PONY Magazine – December 2018

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24 October – 21 November 2018

December 2018 £3.99 Issue 845

!

E IM T Y R E V E

e l k r a p s im h Make Clever

G N I M O O GR tips Feel like

g? cin dan Have a go at riding to music!

Meet superstar eventer

Ben Hobday This E s me

gives your tack room the wow factor

Friends forever Build a bond with your fave pony Test your

pony know-how an d get a certificate!

PONYMAG.COM

Prepare for

take-off Acing the take-off in showjumping is vital if you want to achieve a clear round

A

good showjumping round should feel like your fave pony can fly, however meeting the fences on the wrong stride can make it feel more like a roller coaster. Luckily, there’s loads of useful exercises you can try that’ll help you and your pony achieve a super-smooth round.

Get the canter

The key to acing the take-off is getting the right canter. So, before you even begin to think about jumping a fence, work on this pace. Sit up tall and wrap your legs around your pony’s sides to encourage him into a forward, balanced canter, making sure he moves in a regular rhythm.

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PONY magazine

Prep station

The easiest way to make sure that your pony meets every fence on the right stride is to plan your approach. Think about your line – you want to aim for the centre of the fence, making sure you ride at least three straight strides before it, so you’re not jumping on an angle. This will allow your pony plenty of time to prepare himself to jump.

Top tip

Walking the course at a show will enable you to work out how you should approach each fence.

Position perfect

Your position can dramatically affect the way your pony approaches a fence and takes off. So, it’s super-important that you...

Don’t lean forward.

..

Top tip

Practise at home over small fences, and slowly build up to the height you want to compete at.

...or drop the contact

Sit up tall and take your shoulders back M aintain an even contact with your pony’s mouth Look up and over the fence W rap your legs firmly around his sides to encourage him forward and maintain his canter rhythm Some common position mistakes include...

Looking down will unbalance your pony and make it harder for him to jump Leaning forward shifts your weight over your pony’s shoulders and makes it more difficult for him to take-off. It’ll also unbalance you as he jumps Dropping the contact means you lose your line of communication with your pony. Without a soft, even contact he might think that you want him to stop, rather than jump the fence

PONY magazine

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Make him

sparkle

Winter weather can make it tricky to keep your fave pony clean, but thankfully there’s loads you can do to get him gleaming

W

inter brings cold, wet weather and usually lots of mud! With the chilly weather making it difficult to give him a bath, keeping your fave pony clean can seem like an impossible task – especially if he’s a light colour! Luckily, PONY has all you need to know to help keep him sparkling clean all winter long.

LITTLE AND OFTEN

One of the easiest ways to make sure your pony stays clean is to give him a quick groom every day. This could be done as you change his rugs, or when you check him over before you put him in his stable. Remove any dry mud and give him a quick flick over with a body brush to remove dust and grease. Grooming him regularly will also help prevent stains from becoming too ingrained and will help stop the build up of dust and grease.

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PONY magazine

Top tip

If your pony is really muddy, just groom the area where his tack sits before you ride, then give him a full groom after you’ve ridden.

1. Use a rubber curry comb to remove mud and loose hair.

Make sure you avoid bony, sensitive areas such as Your grooming kit can his face and legs. get dirty and greasy, so 2. Next, use a dandy it’s important to wash your brush to remove brushes regularly with hot, any stubborn dirt on soapy water to help keep unclipped areas of his them clean. body and legs. Use a softer bristled brush on his clipped areas.

You should aim to give your 3. Spray his mane and tail with pony a full groom at least once a detangler and use a body brush to week, which can take around 40 mins! remove knots.

For best results, groom him after you’ve 4. As a finishing touch, use a body brush ridden as his pores will be open and this to remove any remaining grease, and will help evenly distribute the healthy oils clean the brush after every stroke in his coat. For a full groom you’ll need to... using a metal curry comb.

Top tip

BE A GROOMING GURU

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