PONY Magazine – January 2019

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21 November – 19 December 2018

January 2019 £3.99 Issue 846

beach ride PONYMAG.COM

l o o h c s o t k c Ba and take just 30mins ve cti ffe r-e pe su are ns a pl g n i l oo sch k c i qu These Prepare for your transition early ’s much harder enings mean it ev er rk da r, onge gets enough that your pony re su e ak m to NY’s three fab ter. Luckily, PO exercise in win fit in s will help you schooling plan ter school. a quick sesh af

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Get planninrtgant thing when you’re schooling g the most The most impo mins is makin 30 in ny po ve your fa e minutes for llow yourself fiv A e. tim ur yo of at the end to d another five warming-up an and spend just to cool down, allow your pony fore moving on be ch exercise ea on es ut in 10 m e. to the next on

Session one

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Exercise 1

Building impulsion

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Trot Walk

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EXERCISE 2: TRANSITIONS WITHIN A PACE

There’s more to transitions than just changing from walk to trot or trot to canter. Riding them within a pace helps to keep your pony focused and listening to you. You can ask him to take bigger, If your pony is a bit lazy, it can feel E X B like you’re constantly nagging him more energetic steps or collect his stride so he with your legs. This often leads takes shorter steps.

Short strides to him switching off and ignoring 1. Go large around the arena on the right rein. Sit Long strides your aids. One of the best ways to up tall and make sure your pony is moving forward Working trot help keep him focused and moving in an active trot – it should feel as though he’s K F forwards energetically is to ride moving forward with purpose. transitions! After you’ve warmed up 2. When you reach B, see how much you can your pony, try... shorten his stride without breaking to walk.

A 3. At F, return to working trot.

2 e is Exerc 4. Continue around the arena, then ask your 1. In trot ride a 20m circle from A or C, so your pony to take longer strides between circle passes over X. K and E. 2. As you approach X ask your pony for a 5. You can try the exercise It’s supe downwards transition to walk. in walk and canter, too. In r-impor tant that yo 3. Aim to walk for six strides, then ride forwards canter ask for longer strides up transitio lan your walk to trot. down the long sides of your ns, so sit with yo up tall ur 4. To make this exercise trickier, try to ensure your arena, then collect on the back an shoulders push ed d stay a short sides. pony walks three strides either side of X before s still as y can in t he sadd o u moving back up to trot. le as yo for a ch u ask ange of pace.

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EXERCISE 1: TRANSITIONS ON A CIRCLE

Top tip

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PONY magazine

The warm-up and cool down

During the colder weather it’s even more important to make sure your pony is thoroughly warmed up. Walk, trot and canter on both reins before you begin working through the exercises.

For your cool down, allow your pony his head, loosen his girth a hole and walk him around until his breathing has returned to normal.

Session two

Improving suppleness A pony is supple when he can bend through his body in both directions.

So, when you ride a turn or a circle your pony should be bending around your inside leg. Not only will making sure you have the correct bend help you achieve extra marks in dressage tests, it’ll help your pony stay balanced when jumping a course, too.

Topou kteiepp track

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EXERCISE 1: BENDING POLES

Place three bending poles roughly 9m apart down the centre line of your arena. In trot weave through the poles, making sure to change your bend each time you turn. It’s super important to think about your position... l open your inside rein slightly towards the inside of the bend to show your pony where you’d like him to go l keep your inside leg on the girth to encourage him to bend around it l place your outside leg slightly behind the girth to stop his quarters swinging out

9m

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B

Top tip

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Make s ure yo u ride the ex all ercise s evenly on bot h reins .

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LES EXERCISE 2: HALF-10m CIRCway to

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y To help uch time has m w o er on of h set a tim off , d e s s pa go one to your ph e minutes. v every fi

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Riding shapes is a great d help your pony improve his ben and suppleness. right 1. Start in walk and ride on the h the reac you en Wh E. ards tow rein a marker look towards X and ride t. righ the to half-10m circle 2. Just before you reach X, ight straighten up and ride two stra strides across X. look 3. Then change your bend and half ther ano ride and to the left ’re you e Onc B. ards tow le circ 10m the try k, feeling confident in wal exercise in trot.

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PONY magazine

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beside the

seaside Blow away the cobwebs by taking your fave pony on a beach ride

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antering along a beach with miles of sand stretching ahead of you is one of the most amazing things you can do on horseback, and it’ll be even more special if you’re riding your fave pony. He’s sure to enjoy feeling the sand beneath his hooves as much as you do, because it’ll be a break from his normal riding routine.

While beach riding can be magical, it does require some careful planning to ensure you have the best experience possible. Here’s what you need to know...

Open for access You may think the best time to head to the seaside is a sunny summer’s day, but autumn and winter are the most horse-friendly seasons for a beach ride. This is because riding is usually only allowed early in the morning or in the evening during summer, because beaches are super busy in the daytime. However, from September to April you may be able to ride on the beach at any time of the day.

Top tip

For your first few trips to the beach, go with a friend who’s ridden there before and has a calm, sensible pony.

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PONY magazine

Do your research Horses aren’t allowed on every beach, and not all beaches are suitable for riding on, so you’ll need to find one that’s horse-friendly. Social media is a good place to ask, or maybe a friend could recommend one? Then, check what times you can ride there. Most beaches have websites where you can find this info, and it’ll probably tell you where the best place to park a horsebox is, too.

Top tip

Check the weather reports before your trip and don’t go if bad weather is forecast. Beaches can be dangerous in bad weather, especially if there are strong winds.

DID YOU KNOW?

Some beach es require you to purc hase a perm it to ride ther e, so check this out bef ore you go.

The tide turns Something else that’s really important to check is when the tide will be out. You don’t want to go to the beach at You can check tide high tide, because times for UK beaches at there’ll be no sand metoffice.gov.uk/public/ to ride on! Find out weather/tide-times when the tide comes in, too, and make sure you leave the beach well before this or you could get cut off by the sea.

Top tip

Top tip

Kit yourself and your pony out in hi-vis in case something happens and you get separated.

It’s also a good idea to attach your name and phone number to his bridle or saddle, too. Small luggage labels are ideal for doing this.

Fun for all If you don’t have your own pony you can still enjoy a ride on the beach, because loads of equestrian centres offer the experience. Even if you do have a pony it could be a good idea to go to an equestrian centre to get your first taste of beach riding, as their ponies should be safe and experienced. These centres often cater for beginners, so you might even persuade other family members to join you!

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