assistant Editor
and Ted PONY Ed
and Sekonda Production Editor
The oldest horse ever recorded, who was called Old Billy!
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The oldest pony ever recorded, who was called Sugar Puff!
DJMur phy
4 PONY LOVES... Welsh ponies 8 WALK THIS WAY Are you clued up on this pace? 16 I SPY Can you spot all five differences? 54 EASTER TREATS Spoil yourself and your pony! 57 NEXT MONTH A sneak peek at the May issue 60 WIN Amazing prizes up for grabs! 63 HELP Your questions answered awesome stuff PONY magazine 3 Subscribe 01442 820580 Digital issues Search for PONY magazine on your app provider Back issues ponymag.com/shop be a better rider 30 TWO PEAS IN A POD Seven steps to boost your bond 40 SPRING INTO ACTION Tick off our spring to-do list! 44 NOT SO SWEET Learn all about sweet itch 52 LAMINITIS ALERT Take our laminitis quiz! Pony care explained 47 PONY SQUAD All the horsey news and goss! 66 PONYGRAM The best of #bondandbrush see yourself in pony Feel confident riding in open spaces with Harlow on p6! Super-cute posters! see P33 visit the website... Ready for the cross-country season to begin, but not sure what to expect? Head over to our guide so you’re ready at bit.ly/PONY_XCEVENT Never miss an issue! 58 A LEARNING CURVE Will Kate get along with Sprite? Great reading WIN A SADDLE! April 2024 PLUS! PONY TRUMP CARDS* bond with your pony 7 ways to How to ride a HALT! SQUARE WE LOVE WELSHIES Go hacking with Harlow Go hacking with Harlow PENNY TRUMP TRUMP Gridwork guide! WIN WIN A Johnsaddle!Whitaker see P10 on the cover you’re heading PONY Big Out, look Lemon! day out 6 OPEN WIDE Hacking with Harlow! 12 THE SECRET TO PERFECT... Square halts! 18 WHAT GOES UP MUST COME DOWN Top tips for tackling hills 22 X MARKS THE SPOT Improve your pony’s agility 26 TAKE THE HIGH GROUND Meg Elphick’s groundwork tips 38 ACE IT Perfect your rhythm on the cover on the cover on the cover on the cover
marks the spot marks the spot
Supercharge your pony’s adjustability and agility with this awesome exercise!
To be successful in your showjumping rounds, your pony needs a powerful, adjustable canter and good technique over fences. With my exercise, you’ll be able to improve both of those key skills. Have a go to find out for yourself!
Set it up
You’ll need eight 3m poles and four pairs of wings for this exercise. Create an X with four poles and then place the other four poles around the X to form a box, positioning the wings next to the outer poles so they’re ready to turn into small fences later on. Make sure the distance between the middle of the X and each outer pole is 2.7–3m (depending on your pony’s stride length).
22 PONY magazine
2.7–3m
Top tip
You don’t have to jump massive fences to improve your pony’s strength and technique. Riding over raised poles, or the point where two or more poles meet, will do the job, too!
Super suitable
This exercise is sooo good for any type of pony. If your fave pony is pretty laidback, the poles will naturally encourage him to be more active, while if he’s prone to rushing, having lots of obstacles to deal with will make him think carefully and slow down. It’s great for physical and mental fitness!
Raise the bar
There’s quite a lot going on in a small space in this exercise, so it can cause some ponies to be spooky – or overjump! Therefore, be sure to ride through each stage until your pony is working through it carefully, correctly and confidently.
Stage one Leave all the poles on the ground and ride through in all directions in walk and trot.
Stage two When your pony is trotting through without hesitation, progress to cantering over the poles.
Stage three Raise one side of each pole – do opposite ends of parallel poles to help prevent drifting and encourage straightness.
Stage four Turn the raised poles into small uprights – building up to a maximum of 50cm. Make sure you ride through in both directions and approach on each rein to work your pony evenly.
Top tip
You can ride through this exercise as a figure-of-eight pattern or as part of a large circle.
PONY magazine 23
Take the high ground Take the high ground
Feel confident handling your pony with Meg Elphick’s groundwork guide!
Groundwork sessions are invaluable! Not only do they help establish good manners and build your confidence as a partnership, they also create the foundations for your ridden work. Here are five tasks for you to try and my top tips to help you ace them!
Top tip
Think about how you’re going to reward your pony for doing well. Lots of treats might cause him to become nippy, so try using your voice and a scratch on the neck instead.
Task 1: Leading around the yard
WHY? Being able to safely and correctly lead your pony around the yard is essential –after all, you need to take him to and from the field so he can enjoy some free time!
LET’S GO Practise walking your pony in and out of his stable, around the yard and along the track to his field.
TOP TIPS
• position yourself next to your pony’s shoulder and use your voice and body language to encourage your pony to go forward or slow down
• avoid letting your pony drag you to see his friends or snack on some grass, as he might develop a bad habit. Try using half-halts to keep his attention
Task 2: Playing with poles
WHY? Working your pony over poles on the ground will allow him more range of movement compared with when you’re riding.
LET’S GO You can set up any type of layout but start with only a few poles. You can then progress to raising them off the ground slightly.
TOP TIPS
• always stay in walk and let your pony step over the poles slowly, don’t rush him – it’s really good for his strength, agility and awareness of where he’s placing each foot
• make sure you concentrate on where you’re stepping, too! You don’t want to trip over and spook your pony
Top tip
It’s really important for your safety that you wear a riding hat, pair of gloves and sturdy boots when handling and leading your pony.
Task 3: Standing by the mounting block
WHY? Your pony must wait patiently while you’re mounting him, otherwise it can be a struggle to get on!
LET’S GO Place a mounting block in your arena and practise approaching it, then halting your pony so his tummy is in line with the block.
TOP TIPS
• ask your pony to stand still for a few seconds to start with, then gradually build it up to longer periods of time, around 20 seconds
• if your pony takes a step forward, ask him to back up by pressing gently on his chest. If he starts to fidget, approach again, rather than trying to wiggle him into position
Use your voice and body language to encourage your pony
